Percussion Eifle M 1842/66
http://www.gunsworld.com/french/18xx/1842-66_fr.htm

Fusil modèle 1866 (Chassepot)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chassepot

Fusil Gras mle 1874 (modele 1874)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gras_rifle

Lebel Model 1886 rifle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebel_rifle

French Revolver (1873)
http://www.gunsworld.com/french/18xx/1873_us.html

French Revolver (Lebel Modele 1892)
http://www.gunsworld.com/french/18xx/1892_us.html

THe French army adopted the Hotchkiss machine gun as part of its arsenal in 1897, and converted its artillery from smoothbore muzzle loading to rifled, breech loading cannon after their disastrous war against the Germans in 1870-1871.

I believe that we had a chance to beat almost any Western foe before 1820, which is when the Industrial Revolution started. The Industrial Revolution's most potentous years were between 1820-1840, after which the French had a methodology for producing high quaility, robust weapons of war on a large scale. Needless to say, after 1840, our ability to copy any firearm that fell into our hands simply couldn't measure up against their ability to produce high quality, reliable, robust firearms with interchangeable pieces in large quantities.

I nevertheless give full credit to those of our ancestors who chose to continue fighting against these overwhelming odds - odds that were made even longer by the high standard of training of the French troops and the aggressive, competent leadership of their officers. Our ancestors' defeats and the errors they made, large and small, made our later victories possible.