What rifles used by the Austro Hungarian Cavalry or Hussars?

fugawi

fugawi

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My great grandfather was in the Austro Hungarian cavalry, possibly the Hussars during Kaiser Franz Joseph reign. He emigrated to Canada sometime in the 1890s. I have a small portrait of him in his uniform which was blue jacket over red trousers.

What I'm wondering is what weapons would he have used? Rifle or carbine? Possible sidearm, bayonet or sabre as well? I don't think he was an officer. Thanks.
 
One of my books says that they used mostly M95 and earlier model carbines.Sabres have been issued as well and that was suppose to be the main weapon of Cavalry.

With new tactics in WW1 and positional warfare use of Cavalry and Hussars dramatically changed and by late 1916 most of those units ended up serving in the trenches with infantry.As that happened they where issued the same equipment and armament as regular troops in the area(there where some exceptions).

Come to think of it the same thing happened to great most of similar units in all armies.
Later on in the war new horse appeared in the form of a tank.

Look up names of armored units of Canadian, British and other armies.Sounds familiar?
 
Out of curiosity, have you checked the Austro-Hungarian section of milsurps.com's knowledge library? I'm thinking you didn't...

http://w w w.milsurps.com/content.php?r=116-austro-hungarian-empire
 
donor said:
With new tactics in WW1 and positional warfare use of Cavalry and Hussars dramatically changed and by late 1916 most of those units ended up serving in the trenches with infantry.As that happened they where issued the same equipment and armament as regular troops in the area(there where some exceptions).
Click to expand...

My great granddad was out of the military long before WW1. I'll try to estimate when he was in service once I find his memorial card.

Claven2 said:
Out of curiosity, have you checked the Austro-Hungarian section of milsurps.com's knowledge library? I'm thinking you didn't...

http://w w w.milsurps.com/content.php?r=116-austro-hungarian-empire
Click to expand...

Hi Ron, no I haven't. This was more out of curiosity as its not my area of collecting. It was also to stimulate some discussion as I see there have been a few Mannlicher threads lately.

I'll bet in no time Smellie will give us the complete run down...
 
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They would have been issued the Werndl single shot in 11 x 42mm beginning in 1867, with an upgraded model in 11 x 58mm in 1877. Then the Mannlicher 1886 carbine, still in 11 x 58mm but a repeater, before the Mannlicher M90 in 8 x 50mm. The sidearm would have been the Gasser 1870 and then 1870/74 in 11 x 29mm (only difference being one in iron, the other in steel) right up until it was replaced by the Rast-Gasser 1898 in 8 x 27mm.

Good info here: http://www.hungariae.com/index.htm
 
Nyles said:
They would have been issued the Werndl single shot in 11 x 42mm beginning in 1867, with an upgraded model in 11 x 58mm in 1877. Then the Mannlicher 1886 carbine, still in 11 x 58mm but a repeater, before the Mannlicher M90 in 8 x 50mm. The sidearm would have been the Gasser 1870 and then 1870/74 in 11 x 29mm (only difference being one in iron, the other in steel) right up until it was replaced by the Rast-Gasser 1898 in 8 x 27mm.

Good info here: http://www.hungariae.com/index.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks Nyles. Single shots eh? Good thing he got out when he did!
 
Claven2 said:
Out of curiosity, have you checked the Austro-Hungarian section of milsurps.com's knowledge library? I'm thinking you didn't...

http://w w w.milsurps.com/content.php?r=116-austro-hungarian-empire
Click to expand...


I have a picture with my grand-grand pa on the horse with a cavalry equipment but is seen only a part of the barrel of the carbine.
 
My grand uncle still had his original M95 he was issued in 1917. He was in Uhlan regiment of the Habsburg Czech Army. He always refused to surender the gun, never trusted new country they made out of Galicia,
I saw it in the early 80s (It was a sort of family secret) it was short carabine for 8mm x 50mm shell, had sling mounts on the side. He said he was issued almost stright blade saber and no revolver. Saber he replaced after a month at the front for Russian dragun saber which he claimed was a superior balance and far better blade
 
Before 1890 they would use Werdel rifles 100%. What region of the empire was your grand father from?
Cavalery regiments in Austria-Hungary were drafted sort off along ethnic lines.
Poles, Croats most likely Uhlans, Hungarians always hussars, heavy horse regiments Germans.
Ukrainians if from Bukovina or Carpathians would go to the Hussars, if from Galicia to the Uhlans
 
murat said:
Before 1890 they would use Werdel rifles 100%. What region of the empire was your grand father from?
Cavalery regiments in Austria-Hungary were drafted sort off along ethnic lines.
Poles, Croats most likely Uhlans, Hungarians always hussars, heavy horse regiments Germans.
Ukrainians if from Bukovina or Carpathians would go to the Hussars, if from Galicia to the Uhlans
Click to expand...

Thanks Murat. My great grandfather was Ukrainian but I'm not sure where from. I do know that the family on that side was Ukrainian Catholic not Orthodox, so that tends to be West Bank Ukraine. Possibly Galicia but the Carpathian Mountains are also to the west.

I have this Austro Hungarian document that belonged to him. Birth certificate or passport. I'll have to check for a town, district or whatever.

What about the uniform colours. I haven't looked at the painting for a while but I think the jacket was blue and the trousers red. Does that help?
 
Werndl was a nice rifle, sort of a Snider-with-a-sideways-rolling block. There were 3 basic models, of which one was really pretty.

Ran into a whole shopful of the things in Denmark, just about jumped out of my skin. Wonderful! Rifles, carbines, the whole shootin' match. Verily, I drooled. Then I discovered that they were all "dekovaben": dewatted with chunks of steel rod welded into the chambers so that rich people could hang them on their walls and look cool and macho for their yuppie neighbours without having to deal with all those "issues" of "dangerous weapons" that might otherwise spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and ruin the environment for all those cuddly little baby polar bears.

Enough to give you nightmares: 100 of the things, all about as "dangerous" as stuffed tigers. Sic transit gloria mundi.

The old KuK regime had the best-looking army in the world, bar none...... and some of the slickest weapons, too.
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My Grandfather and Great Grandfather were both in Austro-Hungarian Army, Great Grandfather was in before WW1 and Grandfather was in Calvary. My Avatar photo is my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother you can see he is in uniform but I have no idea what his trade/job was.
 
I have a Wanzl Extra-Corps Gewehr M1854/67, dated 1858, in 14x33Rmm Wanzl rimfire. A hoot to shoot:)

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