French Mousqueton
French Mle M16 Berthier Carbine
Serial No 70665 & 76758
Calibre 8mm Lebel
£475ea

French Mle M16 Berthier carbine. The receiver was made by Ets Continsouza, a private company suppling parts for French war effort .

The initials MAC are those of Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Chtellerault who completed the final. The Mle was issued and used in the Great War, being used by frontline troops, it was ideally suited for trench warfare.

1916 saw the magazine capacity upgraded to five-round charger-loading from three after concerns were raised by troops during trench raiding parties.

The three shot capacity put French soldiers at disadvantage when fighting against Germans armed with 5-shot Mauser Gew98 & KAR98s.

Serial No 70665 Barrel Marked: MAC 1933 - SOLD
Serial No 76758: Barrel Marked: MAC 1916

These were still used in the 1970s by the French Police & other Goverment Agencies

Both Have Good Bores

Serial No 70665 Top - SOLD

Serial No 76758 Bottom