Italian Vetterli from 1889. It walked into the 'smiths shop while I was there.

And it followed you home, eh?

George

It wasn't for sale.. RATS....

Rich

Thank you for sharing that with us. I'm not a gatherer of that kind of firearm but I would buy it in a heartbeat.

It's guns like this that make me month after month do my circuit of gunshop and gunshow visits. To be at the right place at the right time. I've scored a beautiful 1909 Peruvian by happenchance and a matching numbered vet bring-back K98 for $225 (with a screwed up stock unfortunately).

That's gorgeous!

That's definitely the nicest one I've ever seen.

What round is that chambered for?

The Vetterli is in 10.4 X 38 rimfire

Many people are converting these to centerfire and shooting htem. I had one, it a marvel of swiss engineering. One screw and you can take down the whole rifle. It's amazing.

Here is a link to the conversions.

vetterli conversions

When the Swiss finished with them, they must have shipped most of them to Canada. You can't go to a gun show without finding a couple, usually "sporterized".
Grizz

We have quite a few Vetterlis around in Finland, since they were smuggled here to arm our independence-minded activists (called terrorists by Russians ) in 1905. I've also seen photos of early 1900's moose hunters armed with Vetterlis beside a bagged moose, so the old Vetterli round must have some potential, in spite of modest ballistics.

I'm a bit confused... I Know the Swiss Vetterli used a bottleneck rimfire cartridge, but according to Ludwig Olsen (Amer. Rifleman Oct 1967):

"Swiss Vetterli rifles should not be confused with Italian 10.4mm Vetterli and Vetterli-Vitali rifles which fire centerfire ammunition"

Bud W

richj's pics are gone, but they would show a vetterli with a steel magazine projecting down beneath the receiver in front of the triggerguard to take the centerfire cartridges. the swiss vetterli has a tube magazine under the barrel and a loading port on the side of the receiver, to take the rimfire cartridges.

The ones we have here are Swiss Vetterlis with tube magazines and rimfire ammunition.

both of these vetterlis were routinely made into floor lamps when I was a kid, maybe 1967 or so.

quote:

The Vetterli is in 10.4 X 38 rimfire

Many people are converting these to centerfire and shooting htem. I had one, it a marvel of swiss engineering. One screw and you can take down the whole rifle. It's amazing.

Here is a link to the conversions.

vetterli conversions vetterli conversions

that's a good link.

@all

I own a Vetterli M1881 Stutzer. Here a link to some information and some pictures of my Vetterli:
Vetterli

There is a conversion page as well!

Good shooting and good hunting.
Collani