Kovachev M.1891
| Repeating Rifle M.1891 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Bolt action rifle |
| Place of origin | Poliania |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1892 – 1938 |
| Used by | Poliania |
| Wars | Great War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Branimir Čavdarovski Kovečev |
| Designed | 1886 – 1891 |
| Manufacturer | NZ Losniza |
| Produced | 1890-1935 |
| No. built | approx. 7,500,000+ |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4.35 kg (9.6 lb) |
| Length | 1,290 mm (51 in) |
| Barrel length | 790 mm (31 in) |
| Cartridge | 6.5x55mm |
| Action | Straight pull bolt action |
| Feed system | 6-round en bloc clip |
The Kovačev M.1891 (Volynian: Ⱂⱁⰲⱅⱁⱃⰵⱀⰻⰵ Ⰿⱆⱄⰽⰵⱅⰰ Ⰿⱁⰴⰵⰾ ⰝⰛⰑⰀ tr. Povtorénie Muskéta Modél 1891), known to collectors as simply the Kovachev rifle, is a straight pull bolt action rifle that was in service with the Polianian military from 1891 until 1938. Over the course of its nearly 50 year service life, over 7.5 million M.1891s were produced.
The rifle is replaced the earlier Klepeckas rifle of Weranian origin. Following the introduction of the Gaullican Poudre B, a rifle commission was founded to determine a new rifle that utilized the smokeless gunpowder. The resulting design was the Kovačev M.1891, which was fully adopted in 1892. The Kovachev rifle was fed from 6-round en-bloc clip, similar to the Hallandic M1 rifle. When the bolt is pulled straight back, the clip is loaded directly into the rifle through the top of the receiver. When empty, the en bloc "pops" upwards and is ejected from the top of the receiver when bolt is fully retracted. This is done by a spring loaded latch near the rear of the magazine.
The rifle was chambered for the 6.5x55mm cartridge, one of the first smokeless small-bore cartridges adopted in Euclea.