Podewils-Lindner Rifle

Infanteriegewehr M/1858 Muster I - 13.9mm

Infanteriegewehr M/1858/67 Muster I - 13.9mm

The Podewils-Lindner Rifle was part of the equipment of the Royal Bavarian Army in the middle of the 19th century in its various versions. It was developed by Philipp von Podewils, the director of the Royal Bavarian Rifle Factory in Amberg to replace the M-1842 musket. Originally a muzzle-loader, the rifle was converted to a breech-loader in 1867; the so-called Lindner bolt system was used for this purpose. Following a proposal submitted by Eduard Lindner to the Bavarian Crown, a breech was installed, which allowed paper cartridges to be loaded from the rear and fired with the existing percussion lock. There were three different models, which differed only in the total and barrel lengths.

In Bavaria, the muzzle-loading rifle did not become the standard weapon in the army as it did in Prussia. Only with the knowledge gained from various battles did it become clear in Bavaria that the time of the muzzle-loader had expired. Although the Bavarian army had developed the Podewils M58 rifle, which compared very favorably in terms of accuracy and penetrating power, it fell behind the breech-loading models as a muzzle-loader of the Prussians in the war of 1866. Therefore, immediately after the war, a modification of the rifle to a breech-loader was requested - finally approved by King Ludwig II on September 11, 1866. In 1867, the muzzle-loaders were successfully exchanged for the new breech-loading model M/58/67, and by the end of the year, the Bavarian army had some 110,000 new rifle models at its disposal. These constituted the main weapon of the Bavarian infantry in the war against France as well; in which it received its nickname: Kaffeemühle (Coffee grinder).

However, initial tests with the converted rifle did not produce much positive feedback, mainly due to the still inadequate cartridge. Although the cartridge was further optimized, the primer in particular did not always stick, so the soldiers had to help it along manually. Before combat, soldiers often removed the primers from the cartridges and put them in their trouser pockets. These shortcomings also meant that with the Bavarian breech-loading model M/58/67, even experienced infantrymen could not fire more than five rounds per minute. This was a major disadvantage compared to the Chassepot and Dreyse rifles. Therefore, it was called the worst rifle used in the war of 1870-71.

The Podewils rifle was manufactured by the Royal Bavarian Rifle Factory and was also produced by "Auguste Francotte & Cie" in Liège. The conversion to a breechloader took place in Amberg. Further conversions took place after 1866 - about 950 rifles captured by Prussian troops were converted to the needle gun system by the company "Christoph Grüber & Co" in Suhl and were given the designation Defensions-Zündnadelgewehr B/M or Defensions-Zündnadelbüchse B/M. Some French muskets like the St. Etienne Mle. 1842 were also modified with the Lindner system.

Parallel to the conversion of the old Podewils rifles into breech-loading models, the Werder M1869 was developed in Bavaria, which had an even smaller caliber of 11mm but could be loaded with cartridges made entirely of metal, the cases of which were also ejected automatically.

Specifications

(1858 - Early 1870s)

• Type: Battle Rifle

• Caliber: 13.9mm

• Weight: 10,14 lbs (4.6 kg)

• Length: 52.36 inches (133 cm; Muster I), 51.18 inches (130 cm; Muster II), 48.03 inches (122 cm; Muster III)

• Barrel length: 37 inches (94 cm; Muster I & II), 32.92 inches (83.6 cm; Muster II)

• Feed system: Single-shot

• Capacity: 4–5 rounds/min

• Fire Modes: Bolt action; muzzle-loaded

The Podewils-Lindner Rifle and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

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Film

Title	Actor	Character	Notes	Date
The Haunted Castle		Bavarian soldiers and Prince Kalaka's bodyguards	M/1858/67	1960
Ludwig		Bavarian soldiers	M/1858/67	1973