Italian Vetterli-Vitali Rifle M1870/87

This rifle is an Italian Vetterli-Vitali, specifically the Model 1870/87/15.   Designed by Friedrich Vetterli (Swiss origin) and manufactured by Italian State Arsenals (such as Torino, Brescia, Terni, or Torre Annunziata).

Model: M1870/87/15.

 1870: The original year of the single-shot design.

 87: The year it was updated with the Vitali box magazine.

   15: The year it was converted for use in World War I.

Current Caliber: 6.5×52mm Carcano.

 History: This rifle started life as a 10.35×47mmR (a large black-powder cartridge). During WWI, the Italian military sleeved the barrels with a process called tubata to fire the smaller, higher-velocity 6.5mm smokeless round used in their primary service rifles.

How to Verify

If you look at the top of the barrel where it meets the receiver (the “barrel shank”), you should see the manufacturer’s name and the date of original production. You might also see a small cross or a “15” stamp nearby, signifying the WWI conversion.

**Critical Safety Note**

Do not attempt to fire modern 6.5mm Carcano ammunition through this rifle.  The M1870/87/15 was a “last-ditch” conversion of a black-powder era design. Modern commercial ammunition is loaded to pressures far exceeding what this 19th-century action was built to handle. These are generally regarded by collectors and gunsmiths as display pieces only.