1907/15 Berthier

[Four Fingers of Death]

I plonked a deposit on one of these today, good condition overall, bolt and action in grease, original sling and a rough, but shootable barrel. It is a five shot, I'm told it is a 3 shot that has been convereted. I can get brass and dies ok, but getting a 3 shot clip is my next project (five shots clips are in collections, I only know one person who has ever seen one and he has it in his collection.)

Anybody got an excess of three shot clips? lol!

[KCSO]

There is an outfit in the US making clips for the Brethier. I got a 1/2 dozen 5's with my gun. Graf's here sells the brass, but I have also had real good luck using 348 Winchester brass trimmed and sized. MY rifle really likes the Lee 210 gr bullet for the 8mm steyr. I am shooting this over 13 of Red Dot and it will shoot better than I can hold. Swab and lap the barrel and you might be surprised. My biggest problem with the gun is the sights. I am so use to regular sights that i have a very hear time grouping with the gutter snipe sights.

[Four Fingers of Death]

That's great, I'll do a search on the clips. Mick

[Four Fingers of Death]

KSCO, you can't remember the name of that outfit that makes the clips can you, boy I searched till I was blue in the face last night, but didn't do any good. Mick.

[KCSO]

Mick
Send me a PM and I will send you one, you can get tinware can't you?

I will look in my paperwork, I saw them in passing and since I had a batch i just skimmed over it.

[KCSO]

Mick
GPC Item # 259950 and 886230 5 and 3 shot 2 for $3.85 and $6.20 each.

[Buckshot]

..............Mick, lemme know about shipping. You can get several nested into a USPS flat rate overseas envelope for a flat rate of $4.50. Don't know what GPC will want to charge.

............Buckshot

[Four Fingers of Death]

I dunno, I'll have to get them sent it via DHL or something I suppose, our Postal Service (?) have refused to handle any gun parts coming from overseas. They don't mind handling them within australia which is really strange. It doesn't have to make sense (to us), it obviously makes sense to someone. I'll look up GPC and see what the go is. Thanks for your help, Mick

[Four Fingers of Death]

I just ordered 10 of these from GPC, the shipping is $US5 something, plus a $US5 processing fee. Seems reasonable. If I got one of you guys to order it and re send it it would cost more than that, and I'd have to spring $AU6-8 for an international money order. No sense mucking you guys around (unneccessarily :-) ).

They are as rare as rocking horse poop her, so I should be able to recoup a few dollars by selling 4-5. Thanks for your help, Mick.

PS, when they arrive, I'll believe it :-)

[BruceB]

Mick, nice that you found what you need.

WHAT IS IT WITH THE FRENCH?????

They haven't made a decent-looking military longarm since the days of the Charleville musket, which saw a lot of use in our Revolutionary War of a year or two back (like, 225 years ago!)

To pick a few prime examples, the Berthier is not exactly a pleasing lassie to gaze upon, the Chauchats looked like rejects from the tin-can factory, the Lebels were uglier than the proverbial mud fence, the MAS rifles were butt-nasty and weird, and the current FAMAS would look better in the third seat, third row of the orchestra's wind section. GAWD!!!!

Even a No.1 Mk III SMLE looks like Bo Derek beside these Gallic abortions, and I am NO fan of the Mk III's profile (I find a #4's appearance very pleasing, though...go figure).

It's almost as if they TRY to make their military small-arms as un-appealing as possible. Their Chatelleraut LMG musta sneaked through somehow, , 'cuz I've always thought it to be a reasonably decent looking gun (except for the two triggers, of course).

Compare the above rifles etc to a Trapdoor, or a 1903 Springfield, or a Garand, or an M14, or the #4 already mentioned, or a '98 Mauser.....NO comparison. Hundreds of thousands of French soldats served (and vast numbers died) with these weapons in hand, and there's no doubt about the utility of MOST of them, but Jeez...why so awful in appearance??

[NVcurmudgeon]

"....why so awful an appearance?" Elementary, who would want to be caught smuggling a butt-ugly rifle home in his seabag? The French ex GI would die of embarrassment! By making their rifles so unattractive the French government manages to preserve an adequate supply for the next surr, er war.

[9.3X62AL]

Considering the warlike countenance of the people and guns under discussion, it is probably easier to drop one of those French fusils into the mud than it would be to endure the pangs of conscience that would result from the same treatment given to a 1903A3 or Mauser 98. Unthinkable, on so many fronts.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The French seem ti be really good at making their rifles butt ugly, take the new mattel toy gun thay have uglyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Mick.

PS, they are like warts, they grow on you, :-)

[KCSO]

My biggest surprise in life was shooting a Lebel. Yes it is UGLY, so ugly it rubs off, but the darn thing shoots! With decent sights that rifle will hold all its shots under 1 1/2" at 100 yards. With the strange issue sights I can't hit a bull in the butt at 10 paces. If you can't get an order in grom GPC let me know and I can send you some tinware.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I placed the order, but haven't heard anything yet. They indicated that they would send an email to confirm the order. We live in hope. Mick.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Well the clips arrived today, :-) I believe! Thanks for all of your input and offers of assistance. Mick.

[mosin9130]

Please, what is GPC? May you tell me its address?
I have two Berthier, a 3 shot and a 5 shoot, and only two 5-shot clips....

[KCSO]

Gun Parts Inc. 226 Williams Lane West Hurley NY 12491 866-686-7424 (Order Line)

[mosin9130]

Thank you, KCSO.