MilsurpDan
Ultimate Member
Picked this up from another collector friend last weekend. I've always wanted a Mle 1886 Lebel, not just because I love French stuff but also it's place in history as the first military issue smokeless powder firearm.
I've come across a few Lebel's but haven't found any decent ones that I wanted to take home with me or that I felt were priced reasonably. This one isn't perfect either, but it's still a nice collectable rifle and I figure it'll make a good shooter.
It's in great shape. Nobody's messed with it luckily, and the bore looks good. A couple parts aren't matching, but the bolt matches, which is what I was mainly concerned about. Most French rifles went through a rebuild(s) in the 1920's and 30's and this one was no different as it has a replacement barrel dated 1925.
I managed to put a few rounds through it last week, but I couldn't hit the water jugs from about 80 yards. The rounds seemed to go a few feet high so I'll have to spend some more time getting used to it. The .323 diameter bullets in the PPU ammo I used might be an issue too, as the original 8x50r bullet was .326 diameter. It mangles the brass a bit as well, which seems to be common with the Lebel as the chambers are a bit oversized.
I've come across a few Lebel's but haven't found any decent ones that I wanted to take home with me or that I felt were priced reasonably. This one isn't perfect either, but it's still a nice collectable rifle and I figure it'll make a good shooter.
It's in great shape. Nobody's messed with it luckily, and the bore looks good. A couple parts aren't matching, but the bolt matches, which is what I was mainly concerned about. Most French rifles went through a rebuild(s) in the 1920's and 30's and this one was no different as it has a replacement barrel dated 1925.
I managed to put a few rounds through it last week, but I couldn't hit the water jugs from about 80 yards. The rounds seemed to go a few feet high so I'll have to spend some more time getting used to it. The .323 diameter bullets in the PPU ammo I used might be an issue too, as the original 8x50r bullet was .326 diameter. It mangles the brass a bit as well, which seems to be common with the Lebel as the chambers are a bit oversized.