mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-Bored out of my skull, laid off and sitting around the house waiting for this mess to hopefully stabilize as soon as possible. So no acquisitions for now, what can I do for fun? So I pulled out two French long arms that I've never shared on MDS.
-This first item is something I got off of GB back in 2011 and the controversy over it started a very vibrant and interesting thread in the Gun Boards French Forum where all the astute French experts hang out.
-This odd duck of a Lebel was offered up by a very reputable dealer at the time and he was making no outlandish claims. I was actively bidding along with two French collecting buddies who's depth of knowledge dwarfs mine. So I was comfortable getting aggressive in bidding. Luckily for me bidding ended in the shadow of Christmas and my competitors both dropped out before the bids got crazy. Seem to remember a number of $550 which in 2011 wasn't chicken feed but not stupid expensive either.
-What made this Lebel the object of our desires? It was assumed by all of us to be a prototype for a shorter, handier version. The barrel and magazine tube were cut down to approx. 25" and from 8 to 6 rounds. The barrel is dated 1914 and there's a "M14" stamping on the receiver. Near where you'd find the same mark on a Gras M14 (see 4th photo).
-But upon receipt and some digging and much discussion we all came to the conclusion that Bubba did this, not a French arsenal. Mind you it's an excellent bit of work and I love the balance of the shorter rifle. A standard Lebel is very muzzle heavy, esp. with a full tube of ammo. The easiest tell is that the modified part of the forestock under the upper band has fresh walnut, no oxidation from 100 yrs ago. There are other little things too like no dished wood under the band spring to make it easier to depress when removing the band.
-For some strange reason this unusual bit of fantasy didn't bother me that much and I still enjoy it to this day.
-This first item is something I got off of GB back in 2011 and the controversy over it started a very vibrant and interesting thread in the Gun Boards French Forum where all the astute French experts hang out.
-This odd duck of a Lebel was offered up by a very reputable dealer at the time and he was making no outlandish claims. I was actively bidding along with two French collecting buddies who's depth of knowledge dwarfs mine. So I was comfortable getting aggressive in bidding. Luckily for me bidding ended in the shadow of Christmas and my competitors both dropped out before the bids got crazy. Seem to remember a number of $550 which in 2011 wasn't chicken feed but not stupid expensive either.
-What made this Lebel the object of our desires? It was assumed by all of us to be a prototype for a shorter, handier version. The barrel and magazine tube were cut down to approx. 25" and from 8 to 6 rounds. The barrel is dated 1914 and there's a "M14" stamping on the receiver. Near where you'd find the same mark on a Gras M14 (see 4th photo).
-But upon receipt and some digging and much discussion we all came to the conclusion that Bubba did this, not a French arsenal. Mind you it's an excellent bit of work and I love the balance of the shorter rifle. A standard Lebel is very muzzle heavy, esp. with a full tube of ammo. The easiest tell is that the modified part of the forestock under the upper band has fresh walnut, no oxidation from 100 yrs ago. There are other little things too like no dished wood under the band spring to make it easier to depress when removing the band.
-For some strange reason this unusual bit of fantasy didn't bother me that much and I still enjoy it to this day.
