Fusil Mle 1917 RSC
Manufacture d'Armes de Tulle (MAT) · Rifle · Discontinued · 1917
Also known as: RSC M1917, Fusil Automatique Modèle 1917, Model 1917 RSC, RSC 1917
Overview
The Fusil Mle 1917 RSC is a French gas-operated, semi-automatic service rifle chambered in 8mm Lebel, introduced during the latter part of World War I. Named for its designers Ribeyrolles, Sutter and Chauchat (RSC) at the Manufacture d'Armes de Tulle, it was the first semi-automatic rifle to be fielded in large numbers as standard infantry equipment. The rifle used a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt, feeding from a 5-round internal box magazine loaded by special clips. Though long, heavy and prone to fouling in the mud of the trenches, roughly 86,000 were built, making it a landmark in the development of the self-loading military rifle.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5250 g (185.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1330 mm (52.36") |
| Barrel Length | 800 mm (31.50") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 701 m/s (2300 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3146 J (2320 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 8x50mmR Lebel · primary — also known as 8mm Lebel, Cartouche Mle 1886, Balle D, Balle N, 8x51mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Rotating Bolt, Gas Operated Long Stroke Piston, Clip Fed Internal Magazine, Iron Sights
Variants
- Fusil Automatique Modèle 1918 RSC — Shortened Improved
- Fusil Modèle 1917/35 — Bolt Action Conversion
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1917 · as Fusil Automatique Mle 1917
- Nazi Germany (Volkssturm) · adopted 1940 · as Selbstlade-Gewehr 310(f)
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 86,000 · Production years: 1917-1918
Approximately 85,000-86,000 produced by Manufacture d'Armes de Tulle (MAT) and Saint-Étienne (MAS) between 1917 and November 1918
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Paul Ribeyrolles, Charles Sutter, Louis Chauchat
Discontinued: 1918
Notes
Sensitive to dirt and difficult to maintain in trench conditions; many were withdrawn after the war. From 1935 a large number were converted to manual bolt-action operation as the Mle 1917/35. The shorter, improved Mle 1918 RSC followed in limited numbers.
Background
The RSC takes its name from designers Ribeyrolles, Sutter and Chauchat, the same team behind the much-maligned Chauchat light machine gun. Despite its flaws, the Mle 1917 was the first self-loading rifle issued to infantry on a mass scale, predating the U.S. M1 Garand by two decades.