1886/93 LEBEL

An Underappreciated and Innovative Fixture of WWI Firearms History

- James Slaughter

The 1886/93 Lebel is perhaps the most important modern rifle most people know very little about. If a rifle could arguably be named as the one that won World War I, the 86/93 Lebel would be a lead contender. The Lebel was also the first issued rifle in the world to utilize a smokeless powder. It’s a remarkable firearm.

As the name suggests, this rifle was first issued in 1886. Following a series of modifications (mostly to the bolt) as a result of field trials and end-user input, the primary production model was finalized in 1893, resulting in the 1886/93 nomenclature. This model was produced through World War I, and it was the primary and preferred issue rifle of the French Army. Most of the rifles available on the market today are 86/93s; an unmodified 1886 is an extremely rare bird, even in France.

Contrary to what seems to make sense, the term Lebel is derived not from the rifle’s designer, but from Lieutenant Colonel Lebel who designed the original 8mm (8x50 R Lebel) cartridge. Lebel’s first cartridge is known as Balle Lebel or Balle M. Again, unlike what you might expect, it was an odd round, being flat-nosed as a safety feature considering the 86/93 features a tubular magazine. Later Spitzer tip cartridges (most commonly encountered on the collector’s market) are by virtually any modern standard overengineered to allow the pointed bullets to rest safely against the rear of the cartridge in front without the prospect of in-magazine detonation.