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Lebel 1886
The Lebel Model 1886 Rifle, or known officially as Fusil Modèle 1886, is a French 8mm bolt action rifle which has the distinction of being the first military rifle designed to use smokeless powder cartridges. It incorporated some of the latest advances in rifle design at the time. A bolt head with two opposed front locking lugs that locked into the receiver and cammed surface on the rear of the receiver bridge providing positive extraction. The Lebel rifle was adopted in April 1887 and remained in service in the French Army until World War II, although its tube magazine had long become an obsolete feature. In 1893, the slightly improved Fusil Modèle 1886-M93 was introduced and nearly all earlier rifles were upgraded to the new standard. The Lebel M1886 rifle had a 10-round capacity and also mounted a spike bayonet. It was manufactured beginning in 1887 until May 1920. The total number of Lebel rifles manufactured at 2,880,000 units.
Due to the lack of unconverted examples and the fact that the M93 version is visually indistinguishable, most if not all film and television appearances of the Lebel rifle are the 1886-M93 version.
Specifications
- Fusil Modèle 1886-M93 Rilfe.
- Caliber: 8 x 50R mm
- Length: 51.36 inches (130.45 cm)
- Barrel Length: 31.44 inches (79.85 cm)
- Weight:
- :Revolver: 9.73 pounds (4.41 kg)
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,000 - 2,300 feet per second (609 - 701 meters per second)
- Maximum Range: 3,500 - 4,500 yards (3200 - 4100 meters)
The Lebel could also mount 3 different scopes, the APX Mle 1916, APX Mle 1917 and APX Mle 1921. The first two were fielded in World War I for snipers, while the APX Mle 1921 was used in WW2 (snipers at that time still used the Lebel rifle). (Information and specs by David Lehmann)
APX Mle 1916
- length : 240mm
- magnification : 3x
- real field : 130mm
- range dial : up to 800m
- reticule : crosshair (+) (the vertical line is fixed and the horizontal line is depending from the range dial)
- marking : "A.PX16" followed by the number of the rifle to which the scope is assigned
APX Mle 1917
- length : 280mm
- magnification : 3x
- real field : 130mm
- range dial : up to 800m
- reticule : crosshair (+) (the vertical line is fixed and the horizontal line is depending from the range dial)
- marking : "A.PX17" followed by the number of the rifle to which the scope is assigned
- the mounting system is slightly different than for the previous APX16 scope.
APX Mle 1921
- length : 280mm
- magnification : 3x
- real field : 165mm
- range dial : up to 1200m
- reticule : V reticule (V)
- marking : "A.PX21" followed by the number of the rifle to which the scope is assigned
The Fusil Modèle 1886-M93 Rifle appears in the following movies, TV shows, and video games:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days of Glory | Mathieu Simonet | Corporal Leroux | 2006 | |
| Flyboys | French troops | 2006 | ||
| The Mummy Returns | Cultist | 2001 | ||
| The Mummy | Brendon Fraser | Rick O'Connell | 1999 | |
| Legionaire | Jean Claude Van Damme | Alain Lefevre | 1998 | |
| Sahara | French soldiers | 1983 | ||
| The Big Red One | Vichy French troops | 1980 | ||
| All Quiet on the Western Front | French Soldiers | 1979 | ||
| March or Die | Foreign Legionnaires | 1977 | ||
| The Gang (Le Gang) | French gendarmes | 1977 | ||
| The Old Gun (Le vieux fusil) | Vichy militia and maquisards | 1975 | ||
| The Intervention (Interventsiya) | French soldiers | 1969 | ||
| 55 Days at Peking | French and Italian troops | 1963 | ||
| Casablanca | Moroccan soldiers | 1942 | ||
| Sergeant York | French troops | 1941 | ||
| The Fighting 69th | French troops | 1940 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Mods | Notations | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | . | With and without APX Mle 1921 scope | 2001-2012 |
R.S.C. Model 1917
The Ribeyrolles, Sutter and Chauchat (R.S.C.) Model 1917 Semi-automatic Rifle, also known as the Fusil Automatique (F.A.) Model 1917, was a variant of the Lebel 1886 produced during World War I to give the French soldier an edge on the battlefield. Although 85,000 rifles were produced during the war, it was criticized for being too heavy and too long, and it was accused of being too difficult to maintain in a trench enviroment. It also needed a special five-round clip. An improved version, the R.S.C. M1918, was shorter, and used the standard five-round clip of the Berthier rifle. This variant proved itself during the Rif War.
Specifications
R.S.C. Model 1917
- Caliber: 8 x 50R
- Length: 52.4 inches (133cm)
- Barrel Length: 31.4 inches (79.75 cm)
- Weight: 11.6 pounds (5.26 kg)
R.S.C. Model 1918
- Caliber: 8 x 50R
- Length: 43.25 inches (109.85 cm)
- Barrel Length: 22.85 inches (58 cm)
- Weight: 10.5 pounds (4.76 kg)