French Surplus Arms

[Gil Martin]

French arms have always been a bit of a mystery to me. I have seen them over the years, but except for a Model 1892 carbine were not a big part of my collection. The Model 1892 carbine was sitting on a used gun rack and would probably still be there except the shop owner put a hard sell onto me. I got it for next to nothing. To be fair, the carbine is cute and in excellent condition with a perfect bore.

Today I came across a Model 1907/15 French rifle that is just excellent and I set it back. French military bolt actions, besides lacking manual safeties, lack the feel and looks of '98 Mausers or British Enfields. That should about do it for my French arms collection. Anyone have any thoughts on these guns? All the best...
Gil

[Catfish]

Gil,
I`m not a colector of mil. arms though I do have some mostly for actions to build other rifles from. I have had or still have rifles from the US, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Argintiana, and Japan. I have never had anything French and have never heard any reason to buy any French gun, from what I hear they have nothing to offer me. The French did give us the staute of Liberty, but that is about the only good thing I can think about with them. I guess they make good wine, but I don`t like good wine. Their gun of WWll eira were amount the poorest in the war. I won`t say I`ll never own a Friench made gun, but it I do it will be real cheap.

[Adam Helmer]

Gil,

I have about a dozen French Military Arms; M1873 11mm Gras, 1892 Carbine, M1886 Lebel carbine and rifle, M1907 rifle, 07/15 rifle and a M1916 Carbine. I have NEVER heard a lucid reason WHY French issue rifles and carbines had NO safties! Will someone please tell me why no safety was incorporated in the design of any of the rifles/carbines listed and even the MAS M36 had no safety while ALL the rest of the world incorporated safties in their WWI and WWII issue small arms? If you have a spare 5-round clip or two, I would pay well for same. Also, any French issue 8mm Lebel ammo or an 07/15 bayonet would be appreciated.

One more thing: The separate screw-secured bolt head on French rifles seems to me to be a weak point. Has anyone ever heard of a bolt head screw loosening in combat to the demise of the Poilou?

Adam

[Mr. 16 gauge]

the carbine is cute and in excellent condition with a perfect bore.

I would expect nothing less from a nation such as France.....I have it on good authority that all thier military arms have never been fired and dropped only once.

Will someone please tell me why no safety was incorporated in the design of any of the rifles/carbines listed and even the MAS M36 had no safety while ALL the rest of the world incorporated safties in their WWI and WWII issue small arms?

Probably because other countries actually intended to fire thier weapons at the enemy, while France merely intended to drop them while raising the white flag. Then again, the guns could have gone off while being dropped, but only if a french soldier mistakenly loaded live ammuntion in one......................

[MH357]

French in combat? what a joke!!!

[skeet]

Sounds to me like it should be in the other thread i have seen lately.....Real gun ...or not!! If not for the French Navy at Yorktown Va all those many years ago we probably wouldn't have won the Revolution. But since that time..the French have just been a thorn in the side of the free world... And their arms show the quality of their thinking. No safety...and no innovative ideas. JMHO

[Mickey Rat]

Never fired and only dropped once.

Have you ever see French surplus ammo for sale? I don't think that a safety is needed on an unloaded gun.