The .32ACP Dreyse Light Carbine
Forgotten Weapons
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11m
Manufactured by Rheinmetall and designed by Louis Stange, this light .32ACP (7.65mm Browning) carbine is a bit of a mysterious item. Very little written information exists about it, but we know it was sold on the commercial market as it appears in several firearms sale catalogs and it is, frankly, and wonderfully handy little small game rifle. It is a simple blowback action with a 6-round detachable magazine, sharing a number of elements with the Dreyse 1907 pistol from the same company (Johann von Dreyse died in 1867, but the brand name was owned by the Rheinmetall company). One feature of the rifle that is likely to be overlooked given today's cultural insistence on eye and ear protection is that the Dreyse carbine's small .32 caliber cartridge and long barrel made for a relatively very quiet report when firing. Not quiet enough to be considered hearing safe today, but much less unpleasant than many other firearms using higher pressure cartridges.
Thanks to H. in Sweden for letting me shoot this handy little carbine!
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