The army was still equipped with the Dreyse needle gun of Battle of Königgrätz fame, which was by this time showing the age of its 25-year-old design. The rifle had a range of only 600 m (2,000 ft) and lacked the rubber breech seal that permitted aimed shots. The deficiencies of the needle gun were more than compensated for by the famous Krupp 6-pounder (3 kg) steel breech-loading cannons being issued to Prussian artillery batteries. Firing a contact-detonated shell, the Krupp gun had a longer range and a higher rate of fire than the French bronze muzzle loading cannon, which relied on faulty time fuses. COUNT 5
QSN1 In which battle did the Dreyse needle gun gain its fame? ANS1 Battle of Königgrätz QSN2 At the start of the Franco-Prussian War, what was the age of the Dreyse gun's design? ANS2 25-year-old design QSN3 What was the Dreyse rifle's tactical range? ANS3 600 m (2,000 ft) QSN4 What was the name of the famous cannon issued to Prussian soldiers at the time? ANS4 Krupp QSN5 What type of shell did the Krupp weapon fire? ANS5 a contact-detonated shell