Lebel Questions

[rikkit]

I recently spotted a 1907/15 Remington Lebel. Bubba, we think, has already worked his "magic" on this piece, chopped stock and bent bolt handle. We then noticed a pin running through the stock and the action just above the trigger which can be pushed from either side of the stock, it turns out to be a safety. Which begs the question, were these rifles ever produced for the civilian market? The only information I have on Lebels' is from Small Arms of the World which specifically states that these rifles were never equipped with safeties. Any thoughts, opinions, or other forms of enlightenment would be greatly appreciated.

[Ed Barrett]

It's a French thing. When everyone else got rid of their front stuffers and put safetys on the rifles, the French thought that their army ought to be different. Some French "private no class" probably tried shooting with the safety on and "bent the trigger" and the powers that be of the officer class formed a committee and came up with this fix "we won't put a safety on any of our military rifles and this won't happen again.

The french military committees have screwed up in WWI and WWII and they seem to keep on doing it pretty regular, but I guess it makes them happy and that's whats important to them. <G>

[KCSO]

I don't know that Remington ever made Lebel's They did however produce the Brethier rifle, which is sometimes mistaken for a Lebel. The Berthier has a magazine that takes clips and the Lebel has a tube magazine.

The Berthier and the Lebel were released to the surplus market after WW1 and safteys were added by the exporter, the importers and some by the purchaser. I have seen beaucoup different types of safetys on these. I had a real Lebel with a mint bore and was surprised at how well it shot, but the strange sights were a pain to use for me. I think I still have dies and brass made from 348's and a handfull of Kynoch 1915 issue factory loads with the long stick cordite.

For my rifle I was loading a 190 grain bullet from a Lee mould sized to 324 and backed with 12.5 of red dot for plinking and 4895 for hunting loads.

I currently have a Berthier that is full military with a good bore and a long knitting needle bayonet. The entire rig is about 6 1/2 feet long with fixed bayonet.

[jh45gun]

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I don't know that Remington ever made Lebel's

They did make the Model 5 Rolling BLock in 8MM lebel as a quick fix for the french in WWI though I do not think many saw any service. I got a buddy that bought one from a guy after I had done my 45/70 roller made from a 7MM. I had told him that a guy told me he had one after he seen mine. The only thing left on mine that was any good was the receiver which made it a candidate for a complete restocking and rebarreling. His 8MM Lebel is about as mint as you can get for that old a rifle. I kicked my self after seeing it and what he paid for it. 250 bucks.Thats about what I paid for mine as I traded a Ruger 44 blackhawk for mine just to get the receiver.