doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lefaucheux Double in 8mm lebel - Leopold Bernard

Hello Der Ami,

You are correct, I corrected my previous post. I found a website that showed the family Coat of Arms (family crest) listed the following description:

"Coat of Arms: A red shield with a Gold Grasshopper"

It went on to say: ...

The name Lefaucheux began in medieval France. Occupational surnames emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Lefaucheux family, adopted the name of their occupation as their sirname. The surname Lefaucheux was an occupational name of a "reaper" or "mower" or a "maker of scythes" deriving from the Old French word "fauche" which meant "scythe."

So, ... I suppose a "grasshopper" was the ultimate "reaper."

Or, you might say Lefaucheux weapons could be used to "mow down men."

Pretty funny!
Well the bottom line is that as with most last name, this one is of peasant origin.
A "faux" is a scythe. The "faucheur" is a reaper, i.e a worker using a scythe to cut hay or any other harvest.
"Lefaucheux" is the name of a man who was doing that job at some distant point in the past.
No wonder there would be no coat of arms for that family.
Actually very few names have a real coat of arms.
The nobility before the revolution was a very small clique.
Almost none of the "Lexxx" surnames indicate nobility. Most are of modest origins.
Not even all the "De xxxx" are nobility.

As for the grasshopper, I think that a "faucheur" might have been a reference for it, due to the shape of the legs. or its action on the harvests.

Best regards,
WC-

Well, the genealogical web page I found actually said that it "was" the family crest. A second site verified this and also gave a near identical rendition of the "Lefaucheux family Coat of Arms" that looked like this:



Anyway, enough about the gay "Gold Grasshopper." At least it wasn't inlaid into my rifle.


I took some time and did a chamber cast today. My bores measure .3175/.329 left barrel and .318/.330 right barrel. Both are 4-groove, "left-hand" twist.

I was a little surprised by these numbers, as they seem much over standard 8mm. Fortunately I'm an avid Schuetzen shooter and have no less than 42 different bullet molds for 8mm ranging from .316 up to .334 diameter.

I have 3 custom Darr molds, 203 grain .327 Dia. Spitzer, 185 grain .330 Dia. Pope style, and a 245 grain .334 Dia. Spitzer. I also have a Borton/Darr 203 grain .327 Dia. Spitzer that might be worth a try.



The loaded ammo I have from Graf uses a 180 grain .323 Dia. Soft Point. I also have on order some 200 grain soft points in .323 Dia.

Looks like reloading for this will be another challenge.

I would recommend starting from the 232 grain loading.
However, the closest I can find in jacketed bullet is 220grains (Hawk or Woodleigh).
Another option is to use the 3/4 rule, which is 3/4 bullet weight (174 grains) with same loading. It usually regulates the same as the full load.

Also Buffalo has a 208grs bullet in .327" from Prvi I think.
Might be OK.

WC-

Hello WildCattle,

I never heard of the "3/4 rule". Where did that come from? It might be useful for my 9.3x74R Fraser double that's been giving me fits.

Nope, no such luck RWTF.
"Faux" has two meanings: Scythe and False
A "faux pas" is a misstep.
WC-

It's an empirical behavior in which some double rifles also regulate with a 3/4 weight bullet.
For instance, the 318WR might regulate with 180 and 250grs bullets. Both were factory loadings. The loading should be the same or thereabout, i.e there will be less energy with the lighter bullet.
Other examples exist.
No guarantee of course...

WC-

But first you need to find the regulation of that Fraser! If it's 300 as we're begining to suspect,75% of 300 is 225. I think that theres a 232 grn made. If so that'd be about as close as you could get with factory bullet.
But you could fire up your 'special machine and make some the right weight. As WC said full load just like your regular one just lighter bullets.
My 450's use 480 and 500 just fine so 75% is 350. Hornady just happens to have that one for my plinking loads.

Hello AkMike1,

That's very interesting. But I agree, that will have to come "after" I find my Fraser's regulated load with the 300g bullets.

As a side note about the 8mm Lebel. I knew very little about the 8mm Lebel cartridge until I acquired this little double Lefaucheux. I have come to find that this is one of the strangest cartridges I have ever seen.

Over the years I have loaded for over 60 different calibers and developed several that didn't exist, but this is the first, and perhaps the "only", cartridge that has a double taper body. Not to mention the radius of both the shoulder and neck junctures, something that Roy Weatherby took credit for some 55 years later.

I can't wait to start experimenting with it!