| Year of introduction | System | Calibre |
| ? | Westley Richards M1861 Monkey Tail | .450" (PBRL.) |
| 1874 | Snider-Enfield (conversion) | .577" Snider |
| ? | Martini-Henry | .577-450" |
| 1886 | Guedes M1885 | 8 x 60R |
| 1886 | Kropatcheck M1886 | 8 x 56R |
| 1897 | M1896 (Mannlicher Schoenauer M1893) | 6.5 x 53R |
| 1904 | Mauser-Vergueiro M1904 | 6.5 x 58 |
| 1937 | Mauser M1937-A | 7.92 x 57 |
| 1939 | Mauser-Vergueiro M1904/M39 | 7.92 x 57 |
Remarks about the table above:
The purpose of the table is to give an overview of the development of the systems that were issued to the land forces. The model designations, mentioned by the system names are indicative. Different model designations, but with the same system and calibre, are not mentioned separately. Calibre modifications can be relevant for showing the technical borders of a certain system. Therefore calibre modifications are mentioned. PBRL stand for Percussion Breech Loader.
The Portuguese M1897 was based on the Rumanian M1993, designed by the F. von Mannlicher and O. Schoenauer. The Mauser M1937-A rife is very similar to the German gewehr 98K. During the 1930s also some Mauser standard model 1933 short rifles and carbines were delivered.
The Portuguese Kropatschek M1886 infantry rifle in calibre 8x56R.
A detail picture of the M1886. This rifle has serial number GG140 stamped on the receiver. Although the stock has serial number GG717. Al the serial numbers from the bolt are identical R971, but not matching with the rest of the rifle.
Alfred Ritter von Kropatchek (1838 - 1911) was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian army and involved in arms development and production from revolvers to artillery. His repeating rifle was first introduced in 1874. This rifle was a combination from a bolt action that much resembles the German Mauser M.1871 and a tube magazine like the lever action Henry Model 1860.
The Swiss adopted a tube magazine bolt action rifle in 1869. The Kropatchek cartridge transport from magazine tube to bolt action was not utilised by a vertical lift, like the Swiss Vetterli M1869 and the Winchester M1866, but by a spoon that linked at the backside.
Alfred Ritter von Kropatchek was not the first one that uses a spoon shaped cartridge lifter. A certain person called Frühwirth invented a similar repeating rifle in 1869. The Frühwirth rifle was build by Oesterreichse Waffen Gesellshaft Steyr. Oesterreichse Waffen Gesellshaft Steyr had also made German Mauser M.1871 rifles. It seems that Alfred Ritter von Kropatchek developed his repeating rifle by merely improving the Frühwirth repeating rifle.
Alfred Ritter von Kropatchek
Source : P..S. Scarlata
Mannlicher Militairy Rifles
Lincoln USA, 2004
The Austro-Hungarian army tested, but not accepted, the Kropatcheck. The Hungarian and Bosnian Gendarmes adopted the Kropatchek design in 1881. It has been reported that Chile purchased a limited number of Kropatchek rifles that they designated Fusil Modelo 1878.
It 1878 also the France Marine adopted his design with the Mle.1878. This Kropatchek rifle used a France single shot Gras Mle.1874 type of bolt action.
The Portuguese Mo.1886 has a bolt that is typical Steyr and closely resembles the German Mauser M.1871 bolt. The spoon shaped cartridge lifter mechanism form the Portuguese Mo.1886 much resembles the France Mle.1878 and its Kropatchek predecessors. The Portuguese Mo.1886 also incorporates a cleaning rod on the left side of the stock and a brass tube magazine like the France Mle.1878.
Portugal was the first country that adopted an 8 millimetre small bore cartridge. The single-shot falling block Guedes-Castro Modello 1885 was the first rifle chambered for this cartridge. The Guedes-Castro Modello 1885 was developed by Lieutenant Luis Guedes Dias. Although the Guedes rifles were already ordered, the Portuguese decided to adopt a repeating rifle in favour of the single shot Guedes. The prototypes of the Guedes were initially chambered for the French 11x59.5R Gras cartridge. It has been said that the high pressure of the small calibre 8x56R cartridge led to problems with the breech block of the Guedes.
Steyr ceased the production of the Guedes and get a contract for the delivery of the Espingarda Kropatchek Modello 1886. The Espingarda Kropatchek Modello 1886 was chambered for a 8 x 60R cartridge, like the former Guedes. Only several Guedes rifles reached Portugal, the rest was sold to South-Africa.
Source: António Telo's book; "Moçambique 1895". Original drawing from Génova.
The construction of the rear sight of the Mo.1886 is much the same as the rear sight of the France Mle.1874 and other rifles of its time that were manufactured at Oesterreichse Waffen Gesellshaft Steyr. The back sight consists of a basic leaf and a telescopic leaf. The V-notches can be found on the following positions:
On the linking block, when the leaf is unfolded to the forward position.
On the top of the basic leaf, when it is folded to the rearward position.
On the slide of the telescopic leaf, nearby the checkering. This V-notch is used in conjunction with the graduations on the left side of the basic leaf.
On top of the basic leaf. With a fixed graduation for a distance of 1800 metres.
On top of the telescopic leaf. The telescopic leaf is shifted conform the graduations on the right side of the basic leaf.
| leaf unfolded forward | leaf folded backward | basic leaf | V-notch on basic leaf | telescopic leaf |
| 100 m | 300 m | 400 m | 1800 m | 1900 m |
| x | x | 500 m | x | 2000 m |
| x | x | 600 m | x | 2100 m |
| x | x | 700 m | x | 2200 m |
| x | x | 800 m | x | x |
| x | x | 900 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1000 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1100 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1200 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1300 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1400 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1500 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1600 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1700 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1750 m | x | x |
Graduations of the M1886/89 back sight.
A close-up from the roundels on the butt stock.
In 1889, some of the Mo.1886 rifles were fitted with a wooden hand guard. This was done to prevent that the radiated heat from the barrel would obscure the sight picture. The second reason was to make the rifles more suitable for bayonet fighting.
The modified rifles were designated as the Espiranarda Mo.1886/89 and all the work was done at the Portuguese government facility, Arsenal do Exercite, in Lisbon. Most of the Mo.1886/89 rifles were issued to troops in Africa and the Far East. The Mo.1886/89 is also called the Mo.1886, Colonial type.
The France Lebel Mle.1886 was the first rifle that was chambered for a cartridge loaded with single base smokeless powder. The Portuguese Lieutenant Luis Guedes Dias had a good relationship with the France military. Lieutenant Guedes had gathered information from the Frence for his development of the 8 millimetre cartridge. The French were developing their own 8 millimetre cartridge. The French apparently keep the secret of the invention of smokeless powder in 1884 for their own, despite of their good relationship with Lieutenant Guedes.
In 1896 the Portuguese Kropatcheck rifles were adapted to a smokeless powder cartridge. The case neck length of the new cartridge was reduced to 56 mm in 1899. Known as the 8x56R it utilized the same 247 grain bullet but moving at a velocity of 2265 fps. It was not necessary to rebarrel the rifles. The Portuguese modify the rear sights for the increased performance of the cartridge loaded with smokeless powder.
The back sight consists of a basic leaf and a telescopic leaf.
The V-notches can be found on the following positions:
On the linking block, when the leaf is unfolded to the forward position.
On the top of the basic leaf, when it is folded to the rearward position.
On the slide of the telescopic leaf, nearby the checkering. This V-notch is used in conjunction with the graduations on the basic leaf.
On top of the basic leaf. With a fixed graduation for a distance of 1800 metres.
On top of the telescopic leaf. The telescopic leaf is shifted conform the graduations on the telescopic leaf, unlike the back sight of the M1886 rifle.
| leaf unfolded forward | leaf folded backward | basic leaf | V-notch on basic leaf | telescopic leaf |
| 100 m | 300 m | 500 m | 1600 m | 1700 m |
| x | x | 550 m | x | 1750 m |
| x | x | 600 m | x | 1800 m |
| x | x | 700 m | x | 1850 m |
| x | x | 750 m | x | 1900 m |
| x | x | 800 m | x | 1950 m |
| x | x | 850 m | x | 2000 m |
| x | x | 900 m | x | 2050 m |
| x | x | 950 m | x | 2100 m |
| x | x | 1000 m | x | 2150 m |
| x | x | 1050 m | x | 2200 m |
| x | x | 1100 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1150 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1200 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1250 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1300 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1350 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1400 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1450 m | x | x |
| x | x | 1500 m | x | x |
Graduations of the in 1896 modified rear sight.
All Portugese Kropatcheck rifles were made by the Oesterreichse Waffen Gesellshaft Steyr.
(Translated: Austrian Arms Manufacturer at Steyr.)
Model Produced Year
Espingarda Mo.1886 6.000 1885
Espingarda Mo.1886 40.000 1886
Espingarda Mo.1886 3.000 (?) 1887-1888
Mosqueton Mo.1886 4.800 1888
Carabina Mo.1886 4.000 unknown
___________________ +
Production total 57.800
The Mo.1886 rifles remained in front-line service until about 1910. By this time most of the European units of the Portuguese army had been rearmed with the then new 6.5 millimetre Mo.1904 Mauser-Vergueiro rifle. However the Mo.1886 rifle still was in use by colonial native units, police, training depots and the reserves. As a matter of fact the Portuguese did not declare the Mo.1886 Kropatchek obsolete and withdraw it from colonial service until 1961.
This picture is obtained from Jaime Regalado's book "Cuamatos 1907". A Kropatchek equipped artillery platoon, fired their Kropatchek rifles against the enemy. The artillery gun is a 70mm mountain gun mod.1882, with Krupp gun breech and Portuguese made barrel. This photo is made during the Angola campaign of 1907.
| 8x60R intended for Guedes | 8x60R | 8x60R | 8x60R | 8x56R | |
| Production | 1886 | 1886 - 1888 | after 1887 | after 1896 | after 1899 |
| Bullet core | lead | lead or massive brass | lead | lead | lead |
| Bullet jacket | paper patched | copper foiled | nickel steel | nickel steel | nickel steel |
| Rim diameter | 15.8 mm | 15.68 mm | |||
| Base diameter | 13.83 mm | ||||
| Case lenght | 60 mm | 60 mm | 60 mm | 60 mm | 54.5 - 56.6 mm |
| Over all length | 81.5 mm | 82.2 mm | 81 mm | 81 mm | 81 mm |
| Load | black powder | black powder | nitro or black powder | smokeless powder | smokeless powder |
| Case headstamp | Factory |
| GR | Georg Roth, Austria |
| DWM | Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabrik, Germany |
| GG | |
| F & C | Fabrica de Polvora em Chelas |
| F.A. | Fabrica de Armas, Portugal |
| A.E. | Arsenal do Exercito, Army Arsenal of Portugal |
| no stamp |
8 x 60R Guedes
8 x 60R blank cartridge for the Kropatcheck M.1886 rifle, no headstamp. The .22 Long Rifle cartridge is displayed for comparison only.
The 8x60R cartridge, intended for the Guedes has a paper patched 8,3 mm lead bullet and is interchangeable with the 8x56R Kropatchek cartridge. The first 8x60R cartridges were made by Georg Roth, Austria, and sold to Portugal in 1886. The 8x60R Kropatchek was loaded with a 247 grain round nosed lead bullet and a charged with 71 grains of compressed so called "Rothwild" black powder. The muzzle velocity was approximately 1755 feet per second. Steyr not only sold the rifles to Portugal, they also exported the machines for the production of the cartridges.
8x56R Kropatcheck
Below, first photo: An unopened carton of ten 8x56R cartridges made in 1915 by Fabrica de Polvora em Chelas. Second photo: The back of same carton with 8x56R made by Fabrica de Polvora em Chelas. Third and fourth photo: 8 x 56R cartridge for the Kropatcheck M.1886 rifle, headstamp A.E. 1928 (Arsenal do Exercito, Army Arsenal of Portugal) The .22 Long Rifle cartridge is displayed for comparison only.
The case neck of the 8x56R Kropatcheck cartridges was carelessly cut, resulting in varying case lengths. Therefore the case length of 56 mm is approximately. From 1887 full metal jacket bullets were used. The jacket was made of steel. In 1896 the black powder load was replaced for a smokeless powder load.
8x56R Kropatcheck - bronze cartridge case
8 x 56R blank cartridge for the Kropatcheck M.1886 rifle, headstamp F.A. 1899. The fact that this cartridge case was made of bronze make it worth to display it. There has been made blank cartridges with a wooden bullet for both the 8x60R and the 8x56R. It seems that blank cartridges (wooden bullet) were made only in and after 1889.
6,5 x 53R - Mannlicher-Schoenauer
A tapered carton with 2 pieces of 6,5 x 53R Portuguese Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1893 cartridge clips. The carton and cartridges were made in 1930 by Fabrica de Polvora em Chelas. The designation of the year of manufacture on the head stamp on the cartridges is a bit faded, which is not caused by the quality of the photo. The dimensions of the cartridges and the clips are identical to the Dutch 6,5 x 53R Mannlicher M1895.
B. van der Molen, "Vereniging Nederlandse Wapenverzamelaars, Wapenfeiten Nr4 / 2002, De geweren van Alfred Ritter von Kropatchek", Haarlem, The Netherlands 2002 (Dutch Language).
P.S. Scarlata, "The Shotgun news Volume 56 - Issue 36, The Portuguese Mo.1886 Kropatchek Rifle", Peoria, Illinois USA. With thanks to Ad Opheij, http://www.antiekegeweren.nl/, The Netherlands.
Major F.Myatt, M.C., "Geillustreerde encyclopedie van de 19de-eeuwse vuurwapens", London, UK 1979 (Dutch language).
P.S. Scarlata, "Mannlicher Militairy Rifles", Lincoln, USA 2004.
Telmo Sequeira (Portugal), "Nederlandse Vereniging ter Bestudering van Munitie en Ballistiek, Number 310-2 October 2005", The Netherlands 2005 (Dutch language).
J.Aurahns (Germany), "Nederlandse Vereniging ter Bestudering van Munitie en Ballistiek, Number 324-5 December 2005", The Netherlands 2006 (Dutch language).