World War I French Infantry Weapons - French World War I Small Arms, Lebel Model 1886 Rifle, Chauchat, Astra-Unceta y CIA Sa, Ruby Pistol (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 24. Chapters: French World War I small arms, Lebel Model 1886 rifle, Chauchat, Astra-Unceta y Cia SA, Ruby pistol, Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun, Meunier rifle, Berthier rifle, Fusil Automatique Modele 1917, Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun, Winchester Model 1907, Berthier carbine, St. Etienne Mle 1907, F1 grenade, Modele 1892 revolver, Ribeyrolle 1918 automatic carbine, Chauchat-Ribeyrolles 1918 submachine gun, Star Model 14. Excerpt: The Lebel Model 1886 rifle (French: Fusil Modele 1886 dit " Fusil Lebel ") is also known as the "Fusil Mle 1886 M93," after a bolt modification was added in 1893. It is an 8mm bolt action infantry rifle which entered service in the French Army in April 1887. It is a repeating rifle capable of holding eight rounds in its forestock tube magazine plus one round in the transporter. The Lebel rifle had the distinction of being the first military rifle to use smokeless powder ammunition. This entirely new smokeless gunpowder, called "Poudre B," was nitrocellulose-based and had been invented two years earlier, in 1884, by Paul Vieille. The 8mm Lebel rifle outclassed all other firearms existing in 1886 since they were still using black powder ammunition with large bore unprotected lead bullets. Colonel Nicolas Lebel contributed the new small bore 8mm full metal jacket bullet ( "Balle M," or "Balle Lebel" ), inspired by the first jacketed rifle bullets invented in 1882 by a Lt. Col. Eduard Rubin with the Swiss Army. Furthermore, the Lebel rifle was first to introduce, in 1901, a boat-tail bullet ( "Balle D" ) as standard ammunition. Featuring an oversized bolt with front locking lugs and a massive receiver, the Lebel rifle was a durable design capable of effective long range performance with "Balle D." In spite of obsolete features, such as its tube magazine and the sharply tapered case of 8mm Lebel...