I Have This Old Gun: French Tabatière Rifle

In the mid-19th century, many nations updated their obsolete muzzleloading military arms with breechloading conversions. In France, though, this conversion project extended the life of many former flintlock muskets that had already been updated to percussion priming. This unique, long-lived military arm was known informally as the "Tabatière." Watch our "American Rifleman Television" segment above to see the details of this unique small arm.
"By 1866, the French had developed one of the most modern military firearms of the period, the Chassepot," American Rifleman Field Editor Garry James said. "However, The French were not producing Chassepots in enough numbers, and like many, many other countries, decided, 'Well, we've got a bunch of these old muskets and rifles on hand, let's go ahead and modify them to the modern breechloading system.'"
While many of the guns modified were earlier Model 1857 percussion rifles, some of the arms were Model 1822 flintlock muskets that had been updated in the 1840s with percussion bolsters and rifled barrels. Both types of arms were fitted with the Snider-style hinged breechblock.
"For the collector, the Tabatière, you know, represents a neat period in collecting and evolution of firearms," NRA Museums Director Phil Schreier said. "You know, you can put one together with the trapdoor Springfield, the Snider, and you have, you know, some of the transitional guns that made their way from muzzleloading to breechloading."
To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.
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[@ronaldjohnson1474]

Evan Greene at the Wyoming State Museum just did a video on the side plate of this gun.

[@jasonbuck489]

Phil says at the end,"If Ammo was Available, I think you'd see a lot more at the Range"?... I'm curious to know if people can make their own Ammo from Brass Shotgun Casings like they do for the .577 Snider?... I already forgot what Caliber he said they were... But something out there has got to come close... One would think, anyways....

[@slimjim2584]

He said they were in 70 cal. And they looked more straightwalled than .577 sniders shoulder. 12 gauge is .725 16 gauge is .665 70 cal would be closer to 14 gauge which is .693 or 13 gauge which is .710 Those gauges basically do not exist as shells for sale economically (unless you can find a lot in an estate sale or something like that) and thus, you would have to fabricate your own anyway Most in the states were converted to 12 gauge anyway, good luck finding an original in .70

[@laurentdevaux5617]

Nice ! A pity though the Chassepot, or so-called Chassepot, you show at 0:29 is so horrible : it has lost its muzzle barrel band and it's clearly not a rifle in its original version. The pic is bad, but I just have to look at the trigger and the bolt knob to say this Chassepot has been butchered to make some kind of metallic cartridge rifle (and not even a Gras conversion). Yes, it's true a lot of 1822 muskets (like the tabatière fired here) and some 1842 muskets (less were made and not very liked as the rear type lock plate of the 1842 made the tabatière-modified stock too thin and prone to breaking) were made, but as much of them were indeed sold to Belgium, this weapon is now very hard to find here in France and commands high prices. In fact, it's easier to find an Egyptian Rolling Block, bought in great numbers by France in 1870, than a non shortened, non altered tabatière...