Today I am out at the range to put the first shots through a completed replica of the French Chauchat-magazine Berthier conversion. The real versions of these guns were made on Mle 1890 cavalry carbines and Mle 1907-15 long rifles, as survival rifles for pilots and observers early in World War One. This example was built up from parts and based on an M16 Carbine (with the upper handguard).

I was hoping to be able to use this in a competitive environment to compare it to a Mauser 98 or Springfield 1903 with an extended trench magazine, but it doesn't look like that will be possible, unfortunately.