Very nice video my friend.. As a Greek guy myself, i found it very interesting.. I would really love to have one since the ones i saw were in the greek war museum in Athens. Id love to decorate my wall with one.
nice finding bil! nice example of a greek conversion. in 1936 all the old rifles and carbines were declared as obsolete and wanted to sell them as surplus but soon realised that the war in europe was imminent and most countries were arming them self new orders from the manufacturers could not be materialised, they repair and renovated them and many converted in carbines so to be used by rear echelon troops that they not engaged in battle like mule and truck drivers cooks etc and the national guard, so they free more new rifles for the first line infantry units
So sad that in Greece practically all remaining ones in the collector market are cut down and sporterised, often in a poor fashion with the stocks being cut too short. I have even seen the "holy grail" of Greek collecting, the Mylonas rifle, in a sporterised format
They must have made at least 11000 of them as mine is serial numbered 11014. The stock is from another in the 9000 range. Sadly, it's very well worn except for the barrel which is bright and shiny. Carried a lot, but not shot much. I imagine these were just support troop weapons.
in 1939 the greek arsenal having 43.000 rifles and 16.000 french carbines available leftovers from WWI and the greco-turkish war. Berthier 1907/15 rifles, berthier 1892 carbines and lebel 1886/93 rifles. the Lebel were used as grenade launchers with troblon and VB grenades. the french carbines were used from rear echelon troops like mule riders and truck drivers in order to save newr type of rifles for the first line infantry troops.
billaire1 Any idea on which company or state arsenal in Greece did the conversion work and when these were surplused ? I am having difficulty in finding any info online.
I think the rear sight is modified for the carbine. It is more rounded than the rifles. If you look at "forgotten weapons" on youtube he has a lot of videos on berthiers. He has one in particular... called berthier apocrypha where he briefly identifies the greek one in his collection. ua-cam.com/video/_T2wIPzJVcs/v-deo.html He is also making an awesome french rifle book called "chassepot to famas" that is printing in about a month.
Hey again. I had deleted my comment because I learned a little more info leading me to believe it is not Greek. But I’m still not 100% sure because I can’t narrow down who else would have cut it down. The Berthier I am looking at is similar to yours in that it has a Long rear sight and a straight bolt, and it has a short barrel however it has a top hand guard and no markings on the stock like yours. It has a polish acceptance mark on the buttplate however, so I believe it was a rifle given to Poland post-WWI, but it’s receiver has been scrubbed. I’ve read it’s possibly one that Poland then sent to Spain but I have no way to know for sure.
Very nice video my friend.. As a Greek guy myself, i found it very interesting.. I would really love to have one since the ones i saw were in the greek war museum in Athens. Id love to decorate my wall with one.
That rifle is so beautiful like the mannlicher m1903/14
nice finding bil! nice example of a greek conversion. in 1936 all the old rifles and carbines were declared as obsolete and wanted to sell them as surplus but soon realised that the war in europe was imminent and most countries were arming them self new orders from the manufacturers could not be materialised, they repair and renovated them and many converted in carbines so to be used by rear echelon troops that they not engaged in battle like mule and truck drivers cooks etc and the national guard, so they free more new rifles for the first line infantry units
So sad that in Greece practically all remaining ones in the collector market are cut down and sporterised, often in a poor fashion with the stocks being cut too short. I have even seen the "holy grail" of Greek collecting, the Mylonas rifle, in a sporterised format
Μπραβο φιλε μου, πολυ ωραιο
Why didn't any replace the magazine system to that of a Mauser double stack system.
Fortunate enough to have a very good example of one of these rare pieces of history. Anyone know where to find the modified Lebel bayonet for it?
Those are as rare as hens teeth
Where are you from? And how did you get all this collection with Greek historical weapons and uniforms?
nickt74 I’m a Greek Canadian and I found these rifles in the United States and Canada
billaire1 τις στολές που τις βρήκες;
nickt74 Είναι το Khaki Depot
They must have made at least 11000 of them as mine is serial numbered 11014. The stock is from another in the 9000 range. Sadly, it's very well worn except for the barrel which is bright and shiny. Carried a lot, but not shot much. I imagine these were just support troop weapons.
Had no idea this rifle even existed!
I read somewhere that around 30,000 French rifles were given to the Greek army in 1917. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Abe Could be but I would verify that with the book from Sazanidis
in 1939 the greek arsenal having 43.000 rifles and 16.000 french carbines available leftovers from WWI and the greco-turkish war. Berthier 1907/15 rifles, berthier 1892 carbines and lebel 1886/93 rifles. the Lebel were used as grenade launchers with troblon and VB grenades. the french carbines were used from rear echelon troops like mule riders and truck drivers in order to save newr type of rifles for the first line infantry troops.
petros311 Exactly!
I have one as well, serial # 5513. Has a bent carbine bolt. Shoots extremely well with PPU ammo.
Nick Schmitz yup amazing! It’s a rare rifle around only 7000 converted.
billaire1 Any idea on which company or state arsenal in Greece did the conversion work and when these were surplused ? I am having difficulty in finding any info online.
Nick Schmitz they were done by the Greek war ministry , it’s hard to find being that it’s all in Greek
Nick Schmitz does yours have a
ΥΠ 1932 in the but stock
billaire1 Yes it does. It also has the Greek cartouche on the left butt stock though not as clear as yours.
I think the rear sight is modified for the carbine. It is more rounded than the rifles.
If you look at "forgotten weapons" on youtube he has a lot of videos on berthiers. He has one in particular... called berthier apocrypha where he briefly identifies the greek one in his collection.
ua-cam.com/video/_T2wIPzJVcs/v-deo.html
He is also making an awesome french rifle book called "chassepot to famas" that is printing in about a month.
Hey again. I had deleted my comment because I learned a little more info leading me to believe it is not Greek. But I’m still not 100% sure because I can’t narrow down who else would have cut it down. The Berthier I am looking at is similar to yours in that it has a Long rear sight and a straight bolt, and it has a short barrel however it has a top hand guard and no markings on the stock like yours. It has a polish acceptance mark on the buttplate however, so I believe it was a rifle given to Poland post-WWI, but it’s receiver has been scrubbed. I’ve read it’s possibly one that Poland then sent to Spain but I have no way to know for sure.
Oh if it has a Polish stamps and it’s definitely Polish
What caliber?
David Wagner 8x50 I believe
Should be 8mm Lebel ball D... not Ball N... so no shooting old military surplus... but now available reloaded by PPU :)
Nice stock
druisteen thank you