then later into the military forces of many other German states. The employment of the needle gun radically changed military tactics in the 19th century. The needle gun first made its appearance in street fighting during the May Uprising in Dresden in 1849. It also played an important role in the Danish–German War of 1864. The gun saw its heaviest use in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. Because the breech-loader made it possible for a Prussian soldier to fire five (or more) shots, even while lying on the ground, in the time that it took his Austrian counterpart to fire one (and then reload while standing), it was seen as allowing the Prussians to sweep the field. The cartridge used with this rifle consisted of the paper case, the bullet, the priming cap and the black-powder charge. The 15.4 mm (0.61 in) bullet was shaped like an acorn, with the broader end forming a point. It was glued in a paper case known as a Sabot. Between this inner lining and the outer case was the powder charge, consisting of 4.8 g (74 grains) of black powder. The upper end of the paper case was rolled up and bound together before the needle could strike the primer that was attached to the base of the bullet; its point then passed through the powder and hit the primer ahead. The theory behind this placement of the primer is that it would give more complete combustion of the charge. In practice the needle-gun proved to have numerous deficiencies: its effective range varied a great deal, a significant amount of gas escaped at the breech when the rifle was fired, and a paper cartridge was used. An improved model, giving greater muzzle velocity and increased speed in loading, was introduced, but this was soon replaced by the Mauser rifle. M1854 Jäger rifle (Bavaria) This percussion weapon combines French and German features with a browned barrel and a rear sight with windage adjustment. It is long, with a .69 caliber barrel. This is among the last military designs prior to adopting the Minie type ammunition. Vereinsgewehr 1856 (Württemberg, Baden, and Hessen) This rifle was based on a Swiss pattern using Minie ammunition in .54 caliber. It was long, with a barrel. Most of these weapons were made in Liege or in the Württemberg state-run factory in Oberndorf. M1858