Lebel 1886 M/93 8mm Lebel – Rare, Nice Condition

M1886/M93 Lebel rifle in 8mm Lebel. The very first military rifle produced for smokeless powder, the Lebel was the standard service arm of the French army through World War One. This particular example, produced by Tulle in about 1891, undoubtedly saw military use! Rifle is in very good antique condition. Wood is solid on both stock and handguard with no serious cracks but quite a lot of dings and other expected service wear. Metal surfaces do not show rust and finish is intact, however, the metal surfaces have likely been refinished as part of arsenal work post war as they show the more typical dull metal of interwar French arms. Other things point to this gun being arsenal reworked, including the fitting of a 1916 production replacement barrel and later 1932 work to ream the chamber of the rifle for "Balle N," the final and most modern version of the 8mm Lebel cartridge (this is what is commercially available, so this is good news for someone planning to shoot this rifle!) Mechanical function is excellent. All serial numbers match. A scarce rifle and one with massive historical value.