1886 lebel

[jaystuw]

I have a 1886 lebel and wondered if anyone else in cast bullits has one and has some stories to tell or some information to share. After all it is, or should say was the secret weapon that started the small bore, high velocity, smokeless powder arms race that continues to this day. Now in days if you want to shoot one its no problem, brass is available. Not like when you had to make them out of 348 winchester. But on the flip side, how about those prices! Looks like $500+ if you want one. Is that because of rarity, historic value or just because its a neat rifle. Most likely its all of them. I just wish i had the foresight to have accumulated more of them while they were cheap or at least cheaper. jay

[Gunor]

I picked up one in Afghanistan. Not bad - missing the bolt screw - If you had a drawing for that screw?
Bought some 8mm Lebel dies and brass from a member.

So I cannot wait to see the responses and your groove diameter...

Geoff

[plainsman456]

I need to tell the wife's cousin that his lamp has gone up in price.

He got one back in the late 70s and shot for a while,now it sits by his chair.

The cord just goes through the action/bors and the lamp socket is a snug grass fit in the muzzle.

Reminds me of the John Candy movie where he shoots at the bear with a lamp.

They are fun to shoot.

[texassako]

It is not an 1886, but I shoot the much maligned R35 carbine that used to be an 1886 occasionally. I use the 8mm Max mold from Midsouth that was a GB design from here before they changed the dimensions, making it just about right for the Lebels bore size. It shoots pretty well over a case full of WC860, but I need to try a duplex load for cleaner burning. The heavy weight(mine drops at 255gr) keeps the cartridge from jumping out when working the bolt and a flat nose means it is safe loaded in the tube magazine. The sights are what drive me crazy. No matter what people say, the French used to be innovators in firearms even if the results were strange. They compensated the sights for bullet spin at the long ranges these things were sighted for, and makes them shoot way off at the 50-100 yards I shoot. I would shoot it more if I could uncompensate it. I don't know where mine ended up, but it has some history with char and imbedded shrapnel.

[jaystuw]

Geoff, The last place i would of expected lebels to show up is afghanistan, but alas, here they are. I can only imagine that you buy them at an open air market or shop while off duty. Anyway, I have never seen the screw in front of the bolt for sale (i really don't even know what its for) might be able to make one or trim a close match to fit. but i think what i would do is check the parts sellers (most likely they don't have it) then keep an eye open for a bolt or partial bolt from the clip loading berthier rifle or carbine and take the screw from that. berthier bolts looks like the same forward set-up as the lebel and seem to be more plentiful (and cheaper) than a lebel bolt. Sorry, i know this is the long way around but 1886 lebel parts are nortorious for being hard to find.

plainsman456, I was just looking on gunbroker. your wifes cousins cool lamp might even be worth 700+. wish i had a lamp like that.


texassako, To me a shrapnel hit r35 is just as neat as a 1886. i like heavy bullits to, I shoot 243gr ideal 323378's out of my lebel . it is kind of odd that the sights are off set (on my 1886 anyway) but it has been ok for plinking. Also, meny years ago i passed up an early lebel bayonet that was in perfect condition except for a piece of shrapnel imbedded in the alloy handle, after 40 years i still regret not buying that one. Jay

[KCSO]

I have had three so far and all were converted to sporters before I got them amd my Dad had one in stock issue condition. First off I could never really shoot the issue gun because of the sights. I just couldn't adat to the radical sight picture. The sporters were nice guns and I shot them quite a bit with cast bullets. I loaded a Lee bullet made for the 1895 Styer sized to 325 and pushed mostly by 12.5 grains of Red Dot powder. My hunting load was the same bullet over IMR 4895 and going about 1950 fps. They were nice accurate rifles and I managed to make a trigger guard safety for my hunting gun and adapt a peep sight for it. I gave them up because I NEEDED another Krag for some reason.

[dantoweed64]

Enjoying the info on the Berthiers...I just purchased one, 1892 version, 3 round magazine. It was brought back from Viet Nam. I have the five round clips but no three rounders. I saw on ebay somebody selling new repros for 30 bucks each. Gads! Would trade my 5's for a couple of 3's. Just rec'd dies, bullets and brass. Looking forward to shooting this things.