Lebel rifle
The Lebel Model 1886 rifle was the standard bolt action rifle of the French army from 1886 until 1916. It was the first rifle designed specifically to use the then-new smokeless powder, invented in France, and combined a number of older design features in what would otherwise be the first truely modern battle rifle.
The Lebel was based on the earlier Gras rifle of 1874, sharing it's somewhat oversized bolt handle and general layout. However it was modified to use a much smaller 8mm round instead of the Gras' "normal" 11mm, but the smokeless powder resulted in a more powerful cartridge overall, as well as being much more accurate at longer ranges. The design also include a new tubular magazine with 8 rounds, based on the German Kropatschek. This was the one "unmodern" feature of the rifle, as most other designs had already moved to Mannlicher-based box magazine.
In service the rifle proved somewhat fragile, but was nevertheless a major advance on designs of the era. As is to be expected, the basic concept was soon copied by most rifle designers, and reached it's peak in the Mauser M98, which combined the new powder with a rimless cartridge and box magazine.
The Lebel saw extensive use during World War I, modified with a three-round magazine and known as the Berthier Mle 07-15.
