Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive early French Berthier Mle 1892 Mousqueton chambered for the 8mm Lebel cartridge, manufactured at the government arsenal at Saint-Étienne and dated 1894. Serial number F 93530 remains on the barrel, while the bolt, magazine housing, and stock show different or overstamped numbers, giving clear evidence of the arsenal rebuilding and parts replacement so commonly encountered on French service arms that remained in use for decades. It retains its original three shot en bloc magazine system, large left side saddle ring, short approximately 17" barrel, butt sling swivel, and an excellent bright bore.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Berthier family of rifles and carbines emerged during the early 1890s as France searched for a lighter and more practical repeating arm for cavalry, artillery, and other mounted or specialist troops. Although chambered for the same 8mm Lebel ammunition as the full size Mle 1886 rifle, the Berthier used a distinctly different action and a Mannlicher type three round en bloc clip system.

The first production Berthier cavalry carbine was adopted as the Carabine de Cavalerie Modèle 1890. The design was then adapted into the Mousqueton d'Artillerie Modèle 1892, which incorporated a modified fore end and provision for a bayonet. The compact Mle 1892 subsequently became one of the characteristic French short arms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and remained in service through the First World War.

This example is faintly but legibly marked on the left side of the receiver:

St Étienne

with:

MLE 1892

identifying manufacture at the Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne, commonly abbreviated MAS.

The barrel is dated:

MA S 1894

confirming manufacture at Saint-Étienne in 1894.

The serial number on the barrel is:

F 93530

which is consistent with known Saint-Étienne Mle 1892 production during 1894.

The bolt assembly is separately numbered:

F 96970

while the magazine housing is marked:

G 55657

The left side of the butt stock also carries a serial number, but it has been overstamped several times and can no longer be read confidently. These mismatched and altered numbers are clear evidence that the carbine passed through one or more arsenal rebuilding programs during its service life. French military arms were routinely maintained by replacing worn or damaged components rather than preserving matching serial numbers for collector purposes.

The carbine retains the original three round Berthier en bloc magazine system. A loaded clip was inserted downward into the receiver, with the empty clip eventually dropping through the opening at the bottom of the magazine housing after the cartridges were used.

The rifle is fitted with the characteristic short approximately 17" barrel and a large saddle ring or side sling ring on the left side, appropriate to a compact arm intended for mounted and artillery service. A sling swivel remains mounted beneath the butt stock.

The stock also shows a plugged cleaning rod channel on the left side of the fore end. This is an especially interesting later service modification. Early Mle 1892 carbines were originally equipped with individual cleaning rods, but the French Army later eliminated the rod and filled the channel during modernization programs. The plugged channel therefore provides further evidence that this carbine remained in French inventory long enough to receive later arsenal alterations.

The rear sight remains complete and functional. The ladder operates correctly, although the slider is presently very loose and does not grip the ladder securely.

The exterior metalwork is in very good service used condition. The barrel retains a substantial amount of blue finish, while the receiver shows significantly more wear from handling and repeated cleaning. Because of this difference in finish, the rifle may have been reblued or refinished during one of its arsenal rebuilds, although we cannot determine exactly when that occurred. There is scattered old peppering and light oxidation, but no major heavy rust or deep destructive pitting is visible.

The bolt cycles smoothly during manual inspection and the action gives a crisp dry fire. We have not tested the carbine with cartridges or dummy ammunition and therefore cannot confirm magazine feeding, extraction, or ejection under ammunition.

The bore is in very good condition, retaining a bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is some general wear and evidence of old fouling that has subsequently been cleaned, showing that the carbine saw service but was also maintained.

The stock is in good service used condition and clearly underwent arsenal repair and refurbishment. There is a repaired area at the lower toe of the butt stock, a common damage point on military carbines. The wood immediately behind the receiver and above the stock reinforcement bolt has also been replaced or grafted during an arsenal repair. Additional repaired wood is present near the nose cap on the left side where the original cleaning rod channel was later filled.

These repairs, mismatched serial numbers, and later cleaning rod modification give the carbine a particularly tangible service history and show that it remained useful enough to be repeatedly rebuilt rather than discarded.

With its 1894 Saint-Étienne barrel, early F 93530 serial number, original three shot Berthier magazine system, saddle ring, later plugged cleaning rod channel, extensive arsenal rebuilding, and very good bore, this is a particularly appealing example of the classic French Mle 1892 short rifle. It would be an excellent addition to a collection of French military arms, early smokeless powder rifles, First World War weapons, or the evolution of compact cavalry and artillery carbines at the end of the 19th century.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1894
Maker: Saint-Étienne Arsenal
Model: Mousqueton Mle 1892
Serial No.: F 93530
Caliber: 8×50mmR Lebel
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 17 Inches
Overall Length: 37 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 3-round Mannlicher-style en-bloc clip

The Mannlicher-Berthier rifles and carbines were a family of bolt-action small arms in 8mm Lebel, used in the French Army from the 1890s to the beginning of World War II (1940). The Berthier design began as the "Mousquetons Berthier" - a series of bolt-action cavalry and artillery carbines with distinctly different actions from the Mle 1886/M93 8mm Lebel rifle. For instance, the Berthier carbine's bolt lugs lock vertically into the receiver instead of horizontally as in the Lebel rifle. Berthier carbines were first issued in 1890 and 1892, and had been designed by Emile Berthier, an engineer at the French Algerian Railways, to be used with standard 8mm Lebel ammunition.

The Berthier design was introduced as a replacement for the various aging Mle 1874 Gras single-shot carbines - still standard for French cavalry, artillery, and gendarme forces even after the introduction of the Mle 1886/M93 Lebel. Prior experiments with several carbine versions of the Lebel action proved unacceptably heavy and slow to load while on horseback. While retaining most of the action's strong points, the Berthier carbine improved on the earlier Mle 1886 rifle by using a one-piece stock and a Mannlicher-style, charger-loaded en bloc 3 shot clip. These Berthier carbines were progressively allocated to all cavalry, artillery and gendarmerie troops during the 1890s.

The first Berthier carbine came into production as the "Carabine de Cavalerie Modèle 1890", which was officially adopted for service on March 14, 1890. The main production facilities were the Manufacture d'Armes de St Etienne or MAS and the Manufacture d'Armes de Chatellerault or MAC. The search for a suitable small arm for mounted troops was given greater urgency by the Germans' development of the Karabiner Modell 1888, a carbine variant of the Gewehr 1888. It was issued to essentially all French artillery and cavalry troops. As the high Command appreciated the performance of the Mle 1890 Berthier carbine, a second version was specifically produced for artillery service, the "Mousqueton Mle 1892" which could mount a short blade bayonet and thus had a re-designed forend stock. However it continued to feature the 3-round En-bloc clip of the Model 1890 carbine. During the First World War it became obvious that the 3-round clip was a handicap compared to German short weapons such as the German Kar98AZ which had a 5-round clip.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.