Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Kalthoff Repeater: In 1630, the Kalthoff family revolutionized firearm design by creating the world’s first military-adopted repeating firearm. This sophisticated system, first patented in France in 1640, could hold between 5 and 30 rounds depending on the variant, with many examples carrying 30 balls in an under-barrel magazine and powder in the buttstock. The gun’s ingenious mechanism operated via a trigger guard lever that, when rotated forward and back, would automatically load a ball, measure powder, prime the pan, and cock the lock – all in 1-2 seconds. Made in both wheellock and flintlock versions, calibers typically ranged from .40 to .80, though some .30 caliber examples existed. The Danish Royal Guard adopted over 100 Kalthoffs in the 1640s, using them effectively during the 1659 Siege of Copenhagen. However, despite their revolutionary firepower, the guns’ complexity made them expensive to produce and maintain. They required skilled gunsmiths for repairs and were vulnerable to fouling. By 1696, Denmark had retired them in favor of simpler designs, though their influence continued through later systems like the Lorenzoni.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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