Rifle Felix Model 1890 Submodel 1919, Onward over the top

From the same designer who brought you the:
Rifle Felix Model 1890
Machinensturmpistole 1923



Hello again. Here I am back with a new weapon design. This time, it’s a semi automatic rifle converted from my old service rifle. This one is a serious weapon, completely serious. So discuss it as such.

PS. I am slowly creeping forward toward the modern age.

Introduction and Background:
As early as the first world war attempts have been made to modernize the Rifle Felix Model 1890. Most of these attempts were in the field of increasing the weapons already formidable rate of fire. The unusual pump-action design of the weapon seemed uniquely suitable for this as the mechanism seemed almost identical in design to that of a gas operated weapon. Several successful and many failed conversions of the design existed. However the most famous and iconic of these is the Submodel 1919 Machine.

Unlike what it's name suggests the Submodel 1919 Machine was not in fact designed in the year 1919. The name stems instead from the historic Plan 1919, a comprehensive study for the kind of weapons and equipment that would have been required to fight the first world war had it continued into that year. According to this plan the rifle was supposed to be produced in numbers and converted from existing designs until the point where it completely replaced the original RFM1890 in Purpelian service. However as the war came to an end this plan was delayed and than scrapped. And as late as the beginning of the second world war the rifle still existed only in small numbers and was issued only to the elite Guards divisions. While production numbers did peak during the second world war the rifle newer managed to replace the original Model 1890. And both remained in active service right up until their joined retirement in the 50's.

The weapon exists in two basic variants. One being the factory model manufactured from RFM1930/38 rifles and designated 1890 – 38/19. The other being designated 1890 – 43/19 and encompassing several design and manufacturing simplifications. Finally there is a third designation known simply as Submodel 19 or 1890/19. This designation indicates weapons that are conversions from existing rifles. Usually these were rifles taken from stocks but some were also shipped back to the factories from field units, especially during the later years of both world wars.


Rifle Felix Model 1890 Submodel 1919 along with its predecessors for comparison
Note the exposed gas piston and open hand guard

Rifle Felix Model 1890 Submodel 1919
Type: Gas-Operated repeating rifle
Place of origin: Purpelia

Designed: 1916
Produced: 1917 – 1918 / 1925 – 1950
In service: 1926 – c.1950

Weight: 4 kg
Length: 1020mm
Barrel Length: 500mm

Cartridge: 7.5x53.5mm Swiss (GP90 & GP 90/03), 7.5x54.5mm Swiss (GP90/23), 7.5x55 Swiss GP11
Action: Gas-operated
Muzzle velocity: 760 m/s
Feed system: 8 round internal magazine (model 1890/19) or 12 round detachable box magazine (model 1938/19), fed through 4 round stripper clips

Development History and Operating Mechanism:
What makes the Rifle Felix family unique is their operating mechanism, a combination of bolt and pump action. This system works by using a conventional strait-pull bolt connected via a pair of cams running down each side of the weapon to a pump action like hand guard. As years progressed it became clear that this system was uniquely suited for conversion into a gas-operated weapon. However achieving this was easier said than done. The type of operating rods used in the RFM1890 were unsuited for gas-operation. Due to having to carry the pump handle and sustain the load of its operation the system had to be made robust and thus heavy. Something that would be unsuitable due to the gas pressures needed to move it reliably. A problem that plagued many prototypes and older field conversions. And the position of the operating rod meant that any such conversion would have the gas piston and entire mechanism open to the air and fouling. Several attempts were made at designing a weapon around this but finally a solution was found in designing a completely new operating rod and gas piston group and fashioning a unique stamped metal hand guard. The hand guard is designed to fit over the exposed opening that used to house the pump handle. Etched into the hand guard is a groove that fits under the operating rod thus creating a channel for it to pass through. Together these two features mostly solved the issues of fouling and reliability however at the cost of increased complexity during disassembly.

The Submodel 1919 is therefore a gas-operated weapon using a short-stroke system. The gas piston is located behind the bayonet lug and connected to a brand new thinner and lighter operating rod with the pump handle being deleted. The movement of the piston is impeded via a spring located near the opposite end of the pump opening. Both the gas piston and the spring are contained in separate enclosed cylindrical caps that are removed during disassembly. The pump unlocking lug found on the original rifle was retained keeping its original function of detaching the operating rod from the bolt thus allowing the weapon to fire rifle grenades.

Being a strait conversion the weapon uses the same strait-pull bolt and has no bolt cover. This unusual feature can cause problems with novice users in that the visual effect of the bolt slamming toward the shooters face can be difficult to get used to. However once one gets used to the unusual design of the weapon the Rifle Felix Model 1890 Submodel 19 is a very effective and reliable weapon.

Sights:
The sights on the rifle are identical to those used on it's parent. The initial model 1890 rifle featured an open post type front sight, and a curved tangent-type rear sight with a V-shaped rear notch. This setup was copied entirely from the contemporary German Gewehr 98 and has remained safe for minor modifications virtually unchanged through its service life.

Variants of the Rifle Felix were also equipped with telescopic sights of various manufacturers and designs. However, the pump action mechanism of the weapon was ill suited for precision firing and so snipers often had their safety lugs permanently disabled.

Commonality of parts:
Being a strait conversion the Submodel 19 shares almost all of its parts with the original model 1890 rifle. The only uniquely designed ones being the gas piston, operating rod and hand guard. This meant that it could be produced almost entirely in existing factories by the existing work force. A fact which brought many benefits to the arms industry not the least of being the ability to switch over entire factories from rifles to producing them and back as needed. Like with the MSP1923 machine gun this was not only intentional but a design requirement. As the Purpelian arms industry was expected to switch over to producing machine rifles exclusively by the end of 1918 and building new factories for a completely new weapon was seen as uneconomical.

Bayonet:
The bayonet lug on the Submodel 1919 is exactly the same as on the original 1890 rifle. This was done with the intention of allowing the weapon to be fitted with both the standard 1890 sword and the later issue knife bayonets. Like on the original rifle and all of its derivatives and indeed all Purpelian small arms to this day the MSP too is balanced around having the bayonet attached for firing.

Bump... for great justice?

The operating mechanism is... uh, unusual. Does something like that exist IRL?

...wha?

Why not just switch the new model based entirely around a short or long-stroke piston operation?


Oooh, also, switch your irons to an aperture sight. They're a bit more precise for long distance shooting, which is what it seems this rifle will be used for.

You should convert. It to long stroke rather than shot (its closer to a pump mechanism) you could also mention if its is possible to disconect the piston and only use ita a straight pull bolt rifle (could be a carry over feature from the 1980)

Well the idea is that this was thought up during WW1 when the army needed a rapid way of getting semi autos into the field and did not have the time or resources to design a new weapon from scratch.

Were these even invented back in WW1/WW2?

But would that not require a much longer motion of the piston? Something that might be problematic considering that even thou it does move inside a groove in the hand guard it is still effectively hanging in mid air.

I did.

Were these even invented back in WW1/WW2?

Pretty sure Bren had an aperture sight in the 30s

Were these even invented back in WW1/WW2?

Pretty sure Bren had an aperture sight in the 30s

Oh cool than. I basically copied the sights from the Mauser 98 for this thing. Or at least that was the idea. I will check out the aperture sights and consider them for various later variants.

Does t matter? It exists in NS.
-Note: K12-B = Felix M.1890

While behind the Felixian-army for a time, it seems the K-17 saw service (1919) shortly before the M.1890/19 (but was not issued as a rifle until 1936).

It would need to move just as long as your pump action would move and the piston would be physically connected to the bolt group. (the same way it should be done with the pump) And a long stroke could also have its return spring around/in the piston, while a short stroke would need a new and separate spring for the bolt group (the bolt group would probably need to be changed anyway due to the difference from pump operation)