This French Berthier M 1907/15 is in good condition. The rifle is chambered in 8mm Lebel ( 8×50mmR Lebel) and was manufactured by Manufacture d’armes de Saint-Étienne. The barrel is dated 1916 but serial number on barrel does not correspond to other parts. The barrel is 30 3/8 inches and overall length is 51 inches.
The stock is good with no splits or cracks. The wood finish is very nice showing minor wear and there are a few small dings and gouges.
The overall finish on the metal is good at about 80% with most wear seen at magazine and trigger guard. There is very minor rust seen at release in front of trigger. The butt plate does show pitting.
The receiver is good with moderate finish loss and the action functions very well for a rifle of this vintage. The bolt is good with a fairly clean bolt face however the charging handle does show minor pitting. All mechanical parts function as they should but this rifle has NOT been test fired by us.
The barrel shows finish loss and scratching. The bore is fair, 2.5/5, showing wear and substantial fouling. The rifling is surprisingly crisp given the fouling build up.
This rifle is MISSING the Stacking Rod but all other hardware (screws, sling mounts, etc) appear present. Based on the markings of the rifle it is very possible parts have been changed out over the years and aren’t original to its 1916 date.
DISCLAIMER ON SHOOTING
This rifle is chambered in 8mm Lebel ( 8×50mmR Lebel) but may NOT be safe to fire with modern 8mm Lebel. We identified what appears to be an “N” on the receiver (mark is worn) and an “N” on the barrel (at the front sight) which would be an indication that this was updated “Balle N” and thus safe to fire with modern ammunition. HOWEVER, the marks “N” are not where they would normally be; at the front of receiver and rear of barrel.
Given this conflict of evidence in markings and the age of this rifle no attempt should be made to shoot until it is inspected by a competent gunsmith who can confirm head space and its capability to handle the pressure of modern 8mm Lebel.
