France's main battle rifle cartridge through the Franco-Prussian War era. A large-bore black powder cartridge that armed the French infantry until the 1886 smokeless revolution rendered it obsolete almost overnight.
Type: Rifle
Introduced: 1874, France
Parent case: None
Standardization: Obsolete / Non-standard
Bullet diameter: 0.447" (11.35 mm)
Case length: 2.323" (59 mm)
Overall length: 3.228" (82 mm)
Max pressure: 20,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimmed
Primer: Berdan
Typical twist rate: 1:26
Muzzle velocity: 1430–1500 fps
Muzzle energy: 1752–1929 ft-lbs
Effective range: 400 yd
Common bullet weights: 386 gr
Primary use: Military (Historical)
Production status: Obsolete
Also known as: 11mm Gras · 11x59mmR Gras · Modèle 1874
History: Basile Gras designed this metallic cartridge conversion for the existing Chassepot needle-fire rifle, creating the Gras Rifle Modèle 1874. It represented France's entry into the metallic cartridge era after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 exposed critical deficiencies. France also exported the system widely — Ottoman Turkey, Greece, and several South American nations used the Gras rifle and…
Notable firearms: Gras Rifle Modèle 1874, Kropatschek rifle (derived), Various converted Chassepot rifles
Military use: {"country":"France","years":"1874-1886","conflicts":["Franco-Prussian War aftermath","French colonial campaigns"]}, {"country":"Ottoman Empire","years":"1874-1900s","conflicts":["Russo-Turkish War","Various"]}, {"country":"Greece","years":"1874-1890s","conflicts":["Various"]}
Similar cartridges: 11mm Mauser, .43 Spanish, .45-70 Government