French 1886 M93 Lebels

[Candyman]

The other day I stopped in at one of the local shops and they had some more old rifles they had just put out. Two of them were 1886 M93 Lebels. They were priced at $499.95 each. One was well used and the other had black paint on it.
I took a quick look at them and went home. Two days later I stopped in after work to have another look at them. The shop owner saw me looking at them and said I should buy both of them. I found that the well used one was marked MA T1895. It had a few issues and a non matching bolt.
Now the one with the black paint was marked MA T1916 with a matching bolt. The rifle appeared to had been refurbed and never issued. When I opened the action it was caked with cosmoline.
For those that know me, I just hate to pay the marked price on a used gun. So I asked what would he let me have both for after pointing out the problems with the well used one. He told me to make an offer. I told him I would give him $200 for the ugly one and $400 for the painted one. He looked at the tags and said he could do that.
Here they are with extra pics of the painted one.

[Steamforger]

I have a bayonet for the Lebel back home. It's a later production, non-quillion example, but still a lovely "blade." Lightweight, long, and pokey enough to go through just about anything you could wear short of A500.

[JAG2955]

Beautiful. I've wanted one ever since reading Turtledove's "Ils ne passeront pas".

I can't believe the length they went to in order to force-match the stock to the serial. It looks like they chiseled out the old one, plugged it, then re-stamped.

[Candyman]

Beautiful. I've wanted one ever since reading Turtledove's "Ils ne passeront pas".

I can't believe the length they went to in order to force-match the stock to the serial. It looks like they chiseled out the old one, plugged it, then re-stamped.

That's what they did. There are two other repairs on the butt stock.

[slowpoke]

Lebels you say?

let me leave this here http://youtu.be/xMj94EukVQc