The 1886/93 Lebel is perhaps the most important modern rifle most people know very little about. If a rifle could arguably be named as the one that won World War I, the 86/93 Lebel would be a lead contender. The Lebel was also the first issued rifle in the world to utilize smokeless powder. It’s a remarkable firearm.
As the name suggests, this rifle was first issued in 1886. Following a series of modifications (mostly to the bolt) as a result of field trials and end user input, the primary production model was finalized in 1893, resulting in the 1886/93 nomenclature. This model was produced through World War I, and it was the primary and preferred issue rifle of the French Army. Most of the rifles available on
