ID Help on German Rifle Cartridges

**footwart** · 10-21-2012, 02:28 PM

i have a 1925 french lebel carbine that my dad brought home from ww2. also a few rounds. i have never been able to find ammo anywhere. any ideas?

**TonyE** · 10-21-2012, 04:07 PM

As this thread has been ressurected it might be worth clarifying some details about the French 8x50R round.

Yes, the groove around the head was for safety in the Lebel tubular magazine, but that does not mean that the ammo was made ONLY for use in the Lebel rifle. These rounds are "Balle D" introduced in 1898 and used throughout WWI in all French weapons, Lebel, Berthier, Hothkiss, St.Etienne, Chauchat, Remington etc. They had the solid bronze swaged bullet.

The successor round was the "Balle N" introduced specifically for machine guns in 1923, with a conventional lead cored bullet. This had different bullet dimensions to the Balle D and from about 1932 French Berthier rifles were rechambered to accept the Balle N cartridge and had a large "N" stamped on the chamber. The Balle D continued to be manufactured right up to WW2 for weapons not yet converted, as these examples were, made in 1935 and found on Hotchkiss strips.

Regards
TonyE