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Posted: 4/16/2026 8:03:35 PM EDT
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So I've got this here 1886 Lebel... I acquired this rifle as part of a group buy eons ago and I've kinda forgotten about it since. I wanted to do a proper deep clean but needing to make my own split pin tools slowed me down  What can you tell me about it? I see it's an M93 made in Tulle in 1902. It isn't import marked. Numbers look force matched on most parts that I can see. Is that a blood stain running down the barrel? The pics are difficult to make out. I'm a milsurp junkie but for some reason this rifle doesn't interest me too much. I may trade it for something. What is the appropriate value?     
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mildly retarded and always inappropriate
Joined:
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GA, USA
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Originally Posted By surplusnut: Lebels that aren't Afghan bring backs or RTI dog turds bring good money. Everyone I've see, which isn't many, has been well north of $1K. I saw one this week for $1500 or $1600 and it was gone within a day. Yeah, Lebel's that aren't crap are hard to come by. I've been looking for a decent one for money I'm willing to spend forever and it just hasn't happened. If it makes you feel better about keeping it, remember that this is THE original smokeless powder gun. It's the one that changed everything. Yeah, it turns out that being on the bleeding edge meant it was... pretty 'meh'... by WW1. Outpaced by the Mausers and derivatives. But it was the first. |
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Originally Posted By surplusnut: Lebels that aren't Afghan bring backs or RTI dog turds bring good money. Everyone I've see, which isn't many, has been well north of $1K. I saw one this week for $1500 or $1600 and it was gone within a day. Would you call this one an RTI-grade? I need to buy an 8mm brush and scrub the bore. |
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Attached File Now you need Rosalie(bayonet) and be ready to repel the Boche! I'm about a quarter through the book and highly recommend it for a rare French enlisted memoir. |
| When I was in Afghanistan I took quite a while sorting through a lot of them to find one pretty decent and matching shooots pretty well, even found a bayonet for it. Ammo is sort of difficult. The design is based on the very long projectiles for feeding, and easily available ammo in lighter bullet weights doesn’t function through the mag, but it is still fun as a single shot. Mine is currently on loan to a museum as part of a GWOT exhibit |
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Originally Posted By captain127: When I was in Afghanistan I took quite a while sorting through a lot of them to find one pretty decent and matching shooots pretty well, even found a bayonet for it. Ammo is sort of difficult. The design is based on the very long projectiles for feeding, and easily available ammo in lighter bullet weights doesn’t function through the mag, but it is still fun as a single shot. Mine is currently on loan to a museum as part of a GWOT exhibit Thats pretty cool. How hard was it to bring that stuff back? |
3-7-77
Proud Member of the Leather Head Mafia
“In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised” - George S. Patton
LETS GO REDWINGS!!!
Proud Member of the Leather Head Mafia
“In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised” - George S. Patton
LETS GO REDWINGS!!!
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Originally Posted By Sitzkrieg: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/44118/1000009448_jpg-3748637.JPG Now you need Rosalie(bayonet) and be ready to repel the Boche! I'm about a quarter through the book and highly recommend it for a rare French enlisted memoir. Very good book. Very few French memoirs available in English. |
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Originally Posted By TOTHEMAX: Thats pretty cool. How hard was it to bring that stuff back? At the time I was there it was pretty easy: Acquire gun Go to mp office, they filled out a customs form and certified the gun was an antique ( the only ones allowed shipped home had to be pre 1/1/1899 production) Then take gun and MP paperwork to the JAG office and sign an affidavit it was not a war trophy ( as in not taken off a dead enemy) Back to the mp office where they stamped the paper work with a cleared for shipping stamp Walk down to the post office box it up ( one copy of paperwork taped to outside of box, another copy in the box and send it on its way. The local small town post office that served my community would call my wife periodically to let her know to pick up a box. The counter guy would call to the back room hey Sue is here to pick up another rifle! When shopping in Afghanistan had to be wary of kyber pass copies, and also when the locals found out we could only send back pre 1899 stuff, it was common to see a Lebel with a roughly filed area where the date over the chamber is located, with a poorly restamped pre 1899 date on it. |
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I have seen more R35 carbines in the wild than 1886/93s. Prvi even makes brass with ring now. I have a bulk box of old .323 185gr corelocks or WRA power points ? That are flat based and long bearing surface they shoot well in Lebel and Berthiers moderate load of 4895 or 4350. |
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Prvi Partizan is the ticket for ammo for these. All of the surplus stuff I’ve seen has always had so many misfires and hang fires as to only be useful for components. Also 8mm level does NOT use the typical .323 8mm bullet. It uses a .327 bullet. Again PPU is the answer here-it’s catalog # B-417 I think. I had Lee custom make me a few decapping pins(which are also expanders in the Lee dies) that are sized properly for the correct bullets. |
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Originally Posted By captain127: At the time I was there it was pretty easy[.] When shopping in Afghanistan had to be wary of kyber pass copies, and also when the locals found out we could only send back pre 1899 stuff, it was common to see a Lebel with a roughly filed area where the date over the chamber is located, with a poorly restamped pre 1899 date on it. I'll second this. I hand-picked my Lebel and got a phenomenal one that's actually a lot of fun to shoot (but I don't often, because it's an antique). I regret not grabbing some of the real Martini Henry rifles but the Lebel was good enough. Shipping it was literally stuffing it in a box with a lot of bubble wrap and hoping it made it safely (it did). I never bothered to keep the bring-back paperwork but that took all of 5 minutes. |
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I received a phone call from a family member at an old guy's house. "Do you want a Lebel and a Webley?" $400 Here's the Lebel snuck in on the far left here, stacked against a trapdoor. Snagged an original, unaltered bayo for it. Been buying a lot lately but if I recall the 1886 is matching. Have to double check. Attached File |
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