Jarmann M1884
The Norwegian Jarmann M1884 was one of the first bolt action repeating rifles to be adopted anywhere in the world. It fired a 10.15mm blackpowder cartridge in an eight round tubular magazine — that is, the rounds were lined up head-to-toe in a tube below the barrel. The action is not strong enough to fire modern ammunition.
Despite being a trailblazer and a pioneering design, it cannot be considered particulary successful. The combination of tubular magazine and centerfire ammunition has been described by some as "a little too exciting", especially when used with pointed bullets. Also, the balance of the weapon changed for every shot fired, a common problem with tubular magazines.
The first Jarmanns, the M1879, manufactured were designed as single shot weapons. This was later modified to include a magazine, something which may explain why the magazine and bolt do not always work well together.
Despite the problems with the weapon, no less than 30,000 were manufactured for the Norwegian armed forces in the decade between its adoption in 1884 and the adoption of the Krag-Jørgensen in 1894. A further 1,500 was manufactured for the Swedish navy in the same period.
It is extremly rare to find a Jarmann M1884 in original condition today. During the 1930s, the surplus was either sold to civilians or rebuilt into harpoon guns intended for the dual purpose of hunting seals and shooting rescuelines to boats in distress.
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