Jarmann M1884

Jarmann M1884
M1884 Jarmann repeating rifle
Type	bolt-action repeating rifle
Place of origin	Norway
Service history
In service	1884 to 1900 (reissued to second line units in 1905)
Production history
Designer	Jacob Smith Jarmann
Designed	1878
No. built	31,500
Variants	Swedish Jarmann (three bands) Norwegian Jarmann (two bands)
Specifications
Weight	4.5 kg (10 lb)
Length	Unknown
Barrel length	850 mm (33.5 in)
Cartridge	10.15 x 61R rimmed
Action	Bolt action
Rate of fire	Unknown, but as fast as the operator could operate the action
Muzzle velocity	485 to 500 m/s (1,191 to 1,640 ft/s)
Effective firing range	2,400 m (2,600 yd)
Feed system	8-round fixed tubular magazine
Sights	V-notch and front post

The Jarmann M1884 is a Norwegian bolt-action repeating rifle designed in 1878 adopted in 1884. The Jarmann is the first centerfire, repeating bolt-action rifle, adopted as standard issue based on an entirely new design. Earlier rifles like the Swiss Vetterli used rimfire cartridges, the Winchester Hotchkiss and early models of the Remington Lee saw only limited military use, the German Mauser Model 71/84 and early Kropatschek rifles were based on earlier designs. The Jarmann's adoption, and subsequent modifications, turned the Norwegian Army from a fighting force armed with single-shot black-powder weapons into a force armed with modern repeating weapons firing smokeless ammunition. Several thousand were manufactured to equip both Norwegian and Swedish forces in the 1880s. The design is unique, and was the brainchild of Norwegian engineer Jacob Smith Jarmann. After the design had been phased out of the Norwegian Army, a number of the weapons were rebuilt as harpoon guns.

The Jarmann M1884 fired a 10.15 mm black powder cartridge in an 8-round, tubular magazine in which the rounds were lined up in a tube below the barrel. It has a non-rotating bolt (the part of the action that seals the rear end of the barrel) locked by a rotating bolt handle, and reputedly a smooth action. However, this action is not considered strong enough to fire modern ammunition, since the only locking is provided by the rotating bolt handle.