DEFINITELY worth a place in a collection.
As a design, it was far ahead of its time. In many ways, it pointed the way to the Lebel as well as to the modern Schultz & Larsen sporting rifles, which use a very similar system of rear locking-lugs.
The Italians used their own version of the Vetterli action in a lighter-weight receiver and taking a centre-fire round. It was good enough to serve through WW2; I have one here which was rebuilt (yet again) in 1938. There are still a few Italian Vetterlis working in what used to be AOI (Africa Orientale Italiana: Italian East Africa), although where they are getting their ammo is anybody's guess.
The last batch of ammo for the Swiss Vetterli was made about 1941, just before the US came into War Two. Individual cartridges now run about $8 a pop, which is a bit rich for my blood. Good thing I still have a sealed pack of 10, Swiss surplus from many years ago.
You can shoot a Vetterli with smokeless powder if you are careful and know what you are doing. You can get the original ballistic performance at the original pressures, by substituting SR-4759 for the black-powder charge at 38%-of-Black levels. For the Vetterli, that would be (62 x .38 =) 23.5 grains of SR-4759. I would NOT advise going ANY higher: 4759 is a great old powder but if it is used in hot loads, it can build pressures fast. Thirty-eight-percent of Black is SAFE but it is still the military Service load: definitely warm.
These rifles are built like the proverbial Swiss watch (by the same people, most likely). They are tightly fitted they utterly OOZE quality. With their rapid bolt action and their high-capacity magazine, they were the AK-47 of the 1870s, even though more accurate than any Klack ever built.
Every serious collector owes it to himself to own one of these wonderful old pieces.
.
.
