Third Party Press

HZa Berthier Mle1890/16

RyanE

Baby Face
Staff member
This Berthier started out as a rare Mle1890 cavalry carbine manufactured at Châtellerault in April 1891. It was last officially reworked in February 1919, when it was probably upgraded to the Mle1916 specification which added the handguard and five round magazine. There were a few other mods after that. The rear sight was updated with a square notch after 1920, the cleaning rod channel was filled in and a stacking rod added sometime after 1927, and finally the chamber neck was reamed out for the new Balle N cartridge sometime after 1932. Amazingly, it retained its original barrel through all of this (and two world wars) with a bore that is still almost like new.

I have seen at least a half-dozen LK5 marked Berthier carbines but never one marked by a depot. The depot blued the bolt, and maybe numbered the rear sight, but everyhing else appears to be French. Gun was probably reblued also. Depot acceptance stamp is the same commonly seen on Carcanos, but I still can't make out the city's letters on the stamp. All I can make out for certain is 'H.Za ??? 3". Frustrating!

Now to find a breadbag strap to use for a sling...:thumbsup:
 

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Argggh....that's my best Pirate impression. Nice gun!!!! :thumbsup:

I think that turkey eagle is Magdeburg, I've got images of a good one somewhere on a K98k wrist.
 
I'm fairly certain this turkey eagle was a late used type. Let me find that photo, it's on one of Bruce's rifles.
 
that is a really cool piece. interesting that the germans didnt really do any extra numbering on this?
 
Here is a similar one of "Grey Blankets" auctions. Like it (except for maybe the bolt number), but got too high for me to bid.

David

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=368393643

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