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Description: | 1. Ets Continsouza Mle 1907-15
2. C C
3. MPA 1916
4. D28405
5. L in circle
The standard infantry rifle of the French Army in 1914, the Model 1886/93 (see FIR 7986), was at least a generation behind the rifles of the other combatant powers in design terms. The French had been hoping to regain the lead in the field by designing a self-loading rifle. The outbreak of war put a temporary end to these developments.
Aware of the inferiority of their rifle, the French took the pragmatic step of developing a rifle of the Berthier pattern, a type already in service with colonial, cavalry and artillery units (see FIR 7472). The resulting rifle was the Model 1907/15, which entered service in 1916. The 1907/15 replaced the slow-loading tubular magazine of the 1886/93 with a three round clip, but proved to be less robust in combat conditions than the older rifle.
This particular rifle was supplied to Romania during the First World War and later presented by the Romanian Government to the Imperial War Museum.
Bolt obviously replaced but, interestingly, comes from the same serial number batch - possibly indication number range supplied to Romania.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Établissements Continsouza, Tulle | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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