The
Lebel Model 1886 rifle (French:
Fusil Modèle 1886 dit "Fusil Lebel") is also known as the
"Fusil Mle 1886 M93", after a bolt modification was added in 1893. It is an 8 mm
bolt action infantry
rifle that entered service in the French Army in 1887. It is a repeating rifle that can hold eight rounds in its forestock tube magazine, one round in the transporter plus one round in the chamber. The Lebel rifle has the distinction of being the first military firearm to use
smokeless powder ammunition. The new gunpowder, "
Poudre B," was
nitrocellulose-based and had been invented in 1884 by French chemist
Paul Vieille. Lieutenant Colonel
Nicolas Lebel contributed a flat nosed 8 mm
full metal jacket bullet ("
Balle M," or "
Balle Lebel"). Twelve years later, in 1898, a solid
brass pointed (
spitzer) and
boat-tail bullet called "
Balle D" was retained for all 8mm Lebel ammunition. Each case was protected against accidental percussion inside the tube magazine by a primer cover and by a circular groove around the primer cup which caught the tip of the following pointed bullet. Featuring an oversized bolt with front locking lugs and a massive receiver, the Lebel rifle was a durable design capable of long range performance. In spite of early obsolete features, such as its tube magazine and the shape of
8mm Lebel rimmed ammunition, the Lebel rifle remained the basic weapon of French line infantry during World War I (1914–1918). Altogether, 3.45 million Lebel rifles were produced by the three French state factories between 1887 and 1916.