In modern Russian military terminology, the term “ruzhyo” refers to smoothbore firearms and is no longer commonly used to describe rifled weapons. A rifle is a type of rifled small arm. The Russian army was actively equipping its troops with more advanced firearms in the lead-up to the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. Yet, this process had not been completed by the outbreak of hostilities. As a result, infantry weapons were not standardized, as evidenced by the variety of rifle models on display in the museum.

The most popular rifle was the single-shot model, adopted under the designation “Berdan II, Model 1870”. The Russian engineers Gorlov and Hunnius adapted the design of an American rifle by Colonel Hiram Berdan as a basis for their own version. They altered the original caliber of the weapon, developed a specialized cartridge, and made other improvements. In all, 25 modifications were made to the original design, leaving little resemblance to the Berdan rifle, yet the name was retained. The gun designed by Gorlov and Hunnius was referred to as the “Russian Rifle” in the United States, where it was widely recognized for its high quality and accuracy. Subsequently, further refinements were made to the design, including the replacement of the side-hinge lifting breechblock with a sliding bolt.

The Berdan II rifle of a 4.2-line (10.67 mm or .42) caliber featured a bayonet with four sides and a sight calibrated to a distance of up to 1,500 paces. Its muzzle velocity was 437 meters per second, allowing for a direct shot range of 450 paces and a maximum range of 4,000 paces. With the bayonet attached, the rifle weighed 4.89 kg; without the bayonet — 4.43 kg.

The Berdan II rifle was initially purchased from a Birmingham-based arms factory. It began entering service in 1871 and by the end of the Russo-Turkish War, one-third of the divisions participating in battles in the Balkans and Caucasus were equipped with this weapon. In 1879, when the Birmingham factory had very few orders and closed. Between 1898 and 1899, decommissioned Berdan II rifles and carbines were sold as hunting weapons for 18 rubles per unit.