Shooting Mle. 1874 Gras with and without fixed

Shooting an Mle. 1874 Gras manufactured by St. Etienne 1877, with and without Épée-Baionnette Modèle 1874 bayonet and with a copy of the Cartouche Modèle 1874 on a cold windy wintery day. Copies of the paper patched Balle Modèle 74 and Balle Modèle 79 bullet moulds were made to duplicate ballistics. The butt plate marked ’138’, denoting the 138e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne. In the prone position the Mle. 1874 is as heavy and punishing to the shoulder as the Mle. 1866. Balance is excellent for a