Honey hole coughs up yet another gem

[mawkie]

Honey hole coughs up yet another gem - now w. new photos

A couple yrs ago I got two fantastic M91 Mosins via absentee bid at auction for stupid cheap prices. I realized that the locals weren't into milsurps and always kept an eye on that establishment for future firearm auctions. Today I snagged a rare Berthier 1907/15 M34 rifle from them. These are like Finn m28/30 for me, I grab 'em whenever I can. In this case I got it cheap. The last one I saw for sale netted $850 for the seller. Got this one for just above half that price. It's missing the stacking rod but I have reproduction rods that I had made in my company's machine shop before they closed for good. Otherwise it looks to be in good nick, even appears to have a correct period black sling. Just hope that everything's OK when it arrives as I don't need any ugly surprises, have had enough of those lately!
Auction photos for now. Better ones to come when the rifle arrives.

 

[Machodoc]

Do most of the buyers at that particular honey hole wear broad-rimmed straw hats?

 

[mawkie]

No! This one I'm not coughing up, even if tortured! Though that was an excellent guess.
Would probably gotten if for much less but another internet bidder drove the price up a couple of days ago. The auctioneer started where the internet bidding left off and nobody in that room wanted it at that price. I'm still jazzed about getting it for this price. Takes the sting off of that jacked up M27 acquisition.
Over on GB the French forum started a listing of known M34s and their features with a total of just 38 listed. While not as rare as the M27 they're still not something you run across more than maybe once a year. Very uncommon.

 

[dancnr]

Congratulations, the best way to get over a sour C&R buy is to score a deal on another one. I am kicking myself somewhat, because I saw one of the Turkish issued Berthiers in a shop and I waited on it and now its gone.

 

[falconguy]

No! This one I'm not coughing up, even if tortured! Though that was an excellent guess.
Would probably gotten if for much less but another internet bidder drove the price up a couple of days ago. The auctioneer started where the internet bidding left off and nobody in that room wanted it at that price. I'm still jazzed about getting it for this price. Takes the sting off of that jacked up M27 acquisition.
Over on GB the French forum started a listing of known M34s and their features with a total of just 38 listed. While not as rare as the M27 they're still not something you run across more than maybe once a year. Very uncommon.

I HATE YOU! Nice rifle though.

 

[MilsurpDan]

Nice find! You seem to be really racking up on the French stuff! Can't wait to see more pictures

 

[mawkie]

It must have hurt to let that M34 go. They're a must have piece for French collectors and a difficult item to obtain. I've been actively collecting French long arms for about 25 yrs and this one is the 3rd that I've been able to find. That's one every 8 yrs on avg. Only the M27 and the RSC 1917/1918 are hard to find and more desirable. RSCs have gotten stupid expensive in the last 5 yrs. You'd have to open your wallet to the tune of $3k or more to get one.

 

[BradMacc82]

If it turns out to be another stinker...


But that's definitely a nice little score there. Every time you find something new, I have to go read up on just what it is.

Still such a n00b when it comes to this stuff.

 

[h2u]

Nice Frenchy, mawkie
I hereby bequeath my lifetime allowance of finding French rifles to you-except, of course, for the French contract Mosins

 

[MilsurpDan]

^^^ Don't feel too bad about giving it up, it went to a very good home, its sitting here right between the M1892 Berthier and the K98a

 

[mawkie]

Nice Frenchy, mawkie
I hereby bequeath my lifetime allowance of finding French rifles to you-except, of course, for the French contract Mosins

I know you would never need my assistance for French built Mosins! In fact, the opposite would be true as I still don't have one in my collection.

 

[Machodoc]

I will not let Mawkie get me started looking at French rifles ... I will not let Mawkie get me started looking at French rifles ... I will not let Mawkie get me started looking at French rifles ... I will not let Mawkie get me started looking at French rifles ... I will not let Mawkie get me started looking at French rifles ... I will not let Mawkie get me started looking at French rifles ... (Beautiful find, though, Mawkie! What does your dad think of it?)

 

[mawkie]

She arrived today w the bolt sticking out of the box. That made my heart stop briefly. Luckily no damage. I knew that the stacking rod was missing and have one of my repops available to install so no worries there. The big ouch was the duffle bag cut. Luckily it was done under the band and wasn't a butcher job. It really needs to be reworked for a more permanent attachment but I'm not too upset. All of the M34s stateside are GI bring backs.
The odd thing is that it's sporting two different SNs. The receiver and stock have one number and the bolt and TG have another. Very unusual. Sling is original to the gun and starting to get a bit wonky as the leather is very old. But it is the proper black color of most pre-war Berthiers and MAS 36s. A keeper.
All in all still a nice example of a very difficult to find French pre-war small arm.
BTW, those in France are not allowed to keep a MAS 34 unless it's been rechambered for a non-military round. Or demilitarized, which is whats on the last photo. An interesting but sad document.

 

[BradMacc82]

OK, n00b question.

What's the duffle bag cut?

I take it the G.I.'s would cut something down so it'd fit into a standard duffle bag as a bring-back?

 

[mawkie]

OK, n00b question.

What's the duffle bag cut?

I take it the G.I.'s would cut something down so it'd fit into a standard duffle bag as a bring-back?

Yup, that's exactly what they did. Remove the barrelled action from the stock and then cut the stock (hopefully under the band) so that everything would fit into a GI duffle bag.
The dumbest thing I've seen was a Austrian M95 carbine (one of the shortest stocks you'll ever see) duffle bag cut. That one had me scratching my head as it would easily fit into a duffle bag uncut.