Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very rare Norwegian M1855/67 Short Navy Kammerlader rifle, in 18 lødig (17.5mm) caliber with six groove rifling. It was originally made as a M1855 "Kammerlader" percussion rifle, one of the earliest breech loading percussion designs in use. This was a "capping breech loader" like some later American designs, and as like many of those designs, conversions to utilize metallic cartridges were invented to "modernize" the now obsolete rifles.

After the introduction of the Remington M1867 and its rimfire cartridge in 1867, the Norwegian Army and the Royal Norwegian Navy decided to convert some of the stock of kammerladers into rimfire rifles. There were two designs used for the modification: Landmarks and Lunds. Neither can be considered completely successful, but both were cheaper, and quicker, than manufacturing new M1867s. It seems that the Norwegian Army preferred the Lund, while the Landmark was the option of choice for the Royal Norwegian Navy.

This M1855 Navy rifle went through the "Landmark" conversion circa 1867 to utilize a large rimfire cartridge. This modification invented by Jens Landmark, director of Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk (Weapons Factory) from 1854 to 1880. The chamber, which on a kammerlader is a separate piece tilted up and to the rear, is opened as before, but can be tilted further backwards by means of a hinge in the middle of the chamber. The rimfire cartridge is placed backwards, facing the shooter, before everything is rolled back forward. The only part to be modified was the chamber and a curving firing pin was added where the nipple for the cap had been. This example was kept in the original 18 lødig (17.5mm) caliber, and was not converted to take the smaller 4 Linjers (12.17mm) Remington cartridges.

This lovely example of a M1855/67 Navy Kammerlader Landmark Conversion Short Rifle is correctly marked with the date of 1855 in front of the chamber, over serial number 717, which is also marked on just about every part of the rifle. This includes the brass fittings, components of the breech lever, the breech block, and more. Research indicates that the M1855 Kammerlader Navy Rifles were made with serial numbers starting in the low 500s, continuing the serialization from the earlier M1852 Kammerlader. About 500 would be made before the M1855 was itself superseded by the M1857, which took over at about serial number 1000. The front of the receiver under the "rocking" rear sight is marked with the CROWN over K marking of Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk, which is also marked on other parts of the rifle. There are no other markings on the rifle aside from various assembly numbers and proofs.

The rifle is really in lovely condition, showing a great patina of age and no major abuse or damage from being in service. The original browned finish has worn in many areas to a peppery patina, but there is no real pit rust or major oxidation. The brass components have a lovely matured patina. The action opens up correctly with the lever, and the chamber, now cut into two pieces as part of the conversion, hinges open with the extractor presenting properly. It then correctly hinges forward and is pressed into the end of the barrel with use of the lever, though the bottom hammer must be cocked before trying to load the rifle, or it could potentially impinge on the rim prematurely. This is most likely one of the 'issues' that the system had.

We checked the bore, and it's really in great shape. The six groove rifling is still crisp, and the finish is mostly bright, with just a bit of fouling and oxidation present. The rear sight moves well, and both sling swivels are still present. The stock is lovely, with some geat markings stamped into it, and it has a lovely color, probably made from beech wood. There is no real damage to it except for a missing chunk on the right rear receiver area. There also look to be some old stress cracks in the left butt stock area, which are now partly filled in with old wax and polish.

A lovely example of a very hard to find short rifle, the first that we have ever had in this configuration. While definitely a bit "clunky", for a system developed in 1842 it was well ahead of its time, and then was kept in service through modification. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1855 - converted circa 1867
Caliber: 18 lødig (gauge) - about 17.5mm
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 48 1/8 inches
Action: Falling Block Lever Action
Feed System: Single Shot

The Kammerlader, or "chamber loader", was the first Norwegian breech-loading rifle, and among the first breech loaders adopted for use by an armed force anywhere in the world. A single-shot black-powder rifle, the kammerlader was operated with a crank mounted on the side of the receiver. This made it much quicker and easier to load than the weapons previously used. Kammerladers quickly gained a reputation for being fast and accurate rifles, and would have been a deadly weapon against massed ranks of infantry.

This BREECH LOADING percussion, Under Hammer, Infantry Rifle system was developed in 1842 by a serving Officer "SCHEEL" and a Gunsmith "GREGERSEN". It features a "Crank" on the right hand side which first disengages the chamber , and then swivels it vertically for loading. The Percussion hammer is under the action in front of the trigger and the massive mainspring also acts as a a hammer guard in front of the existing trigger guard. These were originally produced in 18 lødig (gauge) or 17.5mm, but many revisions were made, eventually reducing the caliber to 4 Linjers, or 12.17mm.

The kammerlader was introduced in 1842, and it is thought that about 40,000 were manufactured until about 1870. While the first flintlock breech-loading rifles, such as the Ferguson, were launched decades before 1842, Norway was among the first European countries to introduce breech loaders on a large scale throughout its army and navy. The kammerladers were manufactured in several different models, and most models were at some point modified in some way or other.

The kammerladers were phased out as more modern rifles were approved for use. They were either modified for rimfire cartridges, sold off to civilians or melted for scrap. Rifles sold to civilians were often modified for use as shotguns or hunting firearms. Today it is hard to find an unmodified kammerlader, and collectors often pay high prices for them.

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