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Author Topic: M. 16 Berthier  (Read 442 times)

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Offline Idaho_Hick

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M. 16 Berthier
« on: January 12, 2006, 09:22:09 AM »
I have been given a Berthier.  It has the following markings.
Left receiver: Chaleuerauu  M  M.16  (unsure of the written word)
Left chamber:  A pitchfork looking proofmark folowed by 43871
Right chamber:  MA  C  1917
Bolt Handle:  AE 6562?
Left chamber above SN:  cc , followed by a j inside a circle, then a c inside a circle.  
With the stock off:  
Underside of chamber, from muzzle toward butt: E E 10, with a tulip looking proofmark.  
Behind trigger notch: 7
With bolt removed, under bolt head: H
I was wondering if any of you milsurp detectives could share any information about this
unusual rifle.  I know next to nothing about Berthiers.  Additionaly, it has the N marked
barrel and reciever which I understand to mean that it was rechambered for Ball D type
ammo in 1932.  Also, although the stock has vey obviously been bubba'd, the rifle has a
very short barrel, 17.5", and if it was bubba'd, it was obviously by someone other than
the one who did the stock work as the crown is in very good shape.  So, were carbines
issued with barrels that short or has it been chopped?  17.5 inches seems awful short,
even for a carbine from this period.  Thanks for any and all help.
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Offline Idaho_Hick

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M. 16 Berthier
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2006, 09:52:06 AM »
Well, if anyone else was wondering, I discovered that they did in fact, make several carbines with 17.7" barrels.  So the barrel is original, in all probability.  Does anyone else have any scraps of info on these?
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Offline Idaho_Hick

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M. 16 Berthier
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2006, 04:31:25 AM »
Just moving this back to the top in case we have any new members who are into french rifles.
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Offline Larry44

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french rifle
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2006, 11:12:34 AM »
Quote from: Idaho_Hick
Just moving this back to the top in case we have

I have one of these rifles I think they were use by the french foreign legion. Mine is a 3 shot 8mm Lebel. I got a 5 shot clip from Gun Parts several years ago. It shoots and thats about all you can say for it!!
Larry44
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Offline jh45gun

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M. 16 Berthier
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2006, 01:42:33 PM »
As a side note for this thread ammo is not that easy to get but you can get 348 Win brass and convert it to shoot in these guns. The dies are expensive though and the 348 brass is not that easy to get and expensive these days too but it can be done.
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Said I never had much use for one, never said I didn't know how to use it.

Offline 1911crazy

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M. 16 Berthier
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2006, 06:05:45 AM »
I think there is some 8mm Lebel machine gun ammo kicking around too out there and its not recomemded for these rifles.  I have a machine gun rack of the 8mm lebel ammo.  It was life before belt feds all the rounds are attached to a rack(24rds) and each rack was loaded into the gun and it would feed as it was fired too. You can see some of these older machine guns in the old war videos.

For more info on the 8mm Lebel rifle do a search;  "french berthier rifle"

Lots of info will come up. enjoy...
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