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Remembered Today:

07-15 Berthier - finally!


4thGordons

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Another one followed me home! After several years of looking I have now found 2 in as many months...bit of a luxury item but it rounds out a set or two (and it was a bargain)

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Missing the foresight block but with very nice wood (just one big ding and a few minor scuffs, strong blue but a bit of rust on the buttplate) Probably not quite as nice as the previous one... But this.....

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...makes it a bit more interesting. This example is somewhat atypical as Remington 07-15s tend to be either absolutely mint (and priced accordingly out of my range) or horribly chopped about (aka "sporterized"), missing major components and in very rough shape. This one has obviously seen some use and could use a good clean but the bore is very good and the rifle itself is complete so I am happy with it. The rifle is unserialled and carries no French markings (the markings shown are the only ones on the rifle) so it probably never left the US (this was the case for most of the contract) but its addition does mean I now have quite a nice selection of US built "Allied Contract" rifles.

Now I suppose I need to look for a bayonet for it! Apparently the Remington produced bayonets are identifiable by being totally unmarked and having a slightly different handle profile.

Chris

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Nice find! But from what little I know, I am willing to bet a kurush or two that the appropriate bayonet will be a difficult one to get... Good luck o that!

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Now I suppose I need to look for a bayonet for it! Apparently the Remington produced bayonets are identifiable by being totally unmarked and having a slightly different handle profile.

Here is one for you Chris.! I picked this example up just recently amongst a 'job lot' of assorted bayonets at a dispersal. It is the one shown at the top 'sans quillon'.

Yes they do have a slightly different profile but it is quite easy to detect the difference when examined closely. Here is a LINK which may help with the identification.

This links to another forum, so hopefully it will open correctly - not sure if you need to be a member. If you go to page 3 of the thread you will see comparison photos.

They're usually found completely devoid of markings, but mine has a letter S stamped on the guard. They are considered more scarce but should be found in the US.

Cheers, S>S

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Thanks.

I actually thought I had one in amongst mine but it appears not. Oh well. I have seen them with some frequency over the past few years so I suppose I will not see one again.

To answer something mentioned in the thread you linked to - they were definitely sold off on the civilian market in the US along with the rifles - as I have seen period ads for them (billed as a souvenir of the Great War)

Chris

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Yes I know the feeling about never finding something when you're looking for it.! I guess it's just another of those collector's dilemnas ... oh well, keeps us busy looking anyway. :thumbsup:

And speaking of those "Allied Contract" rifles, I picked up another Winchester P1913 bayonet the other weekend at our equivalent of the "annual car boot sale" (but maybe bigger)

You just don't see these around very often, so I pounced on it straight off the dealers table. In good condition it was dated Jan.1917 and still with its '17 marked Remington scabbard.

And to top it off the scabbard was also stamped with the Australian service D^. (Try and do the Math on the chances of that happening.!) No doubt I'll never see another quite like it. :w00t:

Cheers, S>S

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Here is one for you Chris.! I picked this example up just recently amongst a 'job lot' of assorted bayonets at a dispersal. It is the one shown at the top 'sans quillon'.

Yes they do have a slightly different profile but it is quite easy to detect the difference when examined closely. Here is a LINK which may help with the identification.

Well, SS, it would have helped if you had shown it in more detail along with the defining feature! Otherwise it looks simply to be a fairly bog-standard late Lebel!!! :thumbsup:

Now, that "slightly different profile" is actually quite a distinctive feature - if you know what to look for... The grip meets the crossguard at a right angle, isntead of with a slight curve, as is shown here, in a plate reproduced from Adam. et.al.

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Oh, and Chris - they are around: IIRC, one I came across (when looking for German unit-markings!) sold on your side of the water on e-bay for USD 160 or so quite recently

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  • 3 months later...

Another one followed me home... bit of a mish-mash numbers-wise, but interesting as the receiver is marked as the Mle 1890. It was manufactured by St Etienne and was updated to the Balle N round post -war, but remains in 3rnd format.

May be of interest to TT.

The nosecap/ bayonet mount appears to be from a rifle (there is no mount for the 1892 bayonet) and is missing its stacking bar, still it is another variant to go alongside those pictured above.

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Chris

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Nice and yes of interest. I think most 1890 models have lost there original stacking rod and bayonet fixing in favour of the rifle type. Interesting mix on your new guy! Thanks for posting and thinking of me.

Regards

TT

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  • 3 weeks later...

There has been a dearth of Enfields hereabouts recently but...can't keep from finding Berthiers it seems

Probably about as close to an original format Mle1892 as I am likely to find I think TT.

Matching numbers, cleaning rod, early "bent" stacking rod, not "Balle N" marked and with a 1913 dated barrel. Bore is surprisingly good too.

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Chris

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Very nice. Way it's going here even a deactivated example will be banned.

TT

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  • 6 years later...
On 03/07/2015 at 20:52, 4thGordons said:

I have been looking for a decent 07-15 Berthier rifle that I could afford for ages, it was the most obvious gap in my WWI rifle line-up. There seem to be virtually unissued, very expensive ones (inc. Remington made) and a reasonable number of really ratty ones, lots more Mle '16 and Mle '16 conversions of 07-15s (and lots of 1892 and 1916 carbines) but for some reason I have had a hard time with a standard 07-15. I am happy to say I finally found one. It is not a perfect example but it has some interesting points. I don't know a huge amount about Berthiers and there appears to be some conflicting information on some elements so I am working through the literature.

This one has been converted for for the Balle N (1930s) cartridge but it remains in the 3 rnd format. All the numbers I can find (action/barrel/bolt/furniture, floorplate) match and there are a couple of cartouches on the butt. The furniture and metalwork are in very nice condition and the bore is super.

The rifle is also fitted with a "night" / "low light" sight. As I understand it versions of these were fitted during the war and several sources speak of 1916 MAC rifles like this being the type fitted but I think there was also a post-war version and this may well be that (the rear sight in particular looks more like that). These Berthiers are interesting as they have a large block front sight with a centering notch in it as opposed to the more normal blade.

Anyway - here it is.

Chris

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Its in lovely condition Chris

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