Welcome to right this moment’s Photo of the Day! Here we now have a really cool piece of World War One historical past connected to a World War One period M1917 Rifle. This is a Remington 1917 Enfield paired with a Viven-Bessieres grenade launcher. Grenade launchers had been utilized in trench warfare so troops might chuck grenades additional than throwing distance however shorter than artillery might safely attain. Think of it as a weapon for a relative useless zone in no man’s land. The Viven-Bessieres was distinctive in that it was paired with common ball (FMJ) ammunition, as in no blanks. A gap was drilled by means of the grenade for the bullet to cross by means of, journey a small lever on the grenade to begin the fuse, after which the fuel left after the bullet has left the barrel would propel the grenade as much as 200 yards.
“Developed by the French for use in WWI, the Viven-Bessieres system was one of a number of “cup launcher” techniques developed in the course of the battle…
The V-B was utilized by the French army up into WWII, and noticed continued use with the Gendarmerie as a tear fuel launcher as much as the Nineteen Nineties. The design was additionally tailored by the Americans, who produced their very own launchers and grenades to be appropriate with the 30-06 chambered 1903 and 1917 rifles. The rifle is fitted with a Remington “11-18” barrel, “W/NS” bolt, Eddystone security, and a “3 GM-K” marked inventory with “215” painted on the correct facet and a tan canvas “Nobuckl” sling. The launcher is blackened metal building, 10 1/2 inches lengthy with a 2 inch broad and 6 1/4 inch deep chamber, marked “US/MODEL OF 1917/W” on the physique and fitted with a spiral lower collar and spring loaded retention clip for partaking the entrance sight base. Provenance: Bruce Canfield assortment.”
Lot 2478: V-B Launcher Equipped U.S. Remington Model 1917 Rifle – U.S. Remington Model 1917 Bolt Action Rifle with Scarce Viven-Bessieres Grenade Launcher. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. {photograph}. Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/72/2478/vb-launcher-equipped-us-remington-model-1917-rifle.
