Marco Posted 27 March , 2012 Share Posted 27 March , 2012 Below a -not so great - photograph of a rifle in a French museum. Anybody got any idea what it is? Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 27 March , 2012 Share Posted 27 March , 2012 Is whats left of a Lebel rifle, the standard French rifle from the late 19th century until replaced by the Berthier, it continued to be used up until ww2, why it has been mutilated like that I can not tell. khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 March , 2012 Share Posted 27 March , 2012 Looks like a flare gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 27 March , 2012 Share Posted 27 March , 2012 Thinking about it, it may be a Lebel converted as a 'line throwing gun' for use at sea, hard to tell without the whole image khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 27 March , 2012 Share Posted 27 March , 2012 I think a flare gun as Centurion suggests, the large calibre is not normally used for line throwing guns. Years ago a friend had a very similar converted Lebel and it was in about 25-26mm calibre, typical for flares. The barrel detaches from the action to load the flare, which is why the chain is there. Quite why the French would choose to convert these rifles rather than make new flare guns I do not know. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 March , 2012 Share Posted 27 March , 2012 I think some Lebel revolvers were converted to fire flares using a blank round and clip on on the end of the muzzle. Possibly this carbine was an attempt to throw the same flares further or higher (using a more powerful cartridge than possible with the pistol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 27 March , 2012 Author Share Posted 27 March , 2012 Thanks gentlemen, your thoughts are appreciated. Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 28 March , 2012 Share Posted 28 March , 2012 Hi, indeed a flare gun, modification of 1886 mod. R35 carbine Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landsturm Posted 3 April , 2012 Share Posted 3 April , 2012 My guess would have been: French Lebel. Possibly used in mining warfare. British sometimes used similar sawn-off SMLEs.Anyway, seems solved by Cnock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tipperary Posted 3 April , 2012 Share Posted 3 April , 2012 I think a flare gun as Centurion suggests, the large calibre is not normally used for line throwing guns. Years ago a friend had a very similar converted Lebel and it was in about 25-26mm calibre, typical for flares. The barrel detaches from the action to load the flare, which is why the chain is there. Quite why the French would choose to convert these rifles rather than make new flare guns I do not know. Regards TonyE Tony i wonder were they making use of the rifle actions from weapons with worn out bores for these conversions.john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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