Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good antique French Fusil Mle 1886 M93 Lebel infantry rifle manufactured at the government arsenal at Châtellerault, with an original barrel dated 1892 and serial number AE 92777. It was subsequently updated to the M93 standard and retains the classic full length configuration with 31.5" barrel, tubular magazine, magazine cutoff, intact bayonet guide and lug, and strong bore. Particularly desirable is the included early pattern Mle 1886 cruciform épée bayonet with nickel silver grip, full approximately 20 1/2" blade, and scabbard.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Lebel Model 1886 occupies a major place in military firearms history as the first general issue military rifle adopted for a smokeless powder cartridge. France's new Poudre B, developed by Paul Vieille in the 1880s, permitted much higher velocity with greatly reduced smoke compared with black powder. The resulting 8mm Lebel cartridge and Mle 1886 rifle caused an immediate shift in military rifle development throughout Europe.

The rifle uses an eight round tubular magazine beneath the barrel, with an additional cartridge carried on the elevator or transporter. A further cartridge may be chambered, giving a maximum mechanical capacity of ten rounds. The magazine cutoff allows the rifle to be used as a single shot while keeping cartridges in reserve in the magazine, a feature common to military doctrine of the period.

The original 1886 pattern was modified in 1893 after service experience revealed areas that could be improved. The M93 changes included modifications to the bolt head and firing pin assembly intended to better manage escaping gas in the event of a ruptured cartridge case, together with other detail changes. Existing Mle 1886 rifles were extensively updated to this standard, which is why surviving unmodified examples are uncommon today.

The left side of the receiver on this example is marked:

MANUFACTURE D'ARMES
Châtellerault

with the model marking:

MLE 1886 M 93

The separate and unevenly spaced M 93 marking to the right is consistent with a rifle originally produced in the earlier 1886 configuration and later brought up to the 1893 standard. The barrel is marked:

MA C 1892

identifying Châtellerault manufacture and a 1892 barrel date. The main serial number is:

AE 92777

and appears on the barrel, left side of the butt stock, and underside of the fore stock. The AE prefix falls within the Châtellerault serial sequence used around the 1891-1892 production period, and the 1892 barrel marking provides the strongest direct evidence for dating this rifle.

The rifle has been through later arsenal service and parts replacement, as is common on Lebels with long military careers. The receiver floor plate is marked:

FM 8849

while the bolt is marked:

K 77408

and also carries a struck through:

L 81956

along with additional markings on the opposite side. These mismatched and cancelled numbers are consistent with arsenal replacement and rebuilding during the rifle's working life rather than an untouched original parts set.

The rifle retains the correct full length Lebel dimensions:

Barrel Length: 31.5"
Overall Length: 51.2"

The stock is in very good service used condition and shows extensive evidence of long military handling, including numerous dents, dings, scratches, and areas of general wear. A dowel repair passes through the fore stock beneath the rear sight, a type of repair seen on many surviving French service rifles. There are also areas of wood loss along the barrel channel and additional cracks and wood graft repairs on the underside of the fore stock. Despite this history of repair, the stock remains solid and highly presentable.

The metalwork is likewise in very good condition overall. Areas of original blue remain on the receiver and barrel, with scattered peppering and signs of old oxidation that has since been cleaned. The receiver markings are somewhat faint, which may indicate past refinishing or simply extensive service wear. Importantly, the rifle has not received the later heavy black paint sometimes encountered on French rifles that underwent subsequent arsenal or colonial service. The bayonet lug and guide remain fully intact.

The bore is in very good condition, showing a bright interior with crisp lands and grooves. There is light wear to the lands, but we do not see major evidence of heavy old fouling or serious oxidation. Mechanically, the bolt cycles correctly and the rifle gives a crisp dry fire. The magazine cutoff functions properly, although we have not tested the tubular magazine with cartridges and therefore cannot confirm feeding under ammunition. Both upper and lower sling swivels remain present and move freely. The rear sight is complete, raises correctly, and retains its slider, although the slider is somewhat stiff to move.

Included with the rifle is an especially desirable early pattern Mle 1886 Épée-Baïonnette with nickel silver grip and cruciform blade. The blade measures approximately 20 1/2", the original full length associated with the early M1886 pattern. It retains a very attractive finish and locks securely onto the rifle's bayonet mounting. The accompanying scabbard is in very good condition, showing only a few small dents and areas of old oxidation.

The early full length bayonet is an important complement to this rifle. Many surviving Lebel bayonets encountered today are later simplified or altered patterns, particularly the wartime versions without the original quillon, while this example retains the classic long cruciform blade and nickel silver grip associated with the earlier Mle 1886 form.

With its 1892 Châtellerault barrel date, early AE 92777 serial number, later M93 conversion, extensive arsenal service history, very good bore, intact full length configuration, and especially its correct type full length nickel silver grip M1886 épée bayonet with scabbard, this is a highly appealing example of the rifle that armed French infantry through the opening decades of the smokeless powder era and throughout the First World War. It would make an excellent addition to a collection of French military arms, First World War rifles, early smokeless powder firearms, or antique European service weapons.

Specifications (rifle):-

Year of Manufacture: 1892 - updated later
Maker: Châtellerault Arsenal
Model: Lebel 1886 M93 Infantry Rifle
Serial No.: AE 92777
Caliber: 8×50mmR Lebel
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 31.5 Inches
Overall Length: 51.2 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 8 round tube magazine
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

Specifications (bayonet):-
Blade length: 20 ½”
Blade style: Cruciform "Épée"
Overall length: 25”
Crossguard: 2“
Scabbard: 21"

The Lebel Model 1886 rifle (French: Fusil Modèle 1886 dit "Fusil Lebel") is also known as the "Fusil Mle 1886 M93", after a bolt modification was added in 1893. It is an 8 mm bolt action infantry rifle that entered service in the French Army in 1887. It is a repeating rifle that can hold eight rounds in its forestock tube magazine, one round in the transporter plus one round in the chamber.

The Lebel rifle has the distinction of being the first military firearm developed to use smokeless powder ammunition. The new propellant powder, "Poudre B," was nitrocellulose-based and had been invented in 1884 by French chemist Paul Vieille. Lieutenant Colonel Nicolas Lebel contributed a flat nosed 8 mm full metal jacket bullet ("Balle M," or "Balle Lebel"). Twelve years later, in 1898, a solid brass pointed (spitzer) and boat-tail bullet called "Balle D" was retained for all 8mm Lebel ammunition. Each case was protected against accidental percussion inside the tube magazine by a primer cover and by a circular groove around the primer cup which caught the tip of the following pointed bullet.

Featuring an oversized bolt with front locking lugs and a massive receiver, the Lebel rifle was a durable design capable of long range performance. In spite of early obsolete features, such as its tube magazine and the shape of 8mm Lebel rimmed ammunition, the Lebel rifle remained the basic weapon of French line infantry during World War I (1914–1918). Altogether, 3.45 million Lebel rifles were produced by the three French state factories between 1887 and 1916. In 1893 the design received a minor update in the form of modified bolt head which directed hot gases from ruptured cartridge cases away from the shooter's face, improving safety on the first design to use smokeless powder.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.