I Have This Old Gun: Model 1886 Lebel

One of the most important military arms ever invented is the Model 1886 Lebel rifle, the first military rifle designed to use smokeless powder ammunition. This was only made possible by the French invention of what became known as Poudre B, a nitrocellulose propellant that paved the way forward for high-velocity ammunition. Watch our “American Rifleman Television” I Have This Old Gun segment above to see the Lebel in action on the range.

“In history, there are few moments when technology just comes together the way it did right in the 1880s,” American Rifleman contributor Kenneth L. Smith-Christmas said. “Especially in firearms development. And this culminates in the development of smokeless powder.”

Invented by French chemist Paul Vielle, Poudre B was the catalyst for the invention of a new military rifle for France, but the French military establishment understood that their window was limited.

“When the French invent this, they realize, I mean, it’s many times more powerful than, you know, traditional blackpowder. It’s cleaner, it produces higher velocities, and it makes it possible to use a plated bullet in order to take advantage of these higher bullet velocities,” American Rifleman Executive Editor Evan Brune said. “The French military at the time, they’re using what is a cartridge conversion of the Chassepot, the Gras rifle, and they know that there are other people around the world who are working on this. They’re not going to have a huge window of opportunity to take advantage of this revolutionary breakthrough.”

After less than a year of design and development, the Model 1886 Lebel rifle was officially adopted. Chambered for the 8 mm Lebel cartridge, the rifle used an under-barrel tube magazine and borrowed a cartridge lifter design from the Portuguese Kropatschek rifle that moved cartridges from the magazine tube into the chamber.

“Well, the Model 1886 Lebel, French Lebel rifle, is one of the most important military arms in history,” American Rifleman Field Editor Garry James said. “Not necessarily because it was a great gun. It wasn’t a bad gun, but it was not wonderful. It was basically an amalgamation of several designs, but it was the first smokeless powder military arm to be fielded.”

One of the other notable elements of the Model 1886 Lebel is that it is notably longer than many of the smokeless powder rifles that would follow it.

“To take advantage of the new smokeless powder, they elongated the barrel more than we would think of today,” NRA Publications Editorial Director Mark Keefe said. “You know, the Lebel, it’s actually a gorgeous rifle, but it has a 31.5″ barrel, which is not appropriate for the role that it would serve in during the First World War, but very much fit in with French tactical doctrine.”

Soon after its adoption, a number of changes were made to the design.

“As good as the 1886 was, they decided it could be made a little bit better, so in 1893, they modified the bolt. Also, they put a stacking rod on the end of the barrel. All in all, it was an improvement to the gun, and it worked well,” James said. “Again, it was long, it was heavy and cumbersome, but it functioned well.”

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.