This rifle is the straightforward conversion of the M1870 Italian Vetterli, altered to a repeater by the addition of a four round Vitali box magazine designed by Italian Artillery Captain Giuseppe Vitali. Like most other nations with substantial stocks of single shot rifles, the conversions came after extensivel experiments and trials which saw the M1870 Vetterli experimentally converted using a number of magazine systems then available.  The Vitali system eventually proved both functional and cost effective for converting the bolt action, and after Italy’s adoption the system was also adopted by the Netherlands in altering their M1871 Beaumont rifles to the M1871/88 Dutch Beaumont‑Vitali.

 

  The Vitali system was adopted in 1887, and from then onward existing M1870 Vetterli rifles, and many of the Vetterli varieties, were converted to M1870/87 Vetterli-Vitali box magazine models.  All the while production of new Vetterlis continued, with new-built rifles being the M1870/87 pattern, until production finally ceased in 1892.  During the period 1887 to 1892 nearly all of the approximately 1.3 million Vetterli rifles produced were converted to M1870/87 Vetterli-Vitali rifles.

 

  Twenty years later, in the first years of World War I, roughly 700,000 M1870/87 Vetterli infantry rifles were altered yet again, this time to utilize the 6.5mm Carcano cartridge and employing the Mannlicher designed magazine system of the M1891 Carcarno, becoming the Vetterli mod. 1870/87/15.

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  In order to make the Vitali system conversion, the floor of the receiver was cut out to accept the magazine and a metal reinforcing plate or magazine shroud was added to the bottom of the stock surrounding the magazine to strengthen the stock.  (Note that not all Vetterli Vitalis were equipped with magazine shrouds as a relatively few early conversions were fitted with magazine reinforcing bolts and were called ‘Tipo P’ before the Italians realized that the stocks were cracking and changed production over to metallic shrouds (scudo)).

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   In addition to the magazine, the next most conspicuous modification is the addition of a bolt support rail immediately behind the receiver and below the bolt to keep it in line and to prevent the bolt from rocking and possibly jamming when fully opened. Other changes included deleting the dust cover and replacing it with a tabbed metal ring immediately to the rear of the loading port that serves to both lock the bolt retaining key in place and, when strategically rotated, act as a magazine cut‑off allowing the rifle to be used in single shot mode while maintaining a fully charged magazine. The Vetterli-Vitali infantryman could then employ the magazine when needed merely by rotating the tabbed ring slightly to the left.

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  The conversions also incorporated an improved safety, also designed by the industrious Captain Vitali, which held the bolt slightly out of battery keeping the firing pin off of any chambered cartridge.  Similarly to the earlier Clavarino safety, merely lifting the bolt to allow the safety to spring back then allowed the rifle to be fully cocked and ready to fire.

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  Unlike the M1870, The M1870/87 Vetterli-Vitali employs only the single bayonet lug and tenon to mount the bayonet.  The small guide lug at the muzzle is removed.

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     Originally Vetterli rifles were produced finished in the white.  Blueing was introduced as an upgrade via Army Order 50 in April, 1884, which ordered all new and existing rifles to be blued.  So as part of the refurbishment program, those rifles which had not yet been blued were blued, although the receiver, safety lever and trigger guard were case hardened.

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   After 1890, with the approval of a smokeless powder loading of the 10.35x47R cartridge, the rear sight was again altered, this time to adjust ranging from 275 meters as marked on the top of the sight leaf near the sight walls and then 4 (for 400 m), 5.5 (for 550m) and then from 6 through 18 denoting 600 out to 1800 meters, all marked on the top edge of the right sight wall.