Kropatschek M1886
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 820 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.30 kg
- Introduced
- 1886
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Kropatschek M1886 was a tubular-magazine bolt-action rifle designed by Austrian officer Alfred von Kropatschek and adopted as Portugal's standard infantry rifle. Built by Steyr, it fed eight rounds of 8x60mmR from an under-barrel tube via a cartridge elevator, with a magazine cut-off allowing single-loading. Kropatschek's tube-magazine system was a direct forerunner of the French Lebel rifle.
Kropatschek's tube-magazine rifle was the conceptual blueprint for the French Lebel that triggered the smokeless-powder arms race, yet it found its longest service not in Europe but as Portugal's frontline rifle and on into the Spanish Civil War decades later.
Kropatschek's earlier 11mm designs were adopted by the French Navy in 1878; the Portuguese 1886 model used the smaller 8mm cartridge. Many Portuguese Kropatscheks remained in colonial and reserve service through World War I and were used in the Spanish Civil War.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Steyr Arms
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Portugal
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1886 to 1898
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 820 mm
- Overall length
- 1321 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.30 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 8
- Magazine
- Tube
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 530 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2135 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 2000 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Tubular magazine
Nickel plated steel magazine tube
Magazine cutoff lever- Cartridge elevator
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 4.30 kg | 3.50 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 1321 mm | 1080 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 820 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 8 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Kropatschek M1886
How much does the Kropatschek M1886 weigh?
The Kropatschek M1886 weighs 4.30 kg (9.48 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Kropatschek M1886?
The Kropatschek M1886 is chambered in 8x60mmR Kropatschek.
How many rounds does the Kropatschek M1886 hold?
The Kropatschek M1886 holds 8 rounds, fed from a tube magazine.
How long is the Kropatschek M1886?
The Kropatschek M1886 is 1321 mm (52.0 in) long overall, with a 820 mm (32.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the Kropatschek M1886?
The Kropatschek M1886 is made by Steyr Arms (Austria). It was designed by Alfred von Kropatschek.
When was the Kropatschek M1886 introduced?
The Kropatschek M1886 was introduced in 1886 and discontinued in 1898.
How does the Kropatschek M1886 operate?
The Kropatschek M1886 uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Portuguese Army
- 1886
- French Navy
- 1878
Provenance
Confidence in this record
70%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/kropatschek' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "kropatschek", "name": "Kropatschek M1886", "manufacturer": { "id": "steyr-mannlicher", "name": "Steyr Arms", "countryCode": "AT", "foundedYear": 1864, "website": "https://www.steyr-arms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "Austrian rifle manufacturer, founded 1864. Currently produces hunting and sporting rifles.", "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "a826cd329c11aab62c76039016717ad94b5d38e37df48de00a5a6800ce0b3c60" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "PT", "year_introduced": 1886, "barrel_length_mm": 820, "weight_empty_g": 4300, "action_type": "bolt_action"}