I bought an old book on gorilla warfare this weekend and spotted at least one photo of a VC with a 1917. I will try to photograph & post here.
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I bought an old book on gorilla warfare this weekend and spotted at least one photo of a VC with a 1917. I will try to photograph & post here.
Found one photo and a bonus of field expedient cleaning rod storage.
By the time the French lost their butts to the Vietnamese, the US had outfitted then with much newer weapons then the 1917. Carbines, Garands and the French preferred their 1938 sub gun as standard issue in Nam. I would vote it came from China as aid. The Chinese were not all that happy with being the ones to give aid to the Vietnamese. There was and still is a lot of cultural dislike between them. It was again pressure from Moscow that made them do it and they preferred the aid to be something that was not likely to be turned on them one day in the future.
The USA shipped a pile of M1903's and M1917 revolvers to RVN. I never saw a M1917 rifle in RVN, but 03's and Mausers for sure.