Russian musket model 1845
Musket model 1845, was a Russian percussion musket used in the mid-Nineteenth century. The firearm originated in the Russian Empire, but is best known for the modified rifled Model 1845/63 used extensively by the Serbian army in 1863–1878.
History
Background, 1830-1863
Principality of Serbia gained its autonomy from the Ottoman Empire after the Second Serbian Uprising, and officially became an Ottoman client state under the Russian protectorate in 1830. The first Serbian regular military units were formed by Prince Miloš Obrenović in 1825, formally as a police force called Enlisted Watchmen, in order not to offend the Ottoman authoritees. At first, there were 12 companies of these mercenaries. In 1830. Serbia was officially permitted by the Ottomans to form an army, and by 1838. Serbia had 2,417 professional soldiers, armed and uniformed in the European fashion, trained by the former Austrian and Russian officers. Regular army was temporarily disbanded by the new Serbian Government in 1839, but was reformed in 1845. under the name of Garrison Soldiers : there were 2 battalions of infantry, an artillery unit and a squadron of cavalry, with the officers about 2,529 men.The regular army was inadequate to protect the country from its more powerful neighbours, during the crisis of Hungarian Revolution of 1848; Serbia was directly threatened by the Austrian invasion. The Serbian government mandatorily conscripted all available men for the military service, the "People's Militia". On paper, Serbia raised a force of 94,000 men, with 40,000 more in reserve, but arms and food were insufficient. Conscripts were expected to provide their own weapons and clothing, receiving only food and ammunition from the government. More than half lacked working rifles, which were mostly old flintlock muskets of Ottoman and Austrian production.
Russian rifles in Serbia
In 1856-1858 Serbia imported the first 7.000 modern percussion rifles, Francotte rifle model 1849/56 from Belgium: in 1858, the fall of pro-Austrian government of Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević caused the Austrian government to immediately prohibit any further transport of weapons for Serbia.In 1858, Prince Miloš Obrenović returned to power in Serbia with the support of France and Russia, who were dissatisfied with the pro-Austrian policy of the Serbian government. His son and heir, Prince Mihailo, led a very ambitious foreign policy, aimed at the liberation of all the South-Slavic peoples. In 1861. Prince Mihailo founded Ministry of War, doubled the size of the Regular Army and declared the foundation of the Serbian National Militia, which conscripted all the men aged 20–50 for the compulsory military service. People's Militia was divided into the First and the Second class, organized into territorial battalions and regiments. There were also 17 squardons of cavalry, 17 pioneer units of 60 men each, and 6 artillery batteries. Conscripts served without pay and were expected to provide their own weapons and clothing. Militiamen were expected to provide their own weapons and clothing. In 1862. Serbian People's Militia existed on paper only: less than a half of the militiamen had serviceable rifles. However, in 1863. Serbia received some 31.000 old percussion muskets from Russia : these muskets were converted to rifles in Kragujevac and became the standard weapon of the People's Militia.