US Model 1917 Vietnam bring back trophy with paperwork.

[fjruple]

Viet Nam and the rifle most likely came from China. The US sent a lot of 1917 rifles to China during WW2 and would not surprise me to see them sent to Viet Nam as aid by the Chinese.

Could be also probably left by the French as well since we supplied a lot of the M1917 under the lend lease programs in WWII.

---------- Post added at 10:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 AM ----------

My vote would be Vietnam. His headgear was phased out by in the early 80s by the woodland camo

You have my vote as Vietnam too. In Grenada, most of the US Army units were "elite" units out of Ft. Bragg under the 18th Airborne Corp who had a priority on the issue of the new "woodland" camo uniforms.

---------- Post added at 10:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 AM ----------

This Winchester 1917 has new Vietnam made wood furniture with the orange colored shellac encountered on SKSs. The paperwork is dated 1970. The photo flash washed out the various pieces of paperwork placed above the rifle.

Attachment 91113

The wood looks like the Chi wood that the Chinese used on their Type 56 SKS and Type AK rifles. Both the Chinese and French received large quantities of the M1917 in the WWII time frame. I remember in the initial part of the Vietnam war, the opposition was very relundent to provide first class weapons to the Viet Cong as they want the war to appear a local civil war between the South Vietnamese Communist and the Central Government of the Republic of Vietnam. The communist opposition would only provide surplus WWII weapons to Viet Cong. Later their mask came off and the Communist block would provide AKs and other first class weapons to the Viet Cong.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

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.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Found one photo and a bonus of field expedient cleaning rod storage.

[Bruce McAskill]

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.

[Calif-Steve]

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.