Austria-Hungary:

   In 1915 the Austro-Hungarians captured a number of Russian Berdan II rifles.  After being arsenal reconditioned such rifles were marked “AZK”  (K. und k. Artilleriezeugsfabrik, which is K & K Artillery factory, Imperial  Vienna Arsenal) or « OEWG » (Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft) and employed by the Austro-Hungarians with captured cartridges.

Finland:

  Like the better-known Russian Mosin-Nagant rifles that found themselves in Finnish service, the Berdan II also became subject to Finish adoption, and in much the same way.  From 1809 until the Russian Revolution of 1917 Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy within the greater Russian Empire.  Finland declared its independence during the Russian upheaval but it too had to get through its own immediate civil war between internal Red and Bolshevik factions.  As a result of its successful independence, it became heir to the Berdan arms within its borders.  Thus these rifles saw use in the Finnish Civil War of 1918 as well as use with Finnish Civil Guards.  Following independence, Finland found itself with more than 200,000 Berdan II infantry and dragoon rifles which remained in service with the rear echelon units of the Finnish army until transferred to storage in the mid-1920s.

   Although already obsolete, Berdan II rifles remained in Finnish reserve and may have seen service during the its World War II conflicts with the then Soviet Union between 1939 and 1945.  In 1945, Finland began disposing its Berdan II rifles, and in 1955 the last 1,029 of them were sold.  It is these rifles, eventually sold to Interarmco, which made their way to American collectors during the late 1950s, that form most of the limited numbers of Berdan rifles in good condition seen in American collections today.

Mongolia:

   Both Mongolia and China had been administered by the Manchu during the Qing dynasty, and after the fall of the Qing the area forming the former Outer Mongolia came under the control of Bogdo Khan (1911-1924).  In 1919, after the October Revolution in Russia, Chinese troops occupied Mongolia leading to warfare on the northern border.  This resulted in Lt. General Baron Ungern (a “White” Russian) leading his troops into Mongolia in October 1920, and in February 1921, with Mongol support, defeating the Chinese forces in Niislel Khüree (now Ulaanbaatar).

   To eliminate the threat posed by Ungern, the Bolsheviks (the “Red” Russians) supported the establishment of a communist Mongolian government and army. This Mongolian army took the port of Kyakhta from Chinese forces in March, 1921, and that same month Russian and Mongolian troops occupied in Khüree.  Shortly thereafter the Mongols (again) declared their independence.   As a result, Mongolia became closely aligned with the Soviet Union over the next seven decades.

Switzerland:

   [Noting here, but unlikely]  Some sources indicate that “The Swiss military bought 8,900 [Berdan rifles] in 1869, but these were replaced in favour of the Vetterli soon after.”  This is almost certainly incorrect as these rifles were unavailable this early.  It is more likely that this is a reference to the US Peabody rifles purchased by Switzerland prior to the adoption of the M1869 Swiss Vetterli.  However, it does remain possible that Switzerland purchased Berdan I rifles directly from Colt, if such rifles remained in Colt’s inventory after Russia dropped pursuing the Berdan I in favor of the more successful Berdan II.  Still, what would have happened to these rifles?  They may have been sold to France the next year while France was desperate for any and all arms with which to fight off the Prussians.  There are French records of France having acquired perhaps 5,700 such rifles directly from Colt, but we can find no records of such transactions with the Swiss.