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World War 1 French St. Etienne Mle.1892 Lebel Revolver in 8mm French Ordnance ** Beautiful All-Original Revolver w/ Mint Bore! ** SOLD
Guns International #: 101239772 Seller's Inventory #: M19-
Category: Military Revolvers - Non-US - Military Arms
Seller's Information
When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com
Seller: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc.
Company: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc.
Member Since: 4/27/15
State: Kentucky
Zip: 40503
Country: United States
Phone: (859) 276-1419
Fax: (859) 278-0838
Platinum Seller
Number of Active Listings: 187
Total Number of Listings: 14836
Seller: FFL Dealer
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
Payment Types Accepted: Visa,Master Card, Discover,Check
Description:
This is a very attractive and 100% original French Military Model 1892 Lebel revolver with a perfect bore chambered in the 8mm French Ordnance cartridge. It was made in 1912 by Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne. It is not an import and was likely brought home as a trophy weapon from either WW1 or WW2. The Model 1892 Lebel revolver was one of, if not THE finest revolver that France ever made. While normally not known for quality military firearms, the French Mle. 1892 revolver is certainly an exception. The revover is made from high quality parts and quite a bt of attention was paid to the fit and finish. The Mle. 1892 was factory-finished in a beautiful gloss blue finish with quite a few "strawed" (yellow/gold finish) small parts. The two piece Walnut grips were precisely fit to the grip frame and have an attractive checkered pattern on them. The Mle. 1892 can be fired single or double action, has a swing out cylinder with an ejector, and the design incorporates a swing-open side plate which opens by turning one screw that allows full access to the mechanics of the gun. Each of the internal parts is numbered as a guide to the order in which to remove them, starting with one and so on until the revolver is apart, assemble in reverse order. The larger of the two grip pieces comes out without the need for tools as well with the side plate open. This made it easy for the common soldier to clean and service his weapon if needed, a rare feature for a revolver at that time. The Mle. 1892 served the French Military for an extremely long time, from it's introduction as the main French Military sidearm in 1892 all the way into the 1960's in a limited capacity. It was the main sidearm for the French forces in World War 1, and one of the main sidearms of France in World War 2 and beyond. The extremely long service life of the Model 1892 Lebel revolver is a fitting testament to the Mle. 1892's excellent design. This particular example was made in 1912 and is serial number H 44866. It is an all-original gun with lots of beautiful factory original finish still showing. The blue finish shows an even and attractive patina with minor wear in spots, mainly on the high edges and areas that would have contacted the holster it was carried in. The original yellow/gold "straw" finish on the small parts of the gun is also still intact to a degree, with nice color showing particularly in the protected areas. The factory "straw" finish is typically the first to go as it was not nearly as durable as the blue finish, and as you can see in the pictures it shows a lot more thinning and wear than the original blue finish. The bore in this Lebel revolver is superb, much nicer than any we have seen in quite some time. The bore is bright and clean with no visible pitting, erosion, or imperfections of any kind. The rifling still looks like-new and sharp, with perfect edges on the lands and grooves throughout. The 6 chamber bores in the cylinder are equally as nice with no blemishes. The original Walnut grips on this Mle. 1894 are in good shape overall and 100% solid. Both sides are free from any cracks, chips, major damage, or repairs, and they only show minor handling marks and light wear consistent with the rest of the gun. The checkering shows some wear to the tops of the diamonds of the checkering, but the lines are still nice and clean for the most part. This St. Etienne Lebel revolver is 100% functional and all of the controls are in perfect working order. The action is perfectly "in time" and is smooth and precise whether worked fast or slow. At full lock there is ZERO play in the cylinder, it is rock-solid perfect! We have no doubt whatsoever that this revolver would shoot just as well today as it did when it left the factory over 107 years ago in 1912. If you have been looking for a new addition for your military/WW1/WW2 weapons collection this 1912-dated St. Etienne Mle. 1894 revolver would be an excellent choice. Very rarely do we come across these weapons in such fine condition that are un-molested or not "improved" in some way, and it is even rarer to find one this attractive with such a superb bore. This Lebel revolver should prove to be an excellent long-term investment, and with proper care could be shot at the range/farm without harming it's value.
SOLD
Curio/Relic: Yes
Manufacturer: Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne
Model: Model 1892 Lebel Revolver (Mle. 1892)
Serial Number: H 44866
Caliber Info: 8mm French Ordnance
Bore: Mint
Condition: Very Good / Excellent
Manufacture Date: 1912