Could the Meunier have made a any difference?

Ok so we all know the French adopted the Meunier rifle in 1910 but the French high command dicked around about the ammunition the rifle used and it really didn't get off the production line till 1913 and even then only 1000 were ever made.

Now what I propose is what if there was limted resistance against the rifle and it was able to be produced in large numbers before the war. Lets say production began in early 1911 and kicked into high gear in in 1912 and 1913 allowing for a shift over from the old but respectible and honorable Lebel.

Ok so the Meunier is in the hands of French troops early in the war, does the increased firepower of the French infantryman make any difference in early battles of the war?

I know this is borderline ASB, and I know advanced arms and munitions can never compensate for icompetant leadership. But I do remember reading of several engagements early on where the accurate, fast firirng British troops managed to stall German attacks. I wonder if the French have fast firing box magazine semi-automaic rifles instead of old Lebels could they perhaps pull of similar feats?
 
Ok so we all know the French adopted the Meunier rifle in 1910 but the French high command dicked around about the ammunition the rifle used and it really didn't get off the production line till 1913 and even then only 1000 were ever made.

Now what I propose is what if there was limted resistance against the rifle and it was able to be produced in large numbers before the war. Lets say production began in early 1911 and kicked into high gear in in 1912 and 1913 allowing for a shift over from the old but respectible and honorable Lebel.

Ok so the Meunier is in the hands of French troops early in the war, does the increased firepower of the French infantryman make any difference in early battles of the war?

I know this is borderline ASB, and I know advanced arms and munitions can never compensate for icompetant leadership. But I do remember reading of several engagements early on where the accurate, fast firirng British troops managed to stall German attacks. I wonder if the French have fast firing box magazine semi-automaic rifles instead of old Lebels could they perhaps pull of similar feats?

Overall I would probably say no, a few more German soldiers are killed by the higher rate of fire coming from the French, a few more French soldiers are killed while trying to get their brand new SLR's to work in the mud and muck of the trenches.

It is however possible that the increased firepower of the Meunier could cause a cascading effect. The Germans lose an extra company in one engagement, which leads to them losing a battalion in the next, which leads to them losing a divison and the war in another.

Of course the real difference the Meunier would have made would be in the effect it would have on small arms development and deployment. If it worked even reasonably well you'd probably see most major armies using SLR's by the early 1930's.
 
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