Decorative replica Denix of Napoleon 1807 rifle

Flintlock rifles, when fired by the hammer, produced the spark that ignited the black gunpowder. These types of weapons required manual reloading of their ammunition after each shot. Ammunition, which was inserted through the muzzle of the barrel, consisting of a powder, the wad and the bullet.

The rifles could be more precise than the pistols and gave a longer effective range. However, the loading and firing sequence being complex, recruits had to repeat these movements during training until they could be instinctively executed amidst the tension and confusion of combat. In theory, a well-trained soldier could fire five times a minute, but in combat, the normal rate was two or three shots per minute, or less, if the confrontation lasted.

The trajectory of the ball was imprecise and during the fight it was impossible to aim well. The only way to ensure a certain efficiency was to regroup a high density of rifles in a reduced front, by firing as close as possible to the lowest possible distance. Even on several occasions, the combatants after the shooting were forced to use the bayonet.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Emperor of France between 1804 and 1815, consolidated and instituted several of the reforms of the French Revolution. He is considered one of the greatest military geniuses in history, the conqueror of most of Europe commanding very successful campaigns, although with certain equal defeats. Its aggressive wars of conquest became the largest military operations known so far in Europe, involving a number of soldiers never seen in the armies of the time.

Feel the protagonist of the Napoleonic conquests of the early 19th century with the DENIX reproduction of this rifle!