Vetterli-Ferracciu for the Italian Navy

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The Italian military adopted the single-shot Vetterli rifle in 1870, and by 1882 the Italian Navy was looking for something with a bit more firepower. The proceeded to adopt the Vetterli-Bertoldo in 1882, a version of the Vetterli with a 9-round tubular magazine in the stock, under the barrel. In 1887 the Italian Army would adopt the Vetterli-Vitali, with a 4-round box magazine. Finally, in 1890, the Navy converted many of its Bertoldo tube-magazine guns to yet another pattern, the Vetterli-Ferrucciu. These also had a 4-round box magazine, but a different type than the Vitali system used.
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[@micahshiflet6010]

“Italian strategic reserve of rolled R’s”

[@luisnunes2010]

You beat me to it. 😁😁😁😁

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

I've learned Italian in school. I can confirm xD

[@samuelb9875]

@@luisnunes2010 same

[@firstnamelastname5150]

*stares angrily in spaghetti

[@technologyinnovationandwar7583]

That's something you so seldom hear about - the consistent urgency of consonant rationing. ...or the use of ersatz vowels, including sometimes "y"...

[@kenmccoy5582]

In 40+ years of marriage my wife and I have learned to accept the fact that we don’t find the same things funny; until this morning when we both cracked up over the Italians using up their strategic reserve of rolled r’s. Thank you Ian for the moment.

[@aljaz7426]

Cute

[@johnib5905]

That's the best sweetest thing I've ever seen in a KZbin comment

[@backblaise1255]

I hope that's the first of many; and if not; at least you both laughed together once. That's more than I remember my mum and dad managed; including the Morecambe and Wish Christmas show!

[@pierluigiadreani2440]

You watch rifle reviews with your wife, your marriage is dream material.

[@massimoalessandromazzotti7103]

Non v'è la passate bene vero? Mi spiace

[@tomdixon7264]

I have one converted to center fire (original Vetterli) using modified Lebel brass for cartridges. when using it for deer hunting, you take your shot, run up to the deer, tackle it, then hold it there til the bullet arrives.

[@gonnegottkehaskamp1667]

Thanks for this laugh. I needed this right now.😂

[@yo388]

When Italy depletes it’s reserve of rolled r’s they’ll switch to vigorous hand gestures.

[@justineallandevelos6491]

And saying a lot of things related about pasta or cheese

[@amjones123]

I recommend the Italian navy technical museum in La Spezia, large exhibition on firearms included captured and prototypes. Great museum

[@brainyskeletonofdoom7824]

Nearby there is (was?) the OTO museum (sadly not open to the public) with, along other stuff, a OTOMATIC AA prototype

[@johnstacy7902]

Isn't most of the Italian navy at the bottom of the Mediterranean?

[@emiliodesalvo7024]

@@johnstacy7902 Nope, at the moment it's escorting CVNs of the US Navy.

[@carta8399]

@@johnstacy7902 Well we sold 20 frigades to the US, i guess that our ships are not so sinkable as you believe

[@giulianoilfilosofo7927]

@@johnstacy7902 Was that supposed to be a joke?

[@nemilyk]

My dad has an old Vetterli he bought on a whim back when he was a kid, mostly because it was 'cheap and looked neat'. He didn't even really know what it was until I finally saw it in the safe and got curious. Fun little memory trying to track it down in my books (this was slightly before the internet was a nearly house-hold thing). It had been bubba-sporterized to hell and back, which tripped us up a bit in identifying it, but it's still a stylish old gun and I still can't help but look on any Vetterli with fondness since.

[@henryrodgers7386]

I regret not buying a huge Vetterli long rifle with a rather vicious sword bayonet I found in a pawn shop when I was 18. I probably could have had it, and a very interesting Chinese rifle based off an early Mauser, for $300-$350. Sadly, I didn't see the point of two rifles I couldn't find / afford ammo for at the time... Not my brightest moment.

[@nemilyk]

@@henryrodgers7386 Alas, his old Vetterli had been cut down quite a bit. Only stuff I think on it that was unaltered was the receiver and bolt. This was almost 25 years ago, and haven't really seen the old gun much since, so my memories of the finer details are a little hazy. I *think* it was a tube-feeder, so it was Swiss. It's definitely no hidden collecter gem, that's for sure. It's just a sentimental memory for me at this point that Vetterli's always bring back.

[@Sillybutts]

“The Italian strategic reserve of rolled Rs”

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

Proper rifle for pirates. Has lots of rrrrrr´s.

[@wilhelmklink6953]

ding ding ding we found the dad in the comments

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

@@wilhelmklink6953 HOOOOOGAN! Hey they experimented with cutlass-style bayonet. Just modify Bersaglieri helmet include parrot, and we are set.

[@yourgod666]

I think forgotten weapons just covered all of hunt showdowns weapons with this last video. Fantastic job

[@Lameosity]

I was just looking yesterday to see if he had a video on the Vetterli lol

[@KrazyKomradeKong]

This is the wrong verterli however, the veterli in hunt is a tube loaded through the side while this looks like a box magazine

[@shoelessbandit1581]

Can't wait for the chain pistol video

[@gonnegottkehaskamp1667]

@@shoelessbandit1581 he has a video on this. I'm pretty sure At least 😂

[@shoelessbandit1581]

@@gonnegottkehaskamp1667 I was under the impression that either it doesn't exist or if they were made they all exploded

[@GunsNGames1]

Ah! Right when I'm thinking of cooking some nice Italian spaghetti, Gun Jesus comes in with a Italian rifle. Best birthday present.

[@KTroyborg]

Happy birthday!

[@GunsNGames1]

@@KTroyborg thanks bro! 👉👉

[@gonnegottkehaskamp1667]

Happy Birthday 😀

[@Italianchef26]

"Strategic reserve of rolled R's" Ha! I love you Ian, and your pronunciation of italian has improved quite a bit over your many videos. Great job

[@MesserMorfeo]

About the pronunciation of Ferracciù: the first half it's just like in Ferrari the second half should sound like cchu, like in Pikachu, whit the accent at the end.

[@jetstreamer374]

let's say a [feh-rrà-tchu]

[@BioHazardra]

ferrari-chewie

[@scipio10000]

Ah! But is it pronounced as a surname from Liguria, or one from Sardinia? To the future generations / the difficult decision.

[@simmyabis7330]

@@scipio10000 i'm sardinian and it sound to me like it is a surname from sardinia a lot of words end with u in the sardinian dialect

[@scipio10000]

@@simmyabis7330 To me too, but ligurian dialect is right up there.

[@jamesselback8691]

More Vetterli videos please! I just recently took an interest in Italian firearms and I find this one to be one of the more fascinating and very good looking guns i've seen.

[@PorchPotatoMike]

The much less known spaghetti western: “A Tubefull of Cartridges”.

[@Cristian-nn5jj]

Hey Ian, just some pointers in terms of Italian. The vowels always make the same sounds. Not like in english where "ea or ou" makes a unique sound from the vowels alone. In Italian you've only got 5 vowel sounds, and you pronounce all of them when they are present. The letter "c" is a bit different than in english. It makes the hard "k" sound, and the soft "ch" sound but never the "s" sound like in english. It is very easy to tell how to pronounce the letter "c". If "C" is followed by an "E" or "I" (only ever "E" or "I" never any other vowel, these vowels trigger the name phoenetic shift in other applications) it becomes "ch", and if it is written as "che/i" then it is pronouced "ki" This principle applies to "sci/e" and "ghi/e" (you just replace the "C" with "g" and "sc") An example of this: "Brescia" is pronounced "Breshia" because the "sci" turns the sound from "ski" to "shi" and it applies the same to "k" and "ch". Since watching your early videos, I can see that you've improved a lot. Hope this helps.

[@Nesformers]

I feel like I should add this applies almost wholesale to Spanish pronunciation as well.

[@bentilbury2002]

@joseph baska I think you ought to go and get a lesson in good manners. No need to be rude to someone who's trying to be helpful.

[@DRNewcomb]

@joseph baska Ever hear anyone get into an animated discussion over the pronunciation of "Garand" or "Krag"? I have.

[@Cristian-nn5jj]

@joseph baska I'm sure Ian would appreciate any opportunity to improve his content and to learn. It's a shame you don't share his views.

[@MyILoveMinecraft]

@@DRNewcomb GARRAANT That's how you say it when you are to German

[@jonminer9891]

Hi, Ian. Thanks for helping me to overcome my education. I was taught some very erroneous ideas about the French and Italian military. I had no idea about Italy until I got my own Vespa 150. This rifle shows a lot of appreciation for style and grace, aspects which are mostly missing from modern arms. Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy! Peace! Love! Charity!

[@Hybris51129]

If you like this then I would suggest looking at the many WWI and earlier Italian rifles covered by C&Rsenal in their videos. They are as I said WWI focused but given the nature of the war just about all the nations involved had reach pretty far back into their armories at some point.

[@jonminer9891]

@@Hybris51129 Thanks Hybris

[@kw9849]

The Vetterli-Vitali 1870 and 1870/87 are some of the most elegant military rifles ever made.

[@Hybris51129]

@@kw9849 Personally I would give that title to either the Type 30/Type 38 Japanese rifles or the Martini-Henry.

[@Radioactiveafikomen]

Everybody laughing at the "strategic reserve of rolled R's" joke while I'm laughing at Ian's _sharp_ change from Italian to American accent at "1870/90".

[@julianmoretti7847]

As an Italian speaker, props on the prrrrrrrrrrrrronounciation.

[@michelepiperno4310]

Bella bro

[@2sleeze]

Great stuff! Nothing starts the day better than a Forgotten Weapon video and a cup of coffee!

[@trainsbangsandautomobiles824]

Is it just me or is it always the Navy (no matter the country) to adopt a new, better, design than anyone else?

[@AshleyPomeroy]

They generally have a bigger budget, or at least first dibs on the available pool of military monies.

[@hendriktonisson2915]

Thanks for the video Ian! There's relatively few information available in English about historic small arms of Italy compared to for example British or German small arms. So it's great to see something like that.

[@MrHuggaga]

I love how bit by bit all the guns of Hunt:Showdown are being covered by you! ;D keep it up

[@LarryDeSilva64]

Thanks for the historical aspect of these rifles. Always interesting to see what happened and how they came to be used. Thanks for sharing Ian.

[@Willy_Tepes]

I found a Vetterli barrel in Sweden. It was stuck muzzle first into the ground and used as a fence post. It had probably been there for at least 50 years by the state of the wire fence. I'd love to know the story behind that. (Not far from the Norma factory). The barrel got a new future as the barrel of a 1650 style northern German wheellock pistol since most of the bore was still in good condition.

[@CeltKnight]

There's just something cool about the steampunk stylings of those old world early-approaching-modern designs.

[@wheypinapple6490]

awesome video as always

[@doktorscottdiabolical]

Thank you GunJesus! Another great video with NO MID-ROLL ADS!

[@davemcdaniel4856]

"The Italian strategic reserve of rolled R's"... killing it!

[@AnonymousAlcoholic772]

Your sarcasm is duly noted and appreciated.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Ian .

[@johnstevens1575]

I think there is a certain aesthetic, a certain elegance to these older firearms that is missing in the modern utilitarian arms. The Swiss target rifles and Vetterlis are good examples, but the target version of the trapdoor Springfield is another. Thanks, Ian.

[@VV-bp8uv]

Chi altro è Italiano, ed è scoppiato a ridere quando Ian ha detto "credo di averlo pronunciato bene"?😂

[@Saminkio]

Vabbè, però la sua pronuncia sta lentamente migliorando dai haha

[@mlccrl]

@@Saminkio Immagina le risate dei soldati italiani in Eritrea quando si dovevano confrontare con gli indigeni armati di Remington (guerre coloniali fine 1800). E veramente si ride alle lacrime quando si parla di Adua.

[@samcoon6699]

I acquired a Vetterli back in the early 90s. It's the other kind with the tube magazine and it loads from the side. Pretty cool wall hanger. Rim fire of about 40 caliber.

[@simonjones6128]

Thanks Ian great channel

[@gulkash1188]

The strategic reserve of rolled R's...pure gold.

[@luisnunes2010]

Love the many Vetterli variants.

[@enricofesta1161]

This has been manufactured in the Regio Arsenale di Brescia (Royal Arsenal of Brescia).

[@JakeyV]

Ian's Italian is definitely getting better

[@sgrizzo48]

amazing video as always, also do you plan of doing one of the vetterli-bertoldo too? i'm interested into their tube magazine mechanism :)

[@chrissinclair8705]

That's a very lovely and fanciful trigger guard. Ah...Italian style. You can't escape it. "Quick, we're running out of rolled R's. We need a rifle fast!"

[@thasecondman]

I am afraid the trigger guard had more or less that shape in the original Swiss design. Still quite stylish though ;-)

[@massimocallegari4898]

Oh, this is new for me...thank you!

[@GiveMeYourNachosButthead]

What a beauty!

[@dustyak79]

That reloading thought is why I sold my KSG mind you I bought it when they first came out. And was one those A holes who sold it for twice what I paid for it. But I could get more shots down range with my 500 or 870 in a time period by simply dropping one in the action once they where dry. The KSG nope gotta load the tubes!

[@mirkobucolo3242]

Cheers from Italy , stay safe guys

[@hockeywarrior]

I WANT this rifle so badly! Awesome lines and a mix of old and new features for the time. Ian, do you know if any of these were converted to 6.5 Carcano like some of the other Vetterlis were?

[@thesturm8686]

Last time I'm this early, it was top of the line

[@jamesbodnarchuk3322]

Very interesting!

[@sparatus5967]

*Humming intensifies*

[@jcorbo7518]

Will we get a C&Rsenal episode out of this one? It has an interesting story no doubt

[@GRMGR1]

Very neat rifle. Like a Vetterli and an sks hooked up.

[@Kevin-jb2pv]

Thankfully, with modern technology, we no longer have to worry about "peak rolled R's" due to the development of Thorium Rolled R reactors, which are capable of transforming common, inert, non-rolled R's into more-useful rolled stock by bombarding them with alveolar particles with a trill + spin.

[@jamesallred460]

Anybody know what that hole on the left side of the rear sight was for? Was that an aperture sight for more accurate shooting or is it something else? Cool video as always Ian. Keep it up!

[@smrts]

I hope you do get a chance to look at a vetterli vitali. I have a 1877 beaumont vitali and would love to know more about the magazine.

[@Rigolivier]

What about the Swiss Vetterli and others swiss weapons? If you coule make some more videos about it, it would be so cool!

[@navywolf1753]

Just how rare are these exactly? I remember at my old work seeing one of these as a barreled action/stock with the bolt tack welded into the receiver. It was the exact same, except the stock didn't have the internal cutout for a tube magazine. I think the barrel said 1882, and the maker had two letters in an elegant script I didn't recognize.

[@tirrelljohnson823]

I love these vetterlis

[@stone9302]

I noticed what looks like brass rubbed off on the front of the barrel. Were the muzzle rings on the bayonets mad of brass, or was it something else.

[@brenthamby2155]

Very cool.

[@SchizoGamingChannel]

I found a similar vetterli at a rummage sale for $5 it’s welder shut tho. But the bolt still slides good

[@antoninolatorre8355]

hi, greatest Ian !!! you are the best, i wish you a biggest thank you for this greatest video ... on this italian marine rifle "Ferracciu`" full of "history", ciao ...

[@Q_7169]

There's a gun store near where I live that has some pattern kf Vetterli rifle hung up away from public hands

[@311jbknight]

I'm guessing the hole on the left side of rear sight was used when bayonet installed to compensate.

[@gerry343]

2:15 Why the hole next to the V notch?

[@WT101324]

Wow, good stuffs! I got the Swiss rim fire one. I currently got one can feed with carcano clips. Really got no clue whether is safe to shoot modern 6.5 52 ammo. Please do another video of this in the next sermon.

[@johnfisk811]

If it is with Carcano feed lips then it is Italian and, no, it is not safe with commercial 6,5mm Carcano ammunition. See C&Rrsenal You Tube for their experiences with them.

[@andrewtetz2198]

If the one is the updated model the M1870/87/15 that was actually chambered for 6.5 Carcano then it can handle smokeless cartridges but not an equivalent to 6.5 Carcano military ball ammunition, according to accounts these rifles are not suited to standard 6.5 Carcano if you want to shoot it use a hand loaded cartridge maybe 30% weaker loadings or more just to be safe since the rifle might not handle the original loading for very long. With a properly downloaded cartridge it would probably be fine to shoot assuming the rifle is in sound condition, if these rifles were properly re barrelled you could safely use the standard stuff but they are sleeved and supposedly these sleeves can loosen up from use with standard ball ammunition.

[@andrewtetz2198]

@sman7290 that is also a very good point however anecdotal evidence suggests that the sleeves weren’t sufficiently soldered in place and were at risk of failure with 6.5 Carcano, can you fire these rifles? sure but there are risks and you have to use hand loads, is it worth the risks? that’s buyers choice but personally I don’t buy what I can’t shoot and with antiques sometimes it’s worth jumping through a few hoops to put lead down range. Just have to be careful with antiques.

[@WastelandArmorer]

I have fired norma factory in nine with no issues

[@jeremiahkc1lda816]

Now we need videos on the Vitale and the 6.5 conversion 70/87/15

[@Hunglikeagrimsmo]

Now imagine if they had have made the rifle in such a way that once your box magazine was empty the tube magazine would feed single rounds at a time into the box magazine.

[@baneofbanes]

Why? There’s no point to it all all ti would do is make the rifle unwieldy, needlessly complicated, heavy, and expensive.

[@GRMGR1]

That’s a really sweet looking rifle.

[@troy9477]

Vetterlis are always interesting. It sounds like the ballistics compare favorably with the Krag- slightly heavier bullet of larger caliber at similat velocity, maybe just a tas slower. So it should have some thump. Just as i finished thinking, it doesn't look like there is any provision for stripper clips, Ian mentions them. I seem to remember articles by Dr Fackler where he mentioned using his 10.4 mm Swiss Vetterli as a benchmark in his study of wound ballistics, and it was comparable to 45-70. The old blackpowder cartridges were nothing to laugh at, except maybe the 41 rimfire......

[@KenworthW900HG]

Ferracciu.... bless you

[@antoninolatorre8355]

hi, Ian !!! this rifle is a piece of great history !!! it tells to us the story of italian marines, that they fighting together english yankee et al ... in China during the BOXER RIOT, at early of twenty century !!! i wish you thankyou for this great video ... ciao

[@Vespa-Due]

*Carrrrrrabina a Rrrrrrepetissione Vetterrrrrli Ferrrrrrucci* It didn't use up the Italian Strategic Reserve of Rolled Rs, It *_was_* the Italian Strategic Reserve of Rolled Rs. Great video as always, anyway!

[@Sh-epard]

Another video on our firearms, by Gun Jesus. Already liked!

[@scottmccullough8030]

oooohhhhh! I used to have one of those. It was so heavy.

[@trainsbangsandautomobiles824]

*C&Rsenal needs to do a vid on it..*

[@marthflores3515]

Looks brand new

[@woltews]

what was the hole in the rear sight for ?

[@israelanjing3696]

Cool bro

[@caturix4541]

and now i want to have a video abbout the swiss ones :D

[@user-ry6hd4kx1j]

That looks surprisingly ELBONIAN!

[@elsoldadomarquez]

Mamma mia

[@bacon81]

She’s a beauty! So elegant!

[@matusfekete6503]

2:35 later the reserve was sold on surplus market an bought out by J.R.R. Tolkien and G.R.R. Martin.

[@randywatson8347]

Wow the condition of this rifle after +100 years.

[@cathat227]

Yeah I have a standard usually you give everybody a good answer could I get away with firing modern ammo out of this or is that a bad idea

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

I just recently purchased a vetterli vitali rifle I just have been unable to find 10.4 italian ammo for it does anyone know of a place that will make them?

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine oh it it's without a doubt center fire I've completely disassembled it to ensure it is working properly I'm actually not familiar with how to reload empty cases unfortunately is it a difficult process? Thank you for the reply btw

[@Adirondneck]

@@brendonbewersdorf986 I learned how to reload for my Steyr M95s in 8x50R which is an obsolete cartridge. It takes real time and commitment to not put yourself or others in danger. But it is 100% possible. Buy a cheap press, dies if you can find them, and start reading. I have a feeling IMR 3031 or IMR 4895 is going to be your friend here. Shoot the rifle with a string until you'ee confident you got it right.

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

@@Adirondneck yeah that's the trick with these older rounds I may have to source up black powder because the original 10.4 wasn't smokeless and the vetterli action wasn't built to handle it it would be much safer with black powder it will just be messy to shoot but I don't plan on making it a regular shooter the gun is in very nice condition for how old it is

[@allowishes06]

Hello Ian. I know it's not your modus operandi, but I was wondering if you could look over the firearms from the game, Hunt! Showdown. It's a shooter based in the year 1895. And many of the firearms are well known. But I don't know how accurate the are with the history of said weapons. Like the Mosin avtomat. It's getting quite popular and I would really appreciate your expertise on the subject of the weapons. Thanks and have a nice day!

[@charles_wipman]

Looks good to me.

[@Trumplican]

why didn't they just use the standard Vetterli with the 12 shot tube magazine with the cutoff if they wanted more firepower?

[@candidmoe8741]

55 days at Pekin, the movie

[@jackc.8060]

I actually own a 1881 variant of this rifle, it still fires as far as I am concerned.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Vetterli depends a tad on where you're from if it would be pronounced "Wet-terly" or "Fat-terly" always though with the emphasis on first syllable not second one. I'm not totally sure about the preference in Switzerland, but where i'm from (Hesse) it would be "Fatterly" (think Tshina /Chelsea versus kina / chemistry), but the italian sounded at least very close for a non native speaker

[@markovalpovo]

Well, time to hit up some grunts in the Louisiana swamps..

[@yourgod666]

Don't go loud

[@markovalpovo]

@@yourgod666 you know it!

[@zendell37]

"R rolling skill increased"

[@astridvallati4762]

Ferraciu' Fer-a-choo pronunciation. Bertoldo Ber-tol-doe pron. Great expose' on V-F short rifle. Doc AV

[@tomminton5512]

I'm hoping this video leads to a video of the Dutch Beaumont Vitali.

[@Legman688]

I have one of those!

[@PershingDragoon]

Love the Vetterli rifles. They have a unique and stylish look to them, even if they tend to be a bit old-fashioned compared to their contemporaries sometimes. I have one question though: Is it supposed to be pronounced "Vetterli" like Ian says, or would I be right in assuming it's actually supposed to be pronounced "Vet-TERRR-li"? As a well-traveled European with a little bit of knowledge of latin languages, it just strikes me that I might be right, but never had confirmation. :)

[@fabioferrarese5600]

second one, we roll our R's a lot lol

[@PershingDragoon]

@@fabioferrarese5600 Ah good! Thanks for confirming, friend.

[@Jasper-Holland]

Isnt this gun in BF1?

[@Hitesh-rq9fc]

This weapon is in battlefield 1 damn good

[@rucker69]

Ah, yes, the ISRdRR is a famous arsenal. I think they also stockpile catcalls and V12 engines.

[@slowpokebr549]

Tube magazines are with all their faults are still a huge tactical advantage over single shots, just ask Custer.