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Cei-Rigotti
The Cei-Rigotti (also known as the Cei gas rifle) is an early automatic rifle created in the final years of the 19th century by Amerigo Cei-Rigotti, an officer in the Royal Italian Army. Although the rifle was never officially adopted by any military, it was tested extensively by the Italian Army during the lead-up to the First World War.
The Italians developed self-loading rifles as early as 1893, and one of the earliest self-loading designs to show some practical value was the Cei-Rigotti rifle, created by Captain Amerigo Cei Rigotti of the Bersaglieri.
According to Morin, Cei Rigotti filled at least four different patents:
Commonly known in the Italian press as the Cei gas rifle, it attracted widespread attention in international military circles for a time, while the Italian arms company Glisenti-Bettoni managed to secure the rights to produce the rifle and attempted to sell it in Italy and abroad.
The rifle is gas operated and has selective fire capabilities (single shots or fully automatic). According to several publications, the prototype rifle was chambered for the 6.5×52mm Mannlicher–Carcano.
According to the patent drawing of 1895, the Cei-Rigotti is a device attached to a Swiss Schmidt–Rubin 1889 (or any other straight pull bolt-action rifle), converting it into an automatic weapon. A hole was drilled into the barrel and part of the gases generated during fire compress a spring which moves a piston that opens and closes the bolt.
The 1899 patent is similar, but it was attached to a rotating bolt action rifle instead and had a semi-automatic fire mode. According to Baker, a small hole was bored on the muzzle end of the barrel and part of the gases operate a rotary cylinder which opens the breech, extracts spent cartridges and closes the bolt, which then releases the striker, repeating the process until the rifle runs out of ammunition. In semi-auto mode, a lever-operated mechanism is used to interrupt the striker, requiring the shooter to pull the trigger to fire another round. Reportedly, this device could be attached to any Mauser bolt-action rifle without significantly increasing the weight. According to a Glisenti-Bettoni catalog, two different versions were made: a six-round infantry rifle and a navy 'machine gun-rifle' with a 20-round magazine; Morin mentions that prototypes with 30-round and 50-round magazines were reportedly made, while Baker mentions a 25-round magazine version.
The 1903 patent is an refinement of the previous prototypes. It features a small hole drilled on the right side of the barrel and connected to a cylinder where the gases are tapped in, moving a piston connected to the breechblock. A recoil spring mounted in the piston closes the breech automatically. According to W. H. B. Smith and Joseph E. Smith, the action stays open after the magazine is empty.
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Cei-Rigotti
The Cei-Rigotti (also known as the Cei gas rifle) is an early automatic rifle created in the final years of the 19th century by Amerigo Cei-Rigotti, an officer in the Royal Italian Army. Although the rifle was never officially adopted by any military, it was tested extensively by the Italian Army during the lead-up to the First World War.
The Italians developed self-loading rifles as early as 1893, and one of the earliest self-loading designs to show some practical value was the Cei-Rigotti rifle, created by Captain Amerigo Cei Rigotti of the Bersaglieri.
According to Morin, Cei Rigotti filled at least four different patents:
Commonly known in the Italian press as the Cei gas rifle, it attracted widespread attention in international military circles for a time, while the Italian arms company Glisenti-Bettoni managed to secure the rights to produce the rifle and attempted to sell it in Italy and abroad.
The rifle is gas operated and has selective fire capabilities (single shots or fully automatic). According to several publications, the prototype rifle was chambered for the 6.5×52mm Mannlicher–Carcano.
According to the patent drawing of 1895, the Cei-Rigotti is a device attached to a Swiss Schmidt–Rubin 1889 (or any other straight pull bolt-action rifle), converting it into an automatic weapon. A hole was drilled into the barrel and part of the gases generated during fire compress a spring which moves a piston that opens and closes the bolt.
The 1899 patent is similar, but it was attached to a rotating bolt action rifle instead and had a semi-automatic fire mode. According to Baker, a small hole was bored on the muzzle end of the barrel and part of the gases operate a rotary cylinder which opens the breech, extracts spent cartridges and closes the bolt, which then releases the striker, repeating the process until the rifle runs out of ammunition. In semi-auto mode, a lever-operated mechanism is used to interrupt the striker, requiring the shooter to pull the trigger to fire another round. Reportedly, this device could be attached to any Mauser bolt-action rifle without significantly increasing the weight. According to a Glisenti-Bettoni catalog, two different versions were made: a six-round infantry rifle and a navy 'machine gun-rifle' with a 20-round magazine; Morin mentions that prototypes with 30-round and 50-round magazines were reportedly made, while Baker mentions a 25-round magazine version.
The 1903 patent is an refinement of the previous prototypes. It features a small hole drilled on the right side of the barrel and connected to a cylinder where the gases are tapped in, moving a piston connected to the breechblock. A recoil spring mounted in the piston closes the breech automatically. According to W. H. B. Smith and Joseph E. Smith, the action stays open after the magazine is empty.