doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Help Identifying this gun

Curious what this is. It looks like a knock off of a military carbine. Labeled
Et(ts) Continsowza {In cursive} M(LE)-M-16 {In Print} the () indicates Superscript. On the top of the barrel is MA C 1918
The gun is in nice condition and looks better than a military rifle. It is a carbine 17" barrel and does not appear to be cut. Note the checked metal thumb rest, it seems like it is a safety, but I can figure out how to make it work.
The spelling is my best guess, could be off, but close.








This is a gun we are silent auctioning as a wall hanger for our California Waterfowl dinner in Fresno. Just curious what it is. Is it more than a wall hanger.

Thanks in advance� I know this is not exactly a custom rifle, but I figured somebody here could help.
Jerry

In California that's probably an assault rifle.

It's a French Model 1916 carbine, sometimes called a Lebel, probably more correctly called a Berthier. Caliber is 8x50R Lebel. Magazine is a Mannlicher type. It takes a special clip to function as a repeater. Either the 3-shot or the 5-shot clips will work.

Most French rifles of that vintage are pretty beat up. That one must have escaped most of the abuse.

So ugly it's almost cute. Those buggers had a reputation among old time cast bullet shooters as being very accurate with properly fitted lead bullets. If I were at your dinner I would throw a bid at it.

The "checkered thumb rest" is simply a means of gaining purchase on the cocking knob for manually cocking the mechanism. Note too the absence of a safety. Don't want to have to fumble with such a superfluity with a squad of Huns bearing down on you!

> Most French rifles of that vintage are pretty beat up. That one must have escaped most of the abuse.

"Never been fired. Only dropped once."

Saw a few a these among captured weapons when I was in Vietnam. A friend has one made by Remington. Most, if not all, Remingtons never saw service, as the contract was never completed/fulfilled. A friend has one, fun to shoot with cast bullets.

Thanks, I may try to give it a permanet home in my collection. I would love to shoot it especially to prevent it from being a wall hanger.

It really is a nocely finished gun for a military. The sights are well built too campared to some other military guns.

And Steve, Give us guys in CA a break� just becuase we live here doesn't mean we agree with what is going on.

Jerry

NRA Endowment Member
SCI Member
California Waterfowl Member (former Director)

I believe it's the 1916 (5-shot magazine) modification of the M1892 Mannlicher-Berthier and made under contract by Establisments Continsvza.

I believe cases(8x50R Lebel)are avaliable from Graf, regular .323"bullets are correct.
Mike

Don't take it personal Jerry,
but do check the magazine capacity.