10/26/2026
Coming soon to a Paper Cartridges YouTube video, this is the Imperial Austrian M.1862 Lorenz infantry r***e. They are pretty rare on this side of the Atlantic, since real M.1862 r***es were not sold by the Austrians to either side of the American Civil War.
The M.1862 was an improvement on the older M.1854 Lorenz, with a new "small" lock that resembled the Enfield lockplate, walnut stocks instead of beechwood, long-range sights fitted to all r***es, and most importantly, a steel barrel that replaced the older wrought iron barrel. In 1862, the Austrian Army was seriously pursing the adoption of smokeless propellant (guncotton) for the Lorenz r***e, and the steel barrel stood up to the higher pressure curve much better than iron.
My r***e has an "Abzugstütze" which can be translated as "trigger finger support rest." This finger-rest has been the source of some confusion about the M.1862 Lorenz.
Dr Erich Gabriel's book "Die Hand- Und Faustfeuerwaffen Der Habsburgischen Heere" describes a Lorenz r***e with this finger-rest as the "Versuchsmodell" or Experimental Model of 1861. Gabriel shows photos of an experimental r***e from the Vienna Arsenal collection, with an 1861-dated small lockplate and with the older style of fitting for the rear sight. This was certainly one of the early experimental r***es used in the testing and development of what would become the M.1862 r***e.
However, because the Lorenz r***e depicted in Gabriel's book also has the finger-rest, collectors have assumed that ALL Lorenz r***es with the finger-rest must be the "Versuchsmodell 1861."
In fact, the M.1862 r***e was adopted originally with the finger-rest, and tens of thousands were made until the decision was later made to remove the finger-rest.
In 1862, a Supreme Order from the Emperor decreed the production of the new steel-barreled r***es, specifically with the "Abzugstütze" or finger-rest. According to an 1862 Austrian description of the new r***es: "The trigger support attached to the trigger guard prevents an inexperienced shooter from pulling back with their entire hand when firing, thereby ensuring they do not jerk the r***e and spoil the shot."
Before the end of 1862, over 40,000 of the new M.1862's with the finger-supports had been completed, and 180,000 more were ordered. The production was financed by the sale of older M.1854 Lorenz r***es to the U.S. and C.S. armies (the older guns were sold to the desperate Americans for more than it cost to make the new M.1862 r***e).
Correspondence from the Austrian Kriegsministerium from March 1863 indicates that production orders 36,361 Model 1862 infantry r***es and 5000 Extra-Korps r***es, "mit Stahllauf, kleinem Schloss und Abzugstütze" (with steel barrel, small lock, and finger rest), were still outstanding.
The primary weapons textbook "Waffenlehre" for the Austrian Army describes the finger-rest and depicts it in illustrations of the new Muster 1862 r***es.
Dolleczek's "Monographie" also describes the adoption of the M.1862 Lorenz with the finger-rest.
From archival and period sources, we know that many tens of thousands of M.1862 Lorenz r***es, perhaps even a hundred thousand or more, were produced with the finger-support.
What I have not been able to find is an order (or a date) for suspending the finger-support on the M.1862 r***es. Most M.1862 Lorenz's that survive do not have the Abzugstütze. Some of them have holes in the trigger guard where the Abzugstütze used to be, but most appear to have been produced without an Abzugstütze ever being installed.
It seems reasonable to assume, based on the evidence, that the first production M.1862 Lorenz's had the finger-support, but that at some point after March of 1863, it was decided to remove the finger-support for subsequent production. M.1862 Lorenz's converted to the Wanzl breechloaders often show where the Abzugstütze was removed and, to my knowledge, no Wanzl's with Abzugstütze are known. So at some point it was removed.
I'll make a video about this '62 Lorenz eventually. Oh, it also has a perfect, gloriously bright bore.
