Is there one singular firearm that revolutionized the way we wage war? If there is, it's the French Model 1886 Lebel. It may not look particularly different from other historical bolt-action firearms you've seen, but that's because the key difference is on the inside: This rifle was the first ever produced that could handle smokeless powder ... and that is a very big deal indeed.
Smokeless powder wasn't new in 1886. There had been several attempts to work with it previously, but it was discovered that the actions and barrels of rifles designed for blackpowder ammunition simply couldn't handle the increased pressure of smokeless powder. But the siren song of smokeless never stopped ringing. After all, when compared to blackpowder, it's cleaner, it produces higher velocities, and it makes it possible to use a plated bullet.
So how did this change the way battles are fought? Well, smokeless ammunition fielded through a long rifled barrel could travel much, much further than blackpowder ammunition could. It meant that military tacticians could set their firing lines much further back from the conflict point.
"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." Enjoy this terrific episode of "I Have This Old Gun" for today's #ThrowbackThursday!
