Lexi Webster
During World War I, Austria-Hungary had three armies: the Austrian Landwehr, the Hungarian Honvéd, and the Common Army. While the Austrian and Hungarian armies were generally better equipped, the Common Army used weapons like the Steyr-Hahn, which was so popular that Germany placed orders for 10,000 of them during the war. One of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's secret weapons may have been the Roth-Steyr M1907, a semi-automatic pistol used by the cavalry, which replaced the outdated Rast & Gasser Model 1898 revolver.
Characteristics and Values of Secret Weapons used by Austria-Hungary in WW1
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Handguns | Lighter than rifles, quicker reaction times in close combat, shorter ranges, less stopping power |
| Rast & Gasser Model 1898 | An Austro-Hungarian service revolver produced in Vienna; 180,000 built from 1898 to 1912 |
| Steyr M1912s | Semi-automatic pistols for the infantry |
| Roth–Steyr M1907s | Semi-automatic pistols for the cavalry |
| Steyr-Hahn | Based on the mechanism of the Roth-Steyr, initially issued to the Austrian Landwehr |
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What You'll Learn
The Steyr-Hahn
A machine pistol version of the Steyr-Hahn, designated as the Repetierpistole or M.12/P16, was commissioned at the end of 1915. This variant featured a select-fire mode, an enlarged magazine capacity of 16 rounds, a detachable shoulder stock-holster, and a fire selector located on the right side of the trigger group. The M.12/P16 had an automatic fire rate of about 800 rounds per minute, and 50 prototypes were delivered for field trials in February 1916.
After World War I, production of the Steyr-Hahn continued until 1920 for the re-equipping of the Austrian Volkswehr and regular Austrian army, as well as for reparation deliveries to Czechoslovakia. Following the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938, the German Police ordered 60,000 M1912 pistols rechambered in 9mm Parabellum, which remained in service until the end of World War II.
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The Rast & Gasser Model 1898 revolver
Prior to World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Army had planned to replace the M1898 with the Roth-Steyr M1907 for the cavalry and the Steyr M1912 for the infantry. However, production of these newer pistols was insufficient, and the M1898 remained in service. During World War I, the revolver was specially issued to NCOs and officers, and also as a secondary weapon for machine gunners.
Even after World War I, the Rast & Gasser Model 1898 revolver continued to see use in some armies, including those of Italy and Yugoslavia during World War II. Today, the revolver is considered one of the last major military revolvers used by Austria-Hungary and is sought after by collectors and historical firearms enthusiasts, especially due to its role in World War I and its unique 8-round cylinder design.
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The Dreyse needle gun
The Dreyse rifle was first adopted by the Russian Army in 1848 and was accepted for service in 1841 as the leichtes Perkussionsgewehr Model 1841. It was used in combat for the first time during the German revolutions of 1848-49 and proved its combat superiority in street fighting during the May Uprising in Dresden in 1849. The Dreyse rifle played a crucial role in the Prussian victory in the Second Schleswig War against Denmark in 1864, and it became widely used during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, where it played a decisive role at the Battle of Königgrätz. The Prussian Army infantry had 270,000 Dreyse needle guns by the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, and production was ramped up after the war against Austria. When the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870, the Prussian Army had 1,150,000 needle guns in its inventory.
The Dreyse rifle changed military tactics in the 19th century, as a Prussian soldier could fire five or more shots, even while lying on the ground, in the time it took his Austrian counterpart to reload a single round with their muzzle-loading Lorenz rifle. This technological advantage proved decisive in battles such as the Battle of Königgrätz, where the Prussians, armed with Dreyse rifles, could engage the enemy from prone positions while the Austrians, using muzzle-loading rifles, had to stand up to reload, making them vulnerable targets.
The Dreyse rifle was eventually replaced by the Mauser rifle in 1871, as needle rifles were superseded by rifles with metal cartridges, such as the Berdan rifle. Despite this, the Dreyse rifle's impact on military tactics and its role in shaping the outcome of significant conflicts in the mid-to-late 19th century, including the Second Schleswig War and the Austro-Prussian War, solidified its place in the history of firearms.
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The Lorenz rifle
The rifle had a 37.5-inch (95 cm) steel barrel, held in place by three barrel bands, and a calibre of .54 or .5473, slightly smaller than the .577 used by the Enfield and the .58 standardized in later Springfields. The stock was made of beech or, occasionally, walnut. The Lorenz rifle was also fitted with a quadrangle socket bayonet. The original Model 1854 Lorenz rifle was later replaced by an improved Model 1862 variant, which became the main Austrian weapon during the Austro-Prussian War.
During the American Civil War, the Lorenz rifle was the third most widely used rifle, with the Union purchasing 226,924 rifles and the Confederacy buying up to 100,000. In the North, the Lorenz rifle was used most frequently by Western troops, while in the South, it was carried by the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of Tennessee. The Lorenz rifle was praised by some for being "short, light, and very easily cleaned," and for being a "wicked shooter." However, others found the quality of the rifles to be inconsistent, with some considering them to be of inferior quality and seeking to exchange them for Springfield rifles.
After the Austro-Prussian War, the Austro-Hungarian Empire converted approximately 70,000 Lorenz rifles into the Wänzl breechloader, and the Prussians, who had captured a large number of Lorenz rifles, converted about 35,599 rifles into Zündnadel-Defensionsgewehr Ö/M (M1854/II System Lorenz) and issued them to Landwehr units in the Franco-Prussian War.
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The Steyr M1912
During World War I, Austria-Hungary faced a shortage of handguns, leading to increased production of the M1912. The pistol was also commercially available as the Steyr M1911, which was popular with army officers. Germany placed an order for 10,000 Model 12s, and after the war, production continued until 1920 to re-equip the Austrian Volkswehr and the regular Austrian army. The M1912 was also delivered to the newly independent Czechoslovakia as part of reparations.
A machine pistol version of the M1912, designated the Repetierpistole, was commissioned in 1915 and introduced in 1916. It was one of the world's first full-auto capable pistols, with a fire rate of about 800 to 1,000 rounds per minute. The M1912/P16 machine pistol was an automatic conversion of the standard M12 service pistol, with the addition of a fire selector on the right side of the trigger group. Only 960 M1912/P16 pistols were produced, with 50 prototypes delivered for field trials in February 1916.
After Germany annexed Austria in 1938, the German Police ordered 60,000 M1912 pistols rechambered in 9mm Parabellum, which remained in service until the end of World War II. These pistols featured an eagle emblem above the trigger and a "08" stamp on the left side of the slide, indicating the use of German 1908-type ammunition.
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