Rare Pre French 1884 Kropatchek Rifle Russia Aid WW1 Matching Lebel Gras 11

This ad is for one used in wonderful condition for its age, pre-WWI French Model 1884 Kropatschek rifle, chambered in the French 11mm Gras round. Rifle comes as seen, with all matching serial numbers, with the exception of the bolt, which is a time Period replacement. Rifle is part of the contract for the Navy in 1884-1885. This particular rifle has the desirable Made in France stamp, which denotes that it was utilized and sent to Russia during WWI as aid from the French. To find these guns issued to Russian forces during WWI are extremely scarce and sought after. Rifle retains its 30-inch barrel with a very fine bore, with sharp lands and grooves. Rifle's matching stock shows some light wear throughout, but no large cracks or gouges are visible. Bolt operates smoothly with no issues. Most of these 1884 Kropatscheks were used up in WWI, and were either destroyed or saw heavy combat use on the Eastern Front. These guns, after Russia declared them obsolete, were sent to Spain as war aid during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, where after that they were then brought into the U.S. market in the 1960s and sold as surplus. These guns are extremely scarce and rare, and only show up from time to time. This would be an outstanding example and addition to someone's WWI or pre-WWI French rifle collection.