#693-694 The Rise of Smith and Wesson
Fun Fact #693 The Needler While forgotten today, The Needle Gun is where the base of a cartridge is pierced by a needle in place of a firing pin, which ignites the primer setting off the round. While known for wearing down faster than other systems, they were reliable until that point making the later (1857) Chassepot rifle famous for its use of them. As such they became a common weapon in eastern Europe to the point they were often referred to as “Chassepots” or “Needlers” until their maintenance issues finally pushed them out of service in WW1. Sadly most needlers were destroyed either for parts, or lost afterwards leaving few examples left (only 1 is on display in the world, currently out in Cody, Wyoming’s Firearms Museum). Also for those of you who love Halo Games, this obscure detail from WW1 inspired the Sci-fi Needler that you know and love. For those of you who are afraid of needles however, I apologize for contributing to the problem (particularly since this makes the...
