3022

**CSRG 1918 CHAUCHAT 8 MM LEBEL MACHINE GUN. (C&R)

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 5,000.00 USD
**CSRG 1918 CHAUCHAT 8 MM LEBEL MACHINE GUN. (C&R)
SN 78309. Cal. 8 mm Lebel. 22" bbl with flash hider. Model 1918 and manufactured by CSRG, folding bipod legs are not present. SN's match between upper and lower. Magazine is marked "SA" indicating the magazine was taken into Finnish service. Action operates smoothly when cycled by hand. Magazine fits snugly in mag well. This arm appears fully functional. Significant number of these arms were sent to Finland after WWI. They were considered obsolete and France was happy to pass them on in favor of securing more modern designed machine guns. PROVENANCE: Collection of Carl "Bill" Morrison. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is about 70% with a nice even, brown patina with loss of finish right around the end of flash hider. There is a pencil point sized dimple on right outer edge of flash hider, barely noticeable. There is significant loss of finish to cocking handle and it is slightly flattened on forward side. Cocking handle bar and right side of magazine has lost a significant amount of finish and both surfaces are turning into a brown patina. Wooden buttstock and hand grips rate very good with some gouges and handling marks but are extremely solid and serviceable. Bipod mounting hardware is present, leaving only the legs and retaining screws to make this arm complete. Bore is extremely shiny and bright but rifling is very shallow. Bolt face is very fine, as is the internal of the receiver. This cataloger thinks this gun would function and shoot well. 4-48659 JWK17