May 8-10, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/8/2024
If you need, or someday hope, to reactivate a deactivated Chauchat machine gun you will not want to miss this part lot. It has parts in it which are absolutely crucial for the task. Many Chauchat machine guns were sold to Finland when the French updated their machine gun models in the 1930s. About 3100 of these guns in Finland were imported into the United States between 1959 – 1962, and sold on the American collectors market as registered deactivated guns. The deactivation carried out on these guns prior to their sale was grievous, often with the bolt faces severely ground and/or torch welded, and the chambers of the barrels plugged and also severely welded in such a way that salvaging them incidental to reactivation was essentially a daunting/impossible task. Although this mattered little decades ago, the rise in interest in these historic WWI guns combined with the availability of good modern boxer primed ammunition has caused the prices these guns to command as viable operational machine gun to rise to levels that would have astounded our ancestors. This parts offering includes the two key parts that one needs to reactivate one of these old 1960s registered deactivated guns. The bolt and firing pin, and a barrel that never had the chamber welded. Other sought-after parts included here are a set of front and rear anti-aircraft sights, saw cut upper receiver pieces should one wish to build up a display gun, as well as pistol grip assembly, buttstock, charging handle, vertical fore-end assembly, bipod legs and attachment hardware, and small screws and pins. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is generally very good to fine original blue finish thinning to a gray and brown patina. Wood butstock has a large chip out of the right side but this piece is present with remnants of glue where someone attempted to repair it in the past. Bore of barrel is very good with strong rifling, albeit with some pitting. The bolt face in this lot has only a very small part of the lower edge broken away, and the firing pin tip is intact. If you have ever had or contemplated reactivation of one of these guns, you know how difficult it is to obtain these parts in this condition. JWK 2024-05-049.
CORRECTION: Photo updated