www.MG42.us

C&R Transferable French 1915 Chauchat in original 8x50R in VG original-finish cond. that comes with many magazines, parts, accessories as the below photos show**.
Gun was a DEWAT at one time (plugged-chamber REWATed) original-barrel has plug removed and is repairable for use making the Chauchat "matching-numbered".
This gun is not "SA" Finish marked.

Two complete barrel-assms with matching numbered bolt-assms, spare extractor w/spring/pin, 18 magazines hand-picked by me. I took several photos but unsure what will fit below my ad **.

A C&R Transferable French Chauchat that fires reliably, with ammo, brass, reloading-dies, Gunner's Tool Kit and AA-Sight-Set. With magazines selling for $150+ on GunBroker and $200+ on E-Bay............and good usable barrel-assemblies w/complete Bolt-Assemblies selling for upwards of $1500......the Parts/Magazines/Ammo with this Chauchat sure bring the cost of the gun down fast !**

Contact me at my e-mail address if interested or have other questions**:
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net
Price: $7,900....with me paying the shipping/insurance (lower-48 only) and buyers paying the BATF Transfer-Tax.
Payment means accepted would be either Money-Orders or Check...........parts/magazines/accessories would ship after payment clears our Bank........gun would ship after BATF Transfer is approved and returned to me.
**NOTE: ** = a reminder that I am not "parting-out" the magazines, parts, accessories, etc. from the Chauchat. I'm not keeping any "lists" of who is interested in what...please don't ask. If for soime reason the buyer only wants the gun, please keep looking at our Boards for a new ad where I will list parts/magazines/accessories for sale........or the buyer can sell what he/she doesn't want after "cherry-picking" the items that come with the gun.

Regards, RichardS in Bay City, MI.
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

Price was lowered twice.....once about 3-weeks ago.....and then about 10-days ago (forgot to change this ad)......and currect price is $6,500....with me still paying the shipping/insurance after BATF approved transfer......and buyer paying the Transfer-Tax.

NOTE: The second barrel-assembly and Bolt-assembly are no longer included in the sale.

Regards, RichardS in MI.
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

Blanksguy wrote:Price was lowered twice.....once about 3-weeks ago.....and then about 10-days ago (forgot to change this ad)......and currect price is $6,500....with me still paying the shipping/insurance after BATF approved transfer......and buyer paying the Transfer-Tax.

NOTE: The second barrel-assembly and Bolt-assembly are no longer included in the sale.

Regards, RichardS in MI.
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

If I didn't have to buy a house we'd be talking......... some people don't think much of this gun because they don't understand it..... they can be got to run reliably...

If I only had the money, Richard...

I've had a sick fascination with learning why the ChauChat has the reputation it has to the point of considering buying one for years. I understand that it was built to the old black powder French Lebel round, and could be made to operate reliably with that round, but not with the more powerful 8mm Mauser or 30.06.

It's sad to see great deals like this come along while I'm struggling out of a debt hole.

Not to make the "ad" longer......but the "reputation" that the Chauchat received was from the 30/06 version.
The French that had built the 30/06 version did not fully machine the chambers on the 30/06 version......during the writing of the book "Honor-Bound"....they took an unmodified 30/06 Chauchat owned by Rick Keller of GWM and hit the chamber with a standard 30/06 US reamer which removed a very slight bit of material at the end of the chamber and "throat".......then proceeded to fire the gun without problems.

If you really look at the current price in my ad....at $6,500.........then sell off several magazines (which are selling at $150 and up currently),......then sell off the spare-parts (which we al know the expence of 95-year old parts that are in VG condition........you end up with a Chauchat that operate reliably, with several magazines left along with some spare-parts for your use.....the ammo, brass, reloading-dies, etc. ...........and well under the value of the Chauchat alone with one magazine.

Give it some thought.....and maybe you might have a MG42 German Lafette with optics and carry-can/accessories that you might have as "trading-material".......(?).

Regards, RichardS in MI.
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net

The lafette, dummy MG-42, and all my accessories and spare parts would not get to $6500, and I don't have the cash to make up the difference, but thanks for the thought, Richard! I think this would be a fine deal for someone ready to buy.

Not sure if it is worth responding here to the questions of the function of the Chau Chau, but having reactivated about twenty- five of these guns I understand them. The single critical issue that is NEVER addressed, much less understood,is that extraction of the fired case is accomplished by spring pressure, a single coil spring that has also to use up energy returning the barrel and inner receiver back into battery. While the bolt is held back by the sear, the barrel assembly is pushed forward by the outer recoil spring thereby extracting the fired case from the chamber. If the spring is compromised or the case is a bit sticky from any of a number of causes, extraction is delayed or does not happen.This design contributed greatly to the problems with the MG and the 8 Lebel round. Barrel metallurgy and the odd characteristics of the 8 Lebel round also contributed.
I have seen dozens of these guns and if significant use is evident by loss of rifling and wear and tear on the internals, the evidence is abundant that these guns were heavily used, period. Their reputation as the scapegoat for everything that is wrong with an LMG is ignorant and lacks historical perspective. It was an experiment and the first LMG of its type and contributed greatly to the French war effort.

Bob Naess

Some interesting info. Thanks for the share.

Later 42rocker

Thanks for the info Bob. I had only heard of negative reviews of the gun, never any positive information. Weapons showing lots of use means they worked.

Thanks for the design insight on the Chauchat, Bob. If (or when ) I trade for Richard's Chauchat, it will be useful if any extraction problems are encountered.

Well guys, I'm going for Richard's Chauchat. It looks like it's in good shape. After working a three month outage replacing steam generators at a nuclear plant in Louisiana, I've made enough of a dent in my debt to feel safe trading off all of my remaining MG-42 stuff.

I saw another post by Bob Naess on another board, plus the one here, that basically described the gun as troubled but not the piece of crappe' that it's usually claimed to be, especially in French 8mm Lebel caliber. That statement helped swing me over on the deal and take a chance on the gun not ending up solely as a display piece. The thing usually worked adequately for the French. For me, getting a Chauchat is mainly for tinkerer's curiosity, not for investment, despite the cost. I like studying new (old) designs. I just have to find time to crate up all the stuff that Richard's getting. I hate working in the barn when it's 0 degrees F. outside. Brrrrr!

Now I have to suffer the barbs of my fellows chiding me for trading the best machine gun in the world for the "worst" one. (But if I can get it to work well at the next MG shoot with the right magazine, imagine the looks on their faces!)

Now if I can only learn how to avoid la Gifle...

I think we'd all be curious about how it functions and believe you made a good deal! Keep us posted!

I think Richard fell off the planet. He stopped responding to emails.

maybe he's just busy. you'll have to get a new photo avatar taken with your new mg on your shoulder and maybe a new outfit as well. early war french blue would be nice! -matt

Okay guys......"Richard" is okay......

I went to the VA Hospital on 23 January due to some back pains......and.....not back pains. Docs transfered me over to a civilain hospital (Heart-Attack).......was tested, and two "stents" later, I am back at home (late 26/early 27 Jan.).....just a little slower. ....but then I never could type as fast as questions/concerns come up.

I'm fine (so we don't need to add more replies to my "Chauchat-AD", and I will catch up on e-mails, etc. in a couple(3-4) days......not a health problem now, I have to get all of the civilian inpatient med-records transfered over to the Veterans-Administration "system", make new Doctor's appointments, get meds re-writen by the VA, etc.....etc..

Regards, RichardS in MI.
US Army, REtired
Blanksguy2001@chartermi.net
PS: DA......I'll get back with you in a couple days after I sort things out.......but I thought that I e-mailed you about this (?).....but maybe not due to everything going on.

Geez ! How was I to know all that? I hope you're recovering well.


Matt: I was thinking Doughboy, not Pilous. The French uniforms and helmets look too darn much like UN troops!

Richard
Get better. Take some time out rest up and redo a few things and get better and thoughts and Prayers to you. Get Well.

Later 42rocker

You're in my prayers, Blanksguy! Let me know what you think about the trip proposition when you are feeling better.



Hey 42 Rocker, are you coming to the June Redwing Machinegun shoot this year? If so, can you convince Tomcatshaas (TC) to come also? Rumor has it a Class 2 SOT holder with lots of MG's is showing up this year. I really don't think that the Chauchat transfer will be complete by June, since it requires 2 transfers, but we will have lots of other toys.

Darius. If you have a Curio and Relics license ($25 for 3 years), you can transfer the Chauchat directly to yourself and skip going through a dealer. It would be worth the trouble to get the C&R and then transfer it to yourself instead of going through a dealer. It will be faster and cheaper. My MG42 came out of Pennsylvania to Ohio that way.

Maybe so, John, but then again there are some strings attached to having a C&R license. You need to keep a log, and the BATFE can insist on seeing whatever guns you buy using that license. I would rather not let the government have one more way to pry into my life, and the $400 I pay for transfers may be worth keeping them out of my life.