One of the world's first rimfire cartridges adopted for a repeating military rifle. The Swiss Vetterli gave the Swiss military a remarkable advantage in the 1870s — a 12-round tubular magazine repeater when most armies still used single-shots.
Type: Rimfire
Introduced: 1867, Switzerland
Parent case: None
Standardization: Obsolete / Non-standard
Bullet diameter: 0.416" (10.57 mm)
Case length: 1.496" (38 mm)
Overall length: 2.264" (57.5 mm)
Max pressure: 18,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimfire
Primer: Rimfire
Typical twist rate: 1:22
Muzzle velocity: 1345–1400 fps
Muzzle energy: 1255–1360 ft-lbs
Effective range: 400 yd
Common bullet weights: 313 gr
Primary use: Military (Historical)
Production status: Obsolete
Also known as: 10.4mm Vetterli · 10.4x38mmR · Swiss M1867 · .41 Swiss
History: Friedrich Vetterli combined the rotating bolt of the Dreyse needle gun with the tubular magazine of the Winchester repeater to create the Vetterli rifle — the most technically advanced military rifle of 1867. Switzerland adopted it in 1867 as the world's first repeating military rifle. The rimfire 10.4mm cartridge fed from a 12-round tube magazine, giving Swiss soldiers a 12:1 firepower advantage…
Notable firearms: Vetterli rifle Modell 1867, Vetterli-Vitali M1870/87 (Italy), Vetterli M1878
Military use: {"country":"Switzerland","years":"1867-1889","conflicts":["Swiss militia use"]}, {"country":"Italy","years":"1870-1890s","conflicts":["Italian unification period"]}
Similar cartridges: 11mm Gras, .44 Henry