Lee Enfield Rifle; it's history

[South]

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/ ... know-53072


Good afternoon all,

This 3 page article - there appears some duplication added at end - tells of history of the weapon.

The rifle's history of use is earlier than 1919 and later than 1945 ... this is the best place I believe to serve our research efforts.

Note the acronym "SMLE" and pronunciation "Smelly".

Note author's use of expression "British musketry".

This long article does have some humor; "... newer Mark ... in United States ... by ... the Lend-Lease program".


~ Bob

[Adrian B]

When I was in the Air Training Corps back in the early and mid-1980s, we used to use the Number 4 Mk 1 a lot when we went shooting on a nearby rifle range. (We sometimes also used the L1A1 SLR, which was the standard British military rifle at the time, but it was mainly the Lee-Enfield that we used.) We also used to use it for rifle drill as well.

From personal experience, I can confirm that it is a lovely rifle to handle, and incredibly well-made. OK, it is a little on the heavy side (especially when you're only about 13 or 14!), and has one hell of a kick when fired, but it is really accurate out to 500 yards+ and a gun you can have real confidence in. It really is no surprise that it is still in such wide use today because, in so many ways, it is the standard against which other rifles are measured, and many fail to come close to.

And one thing that the article fails to mention is that the British Army and Royal Marine Commandos still used a version of the Lee-Enfield, re-chambered for the 7.62mm NATO standard round, as their main sniper rifle well into the 1980s (and maybe even longer?).

[South]

Good afternoon Adrian B,

Appreciate telling us your personal experience with the weapon.

What I mentally high -lighted: "have real confidence in". This goes to the top of the list.

~ Bob

[Sheldrake]

One big advantage the SMLE had over the Mauser and 06 Springfield was that the bolt travels only a short distance. Unlike these other rifles, you can maintain the sight picture as you work the bolt. This gives a higher rate of accurate fire, probably as good as an M1. The record was 37 aimed (accurate) shots a minute.

[von thoma]

Lee-Enfield rifles were the crown jewels of Royal Small Arms Factory

[Felix C]

One big advantage the SMLE had over the Mauser and 06 Springfield was that the bolt travels only a short distance. Unlike these other rifles, you can maintain the sight picture as you work the bolt. This gives a higher rate of accurate fire, probably as good as an M1. The record was 37 aimed (accurate) shots a minute.

I read one could work the bolt with one's index figure without removing hand grip from the stock

[Adrian B]

One big advantage the SMLE had over the Mauser and 06 Springfield was that the bolt travels only a short distance. Unlike these other rifles, you can maintain the sight picture as you work the bolt. This gives a higher rate of accurate fire, probably as good as an M1. The record was 37 aimed (accurate) shots a minute.

I read one could work the bolt with one's index figure without removing hand grip from the stock

From my own experience of using an SMLE, I'd have to say a "no" to that claim, as working the bolt does take a reasonable amount of force to unlock and lock it. As a result, you do need to use the palm of your hand to work it.

As for the distance of the bolt travel, that is primarily determined by the length of the cartridge. And as all three rifles used cartridges of around the same length, then the bolt travel is probably about the same for each of them. So I wouldn't think that the SMLE had any significant advantage there.

What actually gave the higher rate of fire is that the handle on the SMLE's bolt is curved downwards, rather than being straight as it is on many other similar rifles (if you compare pictures, you'll see what I mean). This means that, when you work the bolt, the handle doesn't come up into your eye-line and interrupt the view of the target through the sights, as it would if it was straight. As a result, you can hold your aim on the target while working the bolt to reload for the next shot, and so don't have to keep adjusting your aim. If you don't have to keep wasting time continually adjusting your aim between shots, you can achieve a much higher rate of fire, and that simple difference to the bolt handle was the SMLE's secret.

[Hop]

I read one could work the bolt with one's index figure without removing hand grip from the stock

I don't think that's possible, but it is possible to keep the bolt held between the index finger and thumb, and use the middle finger on the trigger. You don't have to change grip and it allows a higher rate of fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFYZHLuxXZ8

Slower but better aimed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibb5eX58hI

[Felix C]

I own several LEs and have shot them on the range. I could never work the bolt with my index and thumb as I read done in WW1. Presumed troops did more manual labor and had stronger fingers than me.