The model 1870 was a single shot variant of the Swiss Model 1869 Vetterli rifle. The Swiss variant was fed by a 12 round tubular magazine located inside the forestock. The Italian military at the time of adoption opted to manufacture the rifle as a single shot to save money on production. The rifle operated on a simple bolt action mechanism. The Vetterli features a locking collar with two locking lugs that interface with recesses in the receiver, making for a strong lockup when the bolt is closed. There is a long extractor present on the top of the bolt. When the bolt is open a single round of ammunition can be placed either into the chamber or the magazine. The Italian Vetterli is chambered in the 10.35x47R. Early variants, such as this example feature the “Clavarino” safety mechanism. This mechanism allows the bolt to be closed and the firing pin to be gently put down while a live round was in the chamber. Simply running the action would disengage the safety. This example is an early single shot carbine. The barrel is marked “BRESCIA” and is dated “1886”.