Royal Tiger Imports French Lebel HOW'S IT SHOOT? Inspection & Cleaning RTI B-Grade Antique Mle 1886
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- Опубликовано: 22 окт 2024
- A while back I did a video unboxing a French Mle 1886 Lebel from Royal Tiger Imports. I've finally gotten around to shooting it but before it was range ready there was a lot of inspection and cleaning that needed to be done. This B-Grade non-matching example came in fairly decent condition concerning what most of the RTI offerings are looking like.
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Royal Tiger Imports Lebel How's It Shoot? Inspection & Cleaning RTI B-Grade Antique French Mle 1886
A safety tip: Whenever you fire new or reloaded ammo in a new-to-you gun, especially one with very unknown provenance like your Lebel, ALWAYS inspect the empty brass after the the first few shots. Look for signs of overpressure, neck splits, primer punctures, etc, that may indicate poor headspace or excessively worn chamber.
Does this apply to steel case ammo?
There's nothing like getting an old war horse back into fighting condition.
For sure! Thanks for checking it out!
Besides the Hopper9, you can try putting metal parts in the boiling water to take off all these dirts and grease. At least it works for me.
You'd probably like my Arisaka Rifle Collection
I've done that plenty of time and yes it does work very well.
Great video, I was definitely thinking of getting a Lebel from them. I'm still contemplating it due to the price vs what you get. I hate that they wire wheel it too.
They did stop wire wheeeling but god only knows how many they destroyed lol
Yeah the whole wire wheeling was a really unfortunate move. At least they didn't put any import parks on it. Thanks for watching brother!
@@ReadinessReviews Yw thank you. :)
The trigger group looks daunting, but it's pretty straightforward to disassemble/reassemble. I'm finally getting to the range in a couple of weeks and will be bringing my RTI Lebel out there as well!
Agreed. It looks more complicated then it is. I’ve torn quite a few down and they have an order they come apart and it’s easy to put back together just reverse your takedown process
I'll get it figured out. I was just under a time crunch to get it to the range lol. I hope yours shoots good!
Don't you dare fire it! ( Every time someone fires one .... GERMANS show up!)
Just like you , I've used hot water to clean firearms .
After a bath , I drench them in WD-40 .
Seems to work for me all these years .
I like Remoil personally.
@@ReadinessReviews Yep , Remoil , even better !!
When I have old milsurps like that I dream about those Lyman ultrasonic cleaner tanks....
It would be awesome to have a full tank.
Wouldn’t recommend it if anything was parkerised. Stripped the finish off my MAS 36 bolt doing that
On the trigger assembly, you can rotate the lever to unlock the bullet feed tray and lift it up so you can clean underneath that part. And then rotate the lever back and press down on the tray to lock it back in place. I just cleaned my lebel and the cosmoline was a solid brick in the trigger group. Mine wasn’t from RTI though.
I did that off cam. This was just a short snippet of the cleaning I did lol.
This is one of my favorite channel I love surplus nice to have a channel dedicated to it
Thanks!!
great review and it turned out better than anticipated
Thanks man!
Good stuff. I took the plunge on an RTI Lebel and am not disappointed. I think yours is in better shape but much dirtier than mine. Biggest risk I've taken from them was an ICH M1 Garand and was pleased with it too.
How was the bore on the Garand?
@@ReadinessReviews Looks good. Was absolutely filthy but cleaned up well.
So glad this worked out for u..guess u and I were some of the lucky few that got decent French rifles from rti
I'm still thinking about a Berthier 🤔
@@ReadinessReviews Do it, like you said since the French didint use corrosive ammo you should have a much better chance of getting a good barrel
Haha you're a lucky man to have a Mle 1886 at home. Even as a french guy, in France you cannot find one under 1000€... That's a sad truth !
I know it's super rough collecting over there.
Found the video fascinating, as always, and wish you the best of luck with the spanner bit and magazine tube.
Looking forward to the future of your channel😊
EDIT: "IT'S MORPHING TIME"😎
Thanks man! I already ordered a new spanner lol.
Awesome video bud! great content as always
Thanks man! I appreciate it.
I do say you won the gamble with RTI. But I wouldn't risk myself into spending so much for a lebel.
I don't blame you for that one bit. They are a big risk.
I lost that risk lol. The one I received a week ago is just....oof. Barrel, receiver, both, trigger housing all matching numbers and 4 digit St Etienne which is cool. Woods is actually in great shape but the pittng/ rust is beyond rough. I'm still working on it but I am having doubts whether this can be a safe shooter.
I didn't see a proof mark for balle N. That involved some chamber/throat mods. You should probably investigate that some more.
Yes, this is important!!!
Always, thought someone would have imported them, years ago and rechambered/rebarrelled them to a more, up-to date caliber? Wouldn't 8mm Lebel, be difficult to find?
Btw, that was a very interesting video. People do forget that these rifles were the original smokeless powder wonder weapons of their day. They were so secret, the French held trials in secret and tried to give out as much information as possible.
Man the amount of filth that was in the fire control group was just crazy, it’s like you got a little piece of Ethiopia with your purchase lol. Nice power rangers shirt btw.
every gun from RTI comes will a small chunk of Ethiopia in it, dead bugs, dirt, etc.
Haha, it was a little bit more Ethiopia than I would have preferred.
Well, your B grade looks nicer than mine. Mr wire wheel did a number on my markings. I was missing the cross screw but found one after a lot of looking.
I've heard this more than once, It was found that soldiers aimed and shot low because they didn't want to kill anyone. Governments ordered the rifles with the higher sights. Or so this was hypothesised, lol. Don't know if its true but it makes sense. Could also be the wrong rounds designed for the rifle.
Pleasantly surprised at the chrono results. i thought it would yield anemic results like the 8mm Mauser. Sure, 8mm Lebel is anemic by battle rifle standards, but your readings surpassed what was advertised.
2400 ft or 730 mts.
How does The Lebel compare to your Berhier?
Interesting rifle
It's a foundational part of Firearms history.
I have been thinking about getting a Label from RTI as well. I don't mind taking down a milsurp and cleaning it. Thats part of the fun. I am just concerned about what I will get for the money. Like Hunters Lodge, it's a gamble. I guess either I take the risk and roll the dice or not.
Yeah man it's a risky move. You may be able to find a nice one on the secondary market but Lebel prices have been skyrocketing ever since the 100th anniversary of WW1
Man the Lebel is such a cool rifle, I have really bad luck missing some for sale
Over all looks good , the only French rifle I have , is the MAS 36 . Hopefully at some point I can acquire a Berthier rifle & carbine , then think about the Lebel .
The MAS 49/56 is a pretty awesome rifle too!
One of my dream guns
Did you ever get the butt stock off the receiver ? Would you ever consider refinishing that 1886 Lebel. I think it would look pretty good with a rust blue or even a parkerized finish . Since I believe RTI really over charged you even if it is in fairly decent shape. Love your Videos
I haven't had a chance to revisit it since shooting for the first time. This No.4 Enfield project has taken up all my time recently. I don't think I'd ever refinish the metal but I plan on giving the wood a good cleaning.
Looks great!
I'm glad to finally have one.
Awesome video as always, I’m thinking about getting one to at least get a French rifle in my collection
If you do, good luck. Just remember RTI is a dice roll.
@@ReadinessReviews still for 700 it’s just a nice price to have in the collection
@@joeydussell9407 yeah at that price I'm far more inclined to make a recommendation. They were asking 999 which was way too much imo.
@@ReadinessReviews yeah, I was screwing with my 1917 enfield the other day and I found out I can hold 7 rounds in my magazine, a little off topic but I figured it’s kinda cool
@@joeydussell9407 guess that spring is a little worn lol. That's pretty cool though as long as it's still reliable.
The 1890 dated barrel is nice but in my opinion RTI's price is way too high, for a rifle in that condition I would pay 400 bucks at best. Where I am from a very nice (90% blueing)Lebel costs around 600(sometimes even less).
For the same price as RTI a guy was offering a mint 1886 in all original configuration...
Shit were you at I need could use a cash printer like that
Their bethiers are kind overpriced too i think. I bought 2 of them. they were in similar condition to everything else. the one had a really really tight bore tho. shoots great. havent bought any lebels tho
I haven't even seen a Lebel in the wild in over 4 years and they regularly sell for 1k plus in GB now. I'm it saying RTI is a good deal but for a surplus Lebel they are basically the only game in town.
I'd suggest getting a harbour freight ultrasonic jewelry/parts cleaner. They actually work pretty good and heat the cleaning solution. Work great on things like that trigger group
Since something like this needs a complete cleaning and rebuild, theres no harm in using gasoline... It melts even cosmoline like butter. Itll ruin wood finishes, but thats not an issue here.
He has one, he showed a quick clip of it in this vid.
Do the rounds line up tip to primer in the magazine it seems like a cool gun that’s the only thing I was concerned about
Back watching this video again: when you gonna properly clean up the lebel?
I haven't had time to do much of anything recently. Just getting together a weekly video has been a struggle. I hope to be able to put the time in on it before the end of the year.
I had a label it was a tack driver I would have another one in a Flash
Did you ever figure out how to remove the magazine tube?
Hey bro, better wear glasses when shooting old milsurp. I had an enfield #4 from rti pierce the primer and all come back in my face. Done with them!!!!
I can't believe you're the first comment to suggest this so far down on the page. I won't even shoot modern guns with my own meticulous reloads without eye pro.
Go to dollar general and get a can of CRC brake cleaner it works great removing that old rust and grime . Spray it down inside the barrel also it cleans the rifling grooves out fantastic !
this was a good score. alot of work that just happens to be kinda fun and you got to shoot it that's a win at life right their! its ben a while since something interesting crossed my path. it's ok tho cause im broke lol...
I heard they did stop wire wheeling the lebels but i havent seen many if any that havent been :(
Yeah I heard the same thing. Haven't seen one yet though.
I ended up getting my Lebel today. I bought the grade higher than B that was supposed to be "functional and shootable", but the barrel is stuffed with something, including wood. Did you have this issue with your rifle?
Hey love ur content! I want a history/surplus room just like yours, can you make that video tour
I know you've been asking. I'll do it at some point! 😅
wish i knew that trick for my kar98 with the clamp lol, i cut my hand like 3 times getting mine off, but its been worked so much it comes off as it should now.
They can certainly be a pain in the butt. An old timer told me about the clamp trick several years back. It had come in very handy.
@@ReadinessReviews yeah my hand would slip and go right on the front sight cutting the meat on my hand under the thumb palm side
How much did that cost? I want it
Soaked a carcano trigger guard/magazine assembly in clr for a week screws came out easily
That works! I was under a time crunch though
What about blowing out the dirt with Gun Scrubber?
That wouldn't have hurt. Don't have any though 😅
If only there were aftermarket barrels for common caliber rounds, you could save the original barrel, and shoot cheaper. Im sure a 7.62x39 would be unquestionably safe!
how was the price on this rifle cause I'm looking at buying on for my french ww1 impression since that is the only item missing from my impression
Think they are about 700 currently
Also what 8mm mauser ammo would you reccomend that you can get right now?
Gunbroker, steel case stuff FedArms.
Can't go wrong with PPU although it is expensive and under powered. For surplus the recently imported German stuff is pretty dang good.
@@ReadinessReviews any links, I'll send you a facebook message
Do they offer all matching examples? I don’t like buying mis matched guns.
As far as I know, yes. Of course they charge more.
@@ReadinessReviews sweet thanks!
Its such a shame they wire wheeled it at all, ive used a tooth brush size wire brush with good results for many years. I find the brush is better than 0000 steel wool on the finish. My lebel 1886/93s mag spring had some brakes & old repairs by overlaping & rapping in small wire, its replaced. The forarm has a cross pin at the rear that the wood pulled out so the forarm moves forward when shooting (not good), its also missing a band spring & that doesnt help. With the bayo on it holds it in place good. But it mostly works & was only $41 its got a 1936 date
Ive been looking at getting a vetterli from RTI im just unsure about how trustworthy they are
I've had a customer service issue on two occasions and they eventually made it right both times it just took a lot longer than I would have liked. Of course don't expect the products to be in great shape.
You can get a Vetterli for a better price at a gun show and not worry about RTI damage.
@@bad74maverick1 haven't seen a vetterli at a gun show since maybe 4 or 5 years ago
@@maxxz365 oh man they are at every OGCA I have been too!!
@@bad74maverick1 not sure if there are collectors shows here in FL. Usually at the shows that are held its like one small booth wayy in the back with like a handful of firearms
Bro, use a brass brush.
The problem is all of their rifles should be half the cost for the fair condition. I doubt RTI spent probably 100s of thousands for them to wire wheel them without them knowing or asking.
They need to lower the price at least a couple hundred bucks over the wirewheel fiasco on most of their guns, they damaged the stocks along with removing the patina and it looks the worst on the flat side lebel receiver the way it left stripes
I don't think they touch them at all, unless they are advertised as redone. They should be selling them based on condition more, but that will too hard for them given how many they got. They did start selling "cracked stock" stuff cheaper after I had already bought something from their initial lot. Everything you see was done by the Master Ethiopian Armorers.
I would have been a lot happier with a couple hundred off.
I want one but damn the price and condition turn me off
They are certainly risky. There was a 699 sale recently. At that price I'd so go for it.
@@ReadinessReviews oof I must have missed it
That m48 I bought for 50 bucks was worse. The bugs, and Just gunk was terrible.
I would gladly fight the bugs from Starship Troopers for a 50 buck M.48 😂
those bullets in a tubular magazine😮 very hazardous against a primer!
Not an issue with Lebel ammo.
@@ReadinessReviews yeah but the pointy bullets u showed?
This French 8mm has an extra ridge around the primer on the base of the case to trap the tip of the bullet behind itn instead of letting it rest on the primer. Pretty sure Ian talked about it on a French rifle video on Forgotten Weapons a while back
I was debating buying one of these or a nice muzzleloader I ended up going with a muzzleloader because I was scared I was gonna get a broken part and be screwed after seeing yours I’m kind of regretting it definitely will get one in the future though nice vid !
You might have made a good decision. You could have easily gotten one with a broken part. RTI is a roll of the dice.
can’t go wrong with a nice muzzleloader . i would love to get around to getting a custom flintlock fowler
Shame they wire wheeled it looks like the stock got it too around recvr.
If the muzzle is worn use flatbase bullets , I use Rem 185 gr flat base soft points 8mm bullets in my Lebel and Berthiers it shoots much better than PPU factory with 198 boat tails. Your 30 yd holes look tippy to me.
Under the barrel looked the best. It's a shame they wire wheel so hard
Do all the grade B rifles come wire wheeled? Please god I hope not.
Supposedly not anymore
@@ReadinessReviews I just called. They said on the phone they come from Africa "As is". I think I'm going to give it a shot. Might do a video on what I get.
@@ReadinessReviews Just ordered one. Went to pay the extra 200 for the pre 1898 made rifles and they didn't charge me for it..... So I asked if there was a B grade and select, they said yes for 200 extra. I said okay tack that on. 940 bucks for a hand select B grade they didn't charge me 200 for the pre 1898 date.... I'll see what I get.
@@bad74maverick1 best of luck!! Hope it's a good one.
@@ReadinessReviews I'll let you know. I might even do a review. The warehouse manager said they were as is now and not being wheeled.
I wish I would have kept mine. Seller’s remorse 😢
It's the mummy. lol
how much could a man get one of these french rifles for?
700 bones currently
@@ReadinessReviews that ain't too bad. have you ever fired one of those swiss k rifles? i got a really good deal on some but i don't know anyone who has fired one.
@@aronhensley8355 Heck yeah man. They are a dream to shoot!
I use Auto Trans. Fluid mixed with acetone 50-50 mix or Kroil and soak for a day on screws.... Then tap the screw n put a lil bit more on the screw you will be able to get pretty much any screw out this way.... And of course use real gunsmiths tools.... Unfortunately the Milsurp Market is over now with Brandon in office :-( be well.
Another thing to clean believe it or not is "Scrubbing Bubbles" to clean up everything.... Doesn't hurt any finish..
saying brandon is cringe, and it has nothing to do with Joe Biden since the prices have been going up over the years, especially during the pandemic. STFU.
Haven't heard that one. I may have to try it!
Interesting method. This rifle could have certainly used it.
@@HircineDaWolf , How old are you ?? You living in your Momma's Basement ?? Biden shut down the pipe line and closed drilling on his first day in office.. Putting 18,662 pipefitters and welders out of work and I was one of them.. Before Nitwit gas was under 2 bucks a gallon..
OMG I have never seen any rifle that dirty.
It was so gross 😂
Ok, I'm gonna sound like a jerk but here goes: Love your vids, how about you stick around so we can keep enjoying them. Please at least wear eye pro on a 130 year old mix matched rifle that I doubt was even headspace checked. And like another dude suggested, fire one round and closely inspect that brass. You're too young to lose an eye or some fingers! Not trying to sound like your mommy but just trying to look out.
I still can’t believe they had people wire wheel most of these rifles from Ethiopia. 😩
Yeah it's so unfortunate
🇨🇵🇨🇵
Love my French Rifles!
I am french and I like the french rifles because its very good quality.
If you buy guns from RTI, you might end up with a termite infestation at your house. All their guns seem to be crawling with bugs.
I bought a rifle from them - never again.
I've bought several. It's been a mix of both good and bad but certainly more bad than good.
Wow...The crud build up.....Wonder how much is WWI crud.
I'm sure there was at least some in there lol
You wanted to shoot better do a trigger job on it the trigger is set up to fool the shooter to not know when it fires it has two humps on the Seer you'll have to look into how to do that correctly the rifle is attack driver it's not the rifle it's operator error the rifle is a winner