The Best That Never Was 2 (Prototypes)

[Vespers War]

Originally Posted by copeab

The 8mm Lebel was an obsolete cartridge based on the old 11mm Gras black powder cartridge. It was rimmed with a severe taper, making it a poor choice for self-loading weapons (look at the magazine of the Chauchat).

8mm Lebel didn't start being replaced until 1936, and was only slightly more obsolete than .303 British (which was also a rimmed cartridge converted from black powder to smokeless that didn't work well in self-loading actions). The taper wasn't an issue if ammunition capacities were kept reasonable (by contemporary standards, not modern ones). The RSC 1918 used the same Mle 16 5-round en bloc clip as late bolt-action Berthier rifles. During the Occupation, they were used by Vichy and Volksturm troops under the name Selbstlade-Gewehr 310(f).