RSC Model 1917 Rifle : French Army

RSC Model 1917 self loading rifle. Tubular receiver with a large right hand cocking lever and knurled end cap. Barrel stamped MA.T 1917. Two piece wooden stock (butt and fore end). Butt stamped Novembre 1917 on a roundel that has MA in the centre. A bayonet lug is fitted near the muzzle and a stacking pin attached to the fore end. It has a fixed pressed metal hinged magazine that is secured by an internal spring.

The RSC Model 1917 self loading rifle was in limited production from 1917 and was the culmination of experimental designs dating from the beginning of the 20th century. Although better designs were available, the rifle was selected for limited production in order not to disrupt ammunition production or complicate supply. The weapon was modified after the end of hostilities to reduce its length and bulk. Some were still in use at the beginning of WWII but had been converted to a straight pull operation by blocking off the gas cylinder. This weapon was donated by the 41st Infantry Battalion and possibly brought back to Australia by the unit at the end of World War One.