1892 French Lebel Revolver

blueswiss

This is the French pistol in, apparently, the 8mm Lebel caliber, but the bore looks as big as a .45ACP. Would that be right for an 8mm Lebel?
My friend has it and saw someone trying to sell one, on GunBroker, for an opening bid of $700. Is that realistic?
I can't see how I can add pictures to this thread to show you what it looks like.
Thanx in advance,
Tim

charliemeyer007

You need to post the pic's to a hosting site like photobucket. Make a junk e-mail address first to cut the spam. Then upload your pic's. Next you paste the URL links copyed from your pic's here using the 4th box yellow pic icon from the right at the top in the format line.

Guidelines http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=259294

Here is one for sale, does it look like this? $700 seems optimistic.
http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=520754174

rufe-snow

Before the French Model of 1892 Ordnance revolver, became the standard handgun of the French military.

There was a Model 1873, chambered for a 11mm Black Powder cartridge. This is a much larger cartridge, than the 8mm used by the 1892 Ordnance revolver. Bout the size of a 45ACP as you noted.

Here is a photo off the net, of a Model 1873.

1BigGuy

The French Model 1892 pistol is chambered in 8mm French Ordnance (8x27mm). While it is sometimes referred to a "Lebel", Nicolas Lebel apparently had nothing to do with its design; but he was president of the selection board that chose it. Others sometimes call it the "St. ?tienne" since it was built by Manufacture d'armes de Saint-?tienne (MAS). Over 350,000 Mod?le 1892 revolvers were manufactured between 1892 and 1924. It was issued in the French Army, Navy, and National Gendarmerie, amongst others. They were to be retired in 1935 when France adopted the Mod?le 1935A semi-automatic pistol. WWII prevented their replacement until after 1945. In many places formally under French rule they remained in service well into the 1960s.
My Standard Catalog of Military Firearms, The Collector's Price and Reference Guide (7th Edition, 2013) lists suggested prices of $450 for examples in excellent condition, $325 for very good ones, $275 for good examples, and $200 for pistols in poor condition. I think $700 is exorbitant, but then I paid just under $500 for mine.

blueswiss

Thank you for the replies & suggestions for hosting the pics.
I believe that the response from 1BigGuy answered the question well enough for me to tell my friend what he can expect.
Tim

blueswiss

One other question.
Am I correct in my assumption that if my friend or I sold this on the GunBroker auction, that it could go to anyone?
In other words, no FFL required because it is pre-1898???

1BigGuy

From the Gun Broker page located here: http://www.GunBroker.com/Support/SupportFAQView.aspx?FAQID=1118&NoCount=1
quote:'Antique' firearms need not be shipped to a licensed dealer. These can be shipped directly to the buyer. An antique firearm is a firearm built in or before 1898, or a replica thereof. The exact ATF definition of an antique firearm is:

Antique firearm. (a) Any firearm (including any firearm with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system) manufactured in or before 1898; and (b) any replica of any firearm described in paragraph (a) of this definition if such replica (1) is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition, or (2) uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition which is no longer manufactured in the United States and which is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.

A French Model 1892 may have been manufactured as late as 1924, so the "age" test may not apply. But I can assure you that the 8x27 round is not readily available in the U.S. I've been seeking some and have had no luck.

As an aside, this website offers some alternate opinions regarding prices for various firearms. I prefer the Standard Catalog though. http://prepari.org/manowar/revolvers.htm

rufe-snow

quote:Originally posted by blueswiss
One other question.
Am I correct in my assumption that if my friend or I sold this on the GunBroker auction, that it could go to anyone?
In other words, no FFL required because it is pre-1898???


Date of manufacture is stamped on the barrel. If made after 1898, has to go through either a FFL dealer, or a C & R licensee.

Last one I owned was made in the 1920's. Ammo was easily made, from cut down 32-20 brass, and standard reloading components. Only difficultly was the bullets. Barrel sluged out at .317. Wound up using 8mm Nambu bullets, from Graff and Son in Mo.