Berthier Mle 1916
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1916
Also known as: Fusil Mle 1916, Berthier Model 1916, Fusil Berthier
Overview
The Berthier Mle 1916 is a French bolt-action service rifle designed by Émile Berthier and adopted in 1916 to address the limited 3-round magazine capacity of the earlier Mle 1907/15. Chambered in 8x50mmR Lebel and fed by a 5-round en-bloc clip through a spring-loaded trapdoor magazine, it remained in widespread French service through WWI and into the early years of WWII. The Berthier system was simpler and faster to manufacture than the tube-magazine Lebel rifle and saw production at French state arsenals as well as Remington Arms in the United States.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3800 g (134.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1306 mm (51.42") |
| Barrel Length | 797 mm (31.38") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | En Bloc Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 716 m/s (2349 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3280 J (2419 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 15 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 8x50mmR Lebel · primary — also known as 8mm Lebel, Cartouche Mle 1886, 8x50R
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip, Internal Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Spring Loaded Trapdoor Magazine, Iron Sights, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- Berthier Mle 1907/15 — Earlier 3 Round Variant
- Mousqueton Berthier Mle 1892 M16 — Carbine
- Fusil Mle 1916 M34 — Post War Modernization
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1916 · as Fusil Mle 1916
- United States Army · adopted 1917 · as American Expeditionary Forces issue
- Polish Armed Forces · adopted 1919
Conflicts
- World War I (1916-1918)
- Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921)
- Rif War (1920-1927)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
Production
Estimated total produced: 800,000 · Production years: 1917-1934
Mass production began May 1917 at Manufacture d'Armes de Chatellerault and continued postwar; total Berthier system production across all variants exceeded 2 million.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Émile Berthier
Discontinued: 1940
Notes
The Mle 1916 was a direct response to the manifest inadequacy of the 3-round Mle 1907/15 against German rifles with 5-round capacity. Many were later modernized to the M34 standard in 7.5x54mm French.
Background
The Berthier 1916's clip-loaded 5-round magazine was a direct response to French troops' bitter complaints from the trenches: their 3-round Berthiers were being out-shot by German Mausers, and soldiers begged for any rifle that didn't need to be reloaded so often.