The Francotte Model 1910 is a Belgian semi-automatic lever action takedown rifle.
History[]
The rifle was developed in 1910 and marketed as a light and effective small game and target rifle to the modern velocipedestrienne of the period. The cost of a rifle was 150 francs when new in pre-WWI France. Very few were produced and are highly sought after today due to their rarity.
Design Details[]
The Francotte is a peculiar lever action rifle that fires semi-automatically using the principle of blowback; the Martini-Henry style lever acts as the charging handle if the rifle. If so desired, the rifle's self-loading feature could be disabled, with the rifle being used like a more conventional lever-action rifle. Additionally, the rifle was a takedown rifle, allowing it to be dismantled into two parts for easier transportation.[1]
The rifle is fed from eight-round box magazines (not shown in above photo). The weapons had a blued finish.[2]
Ammunition[]
The Model 1910 used a 6mm cartridge known as the 6mm Francotte; this cartridge is slightly larger than .22 Long Rifle according to some sources.[3]