Need help identifying a rifle type in a family photo...

[jasonixo]

Hello everyone- This is my first post. I was looking for a forum that this specific question would suit. I'm hoping this is the place! I am a machinist and rifle-builder in Georgia (USA) and the attached photo is a re-touched digital image of my Great-great-great Uncle Fritz. This image is a night and day improvement over the original but a lot of detail became fuzzy in the retouching process.

Does anyone know, based on the uniform and other context clues in the photo, what type of rifle he has?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Clash77]

A time frame for the photo/time of service would be helpful, but I'm 99% sure it's a Dreyse Needle Gun

If not that, then an M71 Mauser

[Calif-Steve]

I also thought the Needle Gun. He was in the Prussian Army?

[jasonixo]

I know that my ancestors related to him were from Germany. I don't have a date for the photo.

[Anzac15]

I'd have to go with Dreyse as well, at least from what I can see on my phone.
Glad to see another Georgian on here!

[Patrick Chadwick]

Yes it's a Dreyse "Zündnadelgewehr" ( I was handling one only a couple of days ago) and no, its, not an Mauser M71 (which I have, and shoot in competitions).

The extremely long action indicates that it is the model M41. It could also be an M62, with improved gas-sealing. One would need to open the action to tell the difference.