Guns International #: 101992359
Seller's Inventory #: 22-10111

Category - Military Rifles - Antique - Military Rifles - Non-US

Category
Military Rifles - Antique
Military Rifles - Non-US

Lebel M1886 M93 Rifle 8mm Lebel “N Ball” Stamp

Description:
The Lebel Model 1886, or as its known to the French, the “Fusile Modele 1886 M93”, is one of the most historically important firearms in history. It bears the distinction of being the first military firearm to be chambered in a smokeless powder cartridge. The then new propellent, named Poudre B (“Powder B”), used a nitrocellulose based formula and was created in 1884 by Paul Vieille, a French chemist. It produced roughly three times the power that black powder could produce. The cartridge that used this new powder is known today as the 8mm Lebel. To the French, it was simply “Ball M” or “Ball Lebel”. It used a flat-nosed, full metal jacket bullet designed for the rifle by Lt. Colonel Nicolas Lebel after whom both the cartridge and rifle are named. Interestingly, Lt. Col. Lebel did not design the rifle itself and he protested that Generals Baptiste Tramond and Basil Gras, who led the project for the new rifle, were more deserving of the credit. Nevertheless, Lebel’s name stuck and has been used ever since. The bullets flat-nose was chose due to the nature of tube magazines. During recoil, cartridges will knock into each other with some force. A pointed bullet could inadvertently act like a firing pin and set of the cartridge in front of it, with disastrous results. Use of a flat nosed bullet eliminates this problem. Use of a tube magazine ultimately hurt the Lebel rifle in the long term, as other nations quickly adopted internal box magazines, which allowed for quicker reloading and the use of Spitzer or pointed bullets with better long range accuracy. The cartridge’s shape, with a double taper and wide rim, both beneficial in a tube mag, made it difficult to stagger rounds in a vertical box magazine on later French rifles. A pointed, solid bronze boat-tailed bullet was eventually developed for the 8mm Lebel, known as the “Ball D”. It was the first pointed AND boat-tailed bullet put into service by any country. A special, convex primer cover had to be used on the new ammo to allow for its use in the original Lebel rifle and its tube magazine. The Ball D was followed by the “Ball N” in 1932, which featured a pointed bullet with a lead core, cupro-nickel-over-steel jacket, and boat tail. The bullet weighed a whopping 232 grains in weight, heavier than anything the German 8mm Mauser used. It also saw an increase in bullet diameter from 8.17 mm to 8.3 mm. Practically all 8mm Lebel-caliber rifles and carbines were rechambered to fire the Ball N in in the 1930s. The M93 modification was an important step in the life of the Lebel rifle, as it involved a modification to the bolt head to allow escaping gas from a ruptured case to be diverted away from the rifleman’s face, thereby saving him form serious injury. The only drawback to this rifle, and in fact all French military bolt-action rifles, is the lack of a manual safety. This was due to French military procedure which required the French soldier to keep their rifle unloaded or without a round in the chamber until ordered to do so by an officer at the commencement of a battle or action. This type of logic is of course flawed as there are many situations where having a weapon with no round chambered can result in the death of the rifleman, especially in the case of an ambush. Please note, the lever on the lower right side of the receiver is a magazine cutoff, NOT a safety.
The rifle shown here is, as is typical for these rifles, in a somewhat rough shape. It should be remembered that the Lebel rifle saw service in both World War 1 and 2 and other conflicts the French were involved in such as the Boxer Rebellion, colonial expeditions, and others. As such, almost all Lebel rifles have seen hard use. This example has mostly a patina for a finish, though the sides of the receiver retain a dark bluish hue. The wood has a fairly rough surface, with some notable damage near the front behind the forward band/stacking rod. Other than this, there are surprisingly few cracks. The serial number on the bolt matches the receiver and the barrel. The stock also matches, and given its condition, could very well be the only stock the rifle has ever had. The top of the barrel shows pitting/rust, mainly near the rear barrel band. The bore, surprisingly, exhibits only a small level of pitting. The French are infamous for their love corrosive primers. Needless to say, many older French rifles exhibit some form of pitting. Surprisingly, the pitting in the bore is not very heavy and in fact the rifling is still fairly deep. There is a rough spot midway down the bore. With jacketed bullets, this rifle should still be accurate. The receiver and barrel have both been stamped with the letter “N” on the top, signifying that the rifle has indeed been rechambered to use the Ball N cartridge. Please remember that while the Lebel can hold a total of 10 rounds: 8 in the tube, 1 in the elevator, and 1 in the chamber – it has NO manual safety, and so 9 rounds (nothing in the chamber) is safer.

SOLD

Rifle Caliber: 8mm Lebel
Manufacturer: Manufacture D’Armes St. Etienne
Model: Model 1886 M93
Serial Number: S 81383
Bore: Rifled, 4 grooves, LH twist
Chambers: Internal Magazine Tube - 8 rounds + 1 in elevator + 1 in chamber
Condition: Fair to Good
Barrel Type: Round
Action: Bolt Action
Triggers: Single, smooth
Stock: Wood, straight grip
Fore End: Wood
Butt Pad: Metal plate
LOP: 13.5 inches (343 mm)
Finish: Blued/Patina
Sights: U notch elevator rear, post front, sight radius 27.6875 inches (703.26 mm)
Manufacture Date: c. 1890