Deactivated WWII French Mle M16 Carbine

This is a WWII French Berthier MLE 1892 - M16 Carbine. Manufactured by Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Tulle (MAC). The M16 was first issued and used in the Great War, being used by frontline troops, it was ideally suited for trench warfare. 1916 saw the magazine capacity upgraded to five-round charger-loading from three after concerns were raised by troops during trench raiding parties. The three shot capacity put French soldiers at disadvantage when fighting against Germans armed with 5-shot Mauser Gew98 & KAR98s. This little carbine is dated 1919 and must have seen active service during WWII. Note ALL the armorers repairs to the stock the wood infill where the cleaning rod once located on the left hand side. During WWII the M16's were issued to French ground forces and often seen in the hands of partisans. German forces captured plenty MLE's and issued them among their own troops including the Luftwaffe. The "N" on the receiver denotes it was upgraded to the more powerful 8mm Lebel cartridge. A carbine with lots of history.