Vienna Museum

by Nathaniel F

Published: February 18th, 2015

Blogger oper-1974 recently covered a trip he made to the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (Military History Museum) in Vienna, Austria. In the museum are many artifacts from Austria’s rich military history, most dating from periods outside my expertise, and thus thwarting my ability to identify them. Fortunately, oper-1974 has provided descriptions for the images. Highlights below:

Assorted early breechloaders, from right to left: Prototype 10.5mm cartridge pistol for French officer use, prototype Jaeger breechloader, 13.9mm caliber, 1820, prototype Swiss Milbank Amsler breechloader, 17.8mm caliber, 1860, prototype Lindner rifle, 13.9mm caliber, 1860, prototype of a conversion of the Jaeger rifle to the Lindner system, 13.9mm, 1867, another prototype Jaeger, 15mm, 1867, and a prototype cartridge rifle from 1827, 17.8mm caliber.

11mm Montigny mitrailleuse, 1870.

The loading device for the Montigny mitrailleuse.

Experimental bolt-action rifles, left to right: 8mm Schulhof rifle from 1882, 11.2mm Shpitalski of 1890, 11mm Schulhof, 1882, 11.2mm Schulhof of 1882, with storage space in the butt, 11mm Schulhof bolt rifle of 1882, and another 8mm Schulhof of 1882. Apparently these were all developed around the same place, at much the same time.

A sectioned Schwarzlose heavy machine gun.

A trench crossbow from World War II.

Helmets, which have clearly been tested pretty thoroughly.

If any of our readers get the chance to head out to Vienna, it looks like the Military History Museum there is a great place to spend an afternoon.

H/T Maxim Popenker

#History #Austria #19thCentury #Museum #Vienna #EarlyBreechloaders #EarlyRepeaters

Nathaniel F

Nathaniel is a history enthusiast and firearms hobbyist whose primary interest lies in military small arms technological developments beginning with the smokeless powder era. He can be reached via email at nathaniel.f@staff.thefirearmblog.com.

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4 of 21 comments

Marathag on Feb 18, 2015

Schwarzlose... nothing else quite like blowback with a full power round

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Q Ball on Feb 19, 2015

If the prongs are made from wood or organics its a crossbow.
If the prongs are made from steel its an arbalist.

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- Phil Hsueh on Feb 19, 2015
  
  @Q Ball At the size that trench crossbow wouldn't it be more of a ballista or even scorpion than either a crossbow or arbalist?
  
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- Screwtape2713 . on Feb 20, 2015
  
  @Q Ball Maybe in the medieval era. But I shoot a modern Excalibur crossbow with a metal prod, and I'm very sorry but it's a crossbow, not an arbalest. The manufacturer makes it and distributes it as a crossbow, the sporting goods stores sell it as a crossbow, and for that matter, the hunting regulations describe it as a crossbow -- not an arbalest. The arbalest died in the 1600s or thereabouts; long live the crossbow!
  
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