A future article. Comments welcome.

John

The Lee-Enfield rifle will forever be associated with its long use by the British Empire. Its extensive history, iconic profile and reputation for reliability and rapid fire indelibly etch it into one’s mind as a one of the true military rifle classics. It was one of the most successful bolt action rifles in its time frame, which spanned from 1895 to the 1990s. Produced by many nations, including the United States, it’s been distributed worldwide and even today can be found in the hands of combatants in the mountains and plains of Afghanistan. The sun never sets on Lee-Enfield rifles. It’s been estimated that over 17 million have been produced.

The Lee-Enfield was essentially a redesign of the black powder Lee-Metford Mk I rifle, which was the brainchild of James Paris Lee (1831-1904), a Scottish-Canadian who moved to America in 1858. The Lee-Metford was adopted by the British Army in 1888. The first Lee-Enfields were introduced in 1895, as the .303 caliber “Rifle, Magazine, Lee-Enfield.” This differed from the Lee-Metford primarily in usng a deeper rifling developed by Enfield Arsenal, as the more shallow Metford rifling fared badly after smokeless Cordite powder replaced compressed black powder charges. This was a long, heavy weapon. The MLE (nicknamed “Emily”) was superseded in December, 1902 by the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk I (SMLE). This one was popularly known as “Smelly.” The “Short” in the designation does not refer to the magazine, but to the length of the rifle. While the MLEs had 30.2-inch barrels and the cavalry carbines had 20-inchers, the new rifle was much lighter than the MLE and had a mid-length 25-inch barrel. Then in 1907 the SMLE Mk III appeared. It fired a redesigned .303 high velocity spitzer round designated as the Mk VII cartridge. This utilized a pointed 174-grain bullet instead of the previous 215-grain rounded bullet. This model then became standard issue throughout the World War I period. SMLEs achieved an enviable reputation for rapidity of fire. A trained infantryman could get off as many as 15 - 30 shots a minute including reloading. The action of the rifle separated the extraction and cocking phases (it cocked on closing), and so enabled quick manipulation. The Germans of WWI sometimes reported that they were facing machine guns, when in reality they were encountering well-trained Brits shooting their rifles at full tilt. The demand for rapid production during WWI spawned some modifications that allowed reductions in cost and more efficient manufacturing. Long range sights on the side of the rifle were eliminated and the magazine cut-off was deleted. The revised SMLE Mk III* (Mark III star) was renamed after the war to be the Rifle, No. 1, with various mark numbers.

The Mark III* or No. 1 rifle was to see plenty of action in the years to come. The standards were set at a weight of about 8.8 pounds and a length of 44 ½ inches. The barrel length was fixed at 25 inches. The Mk VII Ball cartridge had a muzzle velocity of approximately 2440 feet per second, giving the rifle an effective range of about 550 yards. The weapon had a removable box magazine with a capacity of 10 rounds. It was designed to be reloaded by 5-round clips or “chargers” from the top. The magazine was removable primarily for cleaning or replacement purposes, and only one was issued with each rifle. Individual cartridges could be fed into the magazine as well. The rifle utilized a sliding ramp rear sight and post front sight, drift adjustable for windage. It could be equipped with scope sights for sniper purposes. The Lee-Enfield design featured rear locking lugs. This allowed a shorter and therefore quicker bolt movement. Another great design feature was the removable bolt head. This could be unscrewed and changed to compensate for differences in headspace. The 10-round magazine had greater capacity than most of its contemporaries. The Enfields also had generous chamber dimensions which allowed for dirty ammunition, easing extraction when the rifle was fouled or overheated from firing. All had two-piece stocks.

In World War II, yet another variation was introduced. This was the No. 4 Mk I, which was adopted for the British services in 1941. The weight was somewhat reduced, and it utilized a spike-type bayonet often referred to by its users as the “pig sticker” or “tent peg.” A somewhat more mass-producible version was the No. 4 Mk I* (Mark I star). It was manufactured at the Long Branch arsenal in Canada and by the Savage-Stevens company in the United States. The U.S.-produced weapons were all marked “U.S. PROPERTY” and were specifically made for lend-lease to the British. None were ever standard issue for U.S. troops. Some of these rifles had 2-groove rifling instead of the standard 5-groove. These U.S. rifles had a simplified bolt release, and had the rear sight mounted on the receiver, as with all No. 4's. The rear stock was made in several lengths in order to fit individual soldiers. The rifle illustrated is a Savage-Stevens-made example, manufactured in 1942 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. Winchester Repeating Arms Company made a large quantity of .303 British ammunition to go with the rifles. Both the rifles and the ammunition are collector items today. No. 4 rifles equipped with sniper scopes were used during WWII and on into the Korean War and beyond. Australia did not adopt the No. 4, and continued to make the No. 1 rifle until it was replaced by the L1A1 self-loading rifle.

A variant popularly known as the “jungle carbine” was also manufactured during World War II. It was designated as the No. 5 Mk I. This weapon had a cone-shaped flash suppressor and a drastically reduced length for portability. It also had a rather ineffective recoil pad. The recoil on this lightweight carbine can only be described as brutal, and it was not well received in the field. It was soon declared obsolete. Many examples also had a problem of a "wandering zero,” the cause of which was never diagnosed properly. The Australians made a few similar experimental carbines designated No. 6, Mk I. The production life of the No. 5 Mk I was quite short, making it collectible today. Be advised that there are some cobbled-up fakes resembling these weapons, so be sure of what you are looking to acquire.

There was an unusual pistol-caliber carbine made for British special operations. This was known as the “De Lisle Carbine,” and was specifically designed for covert assassination purposes. It was a Lee-Enfield modified to chamber and fire the .45 ACP cartridge from a short barrel. It featured an integral sound suppressor and was fed from a standard M1911 pistol magazine. Also, many Lee-Enfields were modified to chamber .22 rimfire cartridges for inexpensive training purposes.

During the Cold War, the 7.62x51 NATO cartridge became standard. In Britain, a few Lee-Enfields were converted to fire this new round, and but it was not adopted by the British military in standard form. However, the scoped L42A1 sniper rifle was made for the 7.62mm round and has seen extensive use. The Indian Ishapore arsenal did make standard Lee-Enfields in 7.62mm, as well as some .410 shotguns using the Lee-Enfield action. Production of standard 7.62mm rifles started in 1963 and ran through 1975. These rifles had a muzzle velocity of 2600 feet per second, and utilized a 12-round detachable box magazine. Loading was by 5-round stripper clips. Some of these are in use even today. These 7.62mm Indian rifles used improved steel over earlier No. 1 rifles. Britain produced some 7.62mm L39A1 “Envoy” rifles, which were target rifles fitted with short forestocks and target sights.

A large number of manufacturing sites produced the various Lee-Enfields. In Britain, these included the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, the Royal Small Arms Factory at Sparkbrook, Birmingham Small Arms Company Ltd., London Small Arms Company Ltd., the Royal Ordnance Factory at Fazakerley, the Royal Ordnance Factory at Maltby, and the Birmingham Small Arms Factory at Shirley. As mentioned, American Lee-Enfields were produced by the Savage-Stevens Company. Canadian versions were made at their Long Branch Arsenal. In Pakistan, they were manufactured at the various Pakistan Ordnance Factories, and in India at the Ishapore Arsenal. Australian rifles came out of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory.

Although replaced by the L1A1 7.62mm SLR rifle in 1957, the Lee-Enfields remained in the British service until the early 1960s. The 7.62 mm L42A1 sniper rifles soldiered on until the 1990s. Standard SMLEs are still in service with some Commonwealth nations.

Nations using the Lee-Enfield rifles besides the United Kingdom have included Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy (post WWII), Ireland, Israel, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Greece, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Republic of China (Savage-Stevens-made No. 4 Mk I* rifles were provided to RoC forces in India during WW II), Rhodesia, South Africa, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. U.S. utilization occurred during WWI when some members of the American Expeditionary Force attached to British and Australian units borrowed and used them, and Merrill's Marauders used some in Burma in WWII.

Often regarded as inferior to the Mauser system in the strength of its action and its lack of gilt-edged accuracy, the Lee-Enfield proved to be one of the most “soldier proof” rifles of its day. It was reliable, extremely fast in operation, easily maintained in the field, and distributed in large numbers around the world. It surely ranks among the classic military rifles of the 20th Century.


(c) 2013 JLM

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Good article, as usual, thanks. I've wanted one of those rifles in .303 for many years; but since I can no longer hunt, it remains a dream.

I had never heard of the DeLisle: that's fascinating.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Nice article! I've always liked the old "smelly" and I for one consider it to be the best bolt action battle rifle ever. I have a few but my current favorite is the Ishapore #2A in 7.62 NATO, what a great rifle! Thanks for sharing your work.

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Stay safe people!

Nice article. Have had many Enfields. The MkI was always my favorite w/it's slideing charger bridge.
I may just take the MkI* rifle out to the range tomorrow.
A BSA mfg commercial marked piece & still targeted for the heavier Mk6 ammo.

Great rifles. I bought a no4 mk1 in 2010 and put in storage. Shot it for the first time in July. I was thinking about selling, but decided to keep it after range trip.

I had a Fazakerly made #4Mk1* during the '80s. It was a nice shooting gun, accurate and VERY fast.

I don't think I ever owned a #4 rifle. My two MkI's are the early SMLE's in the 1904/06 era. My brother still has his #4 rifle though, a LongBranch Arsenal version he bought when we were in our early teens yet. I think his was something like $9.95 off the rack at the time. I bought Loewe/Berlin 1893 Mauser that looked unissued at the same time. I spent the big bucks at around $12 or $15 for mine but got the matching bayonet & scabbard.
I wonder what ever happened to that rifle. I think it turned into a Nylon 66 at some point.
SMLE's no matter the era are very fast and smooth to operate. So much for the slow, difficult to use cock on closing argument.

I own a No4 and love it despite the fact that its one of the more difficult bolt actions to operate for a lefty like me. All others I can shoot just as fast as a right handed person without unsholdering the rifle. However I still love the way it shoots and its peep sights. My came with a more traditional "knife" blade bayonet instead of the spike. If only 303 was cheap(er).

I still have the idea in the back of my mind to find a none collectable, none matching ...but a solid shooter No4 and have it converted to 7.62x54. The ammo is close enough and ive heard of it being done

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

I love my No. 1 Mk111*. It is my standard deck gun, the one I reach for to cull the larger varmints. I also like hunting with it during the winter. The full wood stock is warm on the hands; the open sights reliable in the snow. Clean Break

Back in the '90s, a friend and I were walking into the Ohio Gun Collector's Association Show in Cleveland, when he walked past a guy carrying a beautiful #1MkIII. My friend instantly doubled back and stopped the guy. It was an Iraqi marked gun, in at least VG condition and my friend bought it on the spot.

John,

Great article.

You could add that No. 1 Mk IIIs, No. 4s and No. 5s could be fitting to individual solders by changing to shorter or longer stocks. Standard stocks were not marked for length. Shorter and longer stocks were stamped with a letter on top of the stock near the butt. No. 1 short stocks were stamped B for bantam. No. 4 & 5 short stocks were stamped S. All the long stocks were stamped L.

Also on later No. 4s the trigger attachment/hinge pin was moved from the trigger guard to the receiver to maintain a more consistent sear engagement so trigger release could be improved. Some earlier No. 4s were retrofitted this way. I forget the markings for this but I’m sure they’re in your books.

During the 1990s many No. 4s manufactured in their final two years, 1955 and 1956, were imported unfired smeared with cosmoline in their factory wax paper cocoon. Like other post WWII No. 4s they have chambers dimensioned to sporting rifle standards rather than being over reamed to accept muddy cartridges. Despite their beach stocks IMO they are the most desirable SMLEs. One LGS had them for $169 plus tax including their handless knife. Not bad for a new rifle!

Aloha,

MANY years ago when I was just barely legal to buy and own a firearm, I got a No 5 Jungle carbine from the local surplus store.

Back then they had them piled into wooden barrels and sold for $50 or less.

Sears was selling WWII 98k Mausers in the catalog for $39,

Anyway, to say that the recoil of the No 5 is "brutal" is a big understatement.

I sold it to a friend for what I had in it, plus he got the ammo I had too.

My 375 H & H shoots more softly.

John-

Good article. I noted my editing of it in bold italics. I didn't correct for barrel length, but I think it is actually 24.25 inches, not an even 25. I'll have to check later. Some Speer reloading manuals list that. Must run errands now. I edited your article in this way to save time, for which I am pressed today. I do not know your editor's maximum word length.

I got my first .303, a Savage-made one, when I was 13 or 14. I think the same year as I got my first handgun, a Webley MK VI. I'd have been 13.

I hope this helped. Most articles on these rifles that I've read in US gun magazines have had some errors. Don't feel that you were the first to muff some things! I know of two gun writers who are just out of their league in discussing British arms. One admits that he thinks they're ugly.

I do not do this editing for free: if we ever meet, you owe me a cup of coffee! (Unless the board lawyers point out that we did not have even an oral contract. )

I love these rifles, and well understand Clean Break's affection for his SMLE. CB, thanks for the new photos!

Oh: you might add that some excellent sporters were made on LE actions by BSA, LSA, and even the "Best" London custom manufacturers. These are a far cry from a Bubba job with a cut-down military stock. Note that Long Branch is two words; I changed it for you. I'm almost certain about the Chicopee FALLS location (not just Chicopee) for Savage. You can double check.

Some years back when I had multiple kids in college I decided to investigate Lee-Enfields; they were not only interesting but cheap to buy.

Got one of the #4 Mk. 2s in excellent plus condition. Early on I found that case life when full sized was about two firings. I learned from a .303 site that neck sizing with a Lee Loader (whack-a-mole) kit and keeping the brass with one rifle extended that up to 9 loadings. Also got a couple of the "sporterized #4 Mk.1s with the ATI "zytel" stocks which made one heck of a good utility rifle.

The one I like best cost the least: a "decorator" SMLE #1 Mk. III* that I paid about $39 for. Not only did it turn out to be in excellent shape with a pristine barrel, but it had an "SSA" stamp from 1917--one of the fairly rare "peddled scheme" rifles when normal sources of supply were insufficient. I often wonder where that rifle has been in its 96 years!

Naturally I had to get Skennerton's book on the Lee-Enfield. He touches on the decision to retain the rimmed cartridge circa 1898 or so rather than go rimless as the rest of the world was doing with its bolt action military rifles. The record is apparently quite silent on the subject. Apparently not to decide was to decide.

I still have a Long Branch #4 Mk.1* in dire need of a barrel--and barrels are might scarce. If anyone does have a proper barrel--or is interesed in a decent action, let me know...

Grand old rifles, though.

BSA Lee Enfield #3 Pattern Carbine, .303 British - YouTube

Look what I found! Here's a Lee .303 sporter by BSA. Note the shape of the buttstock and the good checkering.
This is the sort of .303 hunting rifle used by W.D.M. Bell and other early hunters and explorers in Africa.

This one has just a 20-inch barrel. Many were longer. I think the flat bolt handle on many was to make the rifle lie flatter in a saddle scabbard. hen this rifle was made, motor cars were still fairly uncommon, especially oin wild areas in Africa and other British colones.

There is another trick to extending case life. First time a new round is fired fit an O-ring around the case butting up to the rim so that the case head is being pushed firmly against the bolt face. When the round is fired and the case expands, gripping the chamber, pretty much any stretch in the brass occurs where the shoulder is blown forward. Remember that Enfields can be rather generous and variable in that area. With the case head firmly against bolt face there is no stretch in the area of the case just above the rim. When a round is fired normally, without an O-ring, there is always stretch at this location where the case has taken up the headspace.

Once a case has been fired with the O-ring trick it can be neck-resized and trimmed as described. The case is now only good for that particular rifle as its shoulder will now just contact the shoulder area of the chamber when the bolt is closed, and the case head will be in contact with the bolt face. Essentially, the case now headspaces on the shoulder instead of the rim, but ONLY for that one rifle.

IIRC a guy on gunboards used some little ring he got from Michael's, the craft store. Others have used O-rings from the Home Depot or Lowe's.

There are some issues with swapping barrels on Enfields.

1) Removing the worn barrel from the good receiver must be done very carefully or there is a real risk the receiver will get twisted. Relief cuts on the bad barrel to release it from the receiver are a good idea. BUT>>>>

2) The cut for the extractor must be made AFTER the new barrel has been test fitted, because it is almost unheard of that two barrels have the threads cut the same so that they "clock-up" identically.

3) After the above you have to get the front sight on square, and I doubt many folk own the special jig used to do that job.

These were the last No.4s made in England but not the last ones ever made. The Fazakerley plant was dismantled and tooling shipped to Wah in Pakistan. This was a British attempt to level the playing field as India had inherited the factory at Ishapore.

Pakistani No.4 Mk2s are marked POF on the receiver and have observed dates from 1959 to 1963. They are distinctive in that they have heavier built stocks made from a dark wood. There are not many of them on the surplus market and most had the Ishapore screw added, suggesting they may have been captured in one of the many border skirmishes between India and Pakistan. The few available rifles suggests that Pakistan never actually sold them on the surplus market. the next paragraph gives a possible explanation why.

There is a persistent rumour that after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the US (probably the CIA) bought the No.4s still in Pakistani stores and smuggled them to the Muj. It was about that time that the US began to actively support the Pakistani regime with all kinds of US hardware. In one of his Shotgun News pieces from his time in the Spetsnaz in Afghanistan, Marco Vorobiev gave an account of a supply interdiction missionand in his list of weapons he specifically stated "Pakistani Enfields".

I would be VERY surprised if it was a Fazakerley built gun marked No.4 Mk1*. To my knowledge only Savage and Long Branch produced rifles to the Mk1* standard from new. Some Maltby built No4 Mk1s were mismarked as Mk1*. If you had a Faz rifle with the same mistake it was a very rare bird indeed. Could your rifle actually have been a Mk1* rebuilt at Fazakerley when it would gained the FTR(F) mark?

I haven't seen it in almost ten years.

I didn't have any references handy when I wrote that, and was trying to keep the different mods straight in my head. If I remember correctly, the MkIIs had the trigger attached to the receiver. It might have been one of those.

You could be correct. It was a Fazakerly MARKED gun for certain.

The Brit rifles have always interested me in so far as the odd design and complex machining.

Haven't found an early model in the condition I'd like at an agreeable price. But I did pick up this Savage-made Mk.4No.1* or whatever it's called , in virtually unissued condition. And despite the wonky action , it is surprisingly accurate. Maybe not so surprising. It is made by Savage!

Try rocking the magazine back a little to latch properly. It should be touching the trigger guard.

And you got the name backwards. It's No. 4 MKI*.Think of them as the rifle No 1 and the No. 4. Then you can worry about the marks.

I see that your riifle looks to be in nice shape and has the more complex click-adjustable sight. I suspect it'd be a good hunting rifle with good commercial softpoint ammo. Winchester's bullet most resembles the shape of the military MK. VII ball load, and may shoot closest to the sights. The 180 grain weight is so close to the mil. 174 grainer that it won't matter.

Take care of that nice rifle. It's a part of history as well as a practical rifle. Congratulations on acquiring it.

Is your buttplate brass or what looks like pewter? WW II rifles sometimes have the latter butt plate. The Savage I owned had that. My No. 4 MK II has a brass one.

"There are some issues with swapping barrels on Enfields."

I've never found them to be any different than most sporting rifles. Certainly not in the 1917 US Enfield potential degree of difficulty.

It's not a monkey wrench and rope trick,,a decent bbl vise and recvr wrench are needed with any bbl pull/assembly.
Never clamp around any part of the recv'r but the front ring when trying to do bbl work. The rear portion is pretty much a tube with slots in it and will collapse in either the mag well or the bolt handle race way if much pressure is applied.

The bottom wrench jaw is flat w/a cut out and the Enfield frame has a nice bolster there to allow a fit around. The top jaw IIRC I use the same 1/2 round jaw as from a SR Mauser.
Pad them with brass shim stock, tighten evenly and the bbl unwinds w/o much fuss. R/H thread.

Put a witness mark on the bbl/frame joint if it's to be re-assembled to make it easy. Otherwise, the extractor cut in the new bbl will decide for you anyway where it goes.

The threads on SMLE and the older Lee Metford and Lee Enfield (the Long Lee's) are the same. The bbls interchange. The threads are machined to 'clock' the same also. It's just something they did as a continuance of manufacture.

The MLM/MLE extractor cut in the bbl will have a rounded radius cut to it following the radius of the chamber. The later SMLE will have a flat straight cut to it. Extractors are similarly shaped on the bolts of each.
Changing profile of one or the other to fit is usually done when trading bbls. But they will function OK w/o it being done.

You may find a tight thread fit with any one combination over another but they can be coaxed into position with a bit of lapping. Armorers probably just spun them on and were done with it.

The replacement bbl if it's a MilSpec bbl will have the extractor groove already cut. When the bbl is set in place, that cut is in position for the extractor on the bolt.
You have a few degrees of rotation one way and the other to play with if needed by way of the width of that cut. You use this to bring the already machined front sight spline cut up to 12 O'clock.
I think they call that spline a 'key' also.

Front sight spline is simply set into that groove. The front sight base is hammer (protected) onto the bbl from the muzzle end till the cross pin hole lines up with the cut in the spline. Pin it. That's all there is to the front sight base installation. The front sight itself is a simple dovetailed insert as most are used to seeing

Before the front sight base & spline are set, be sure to slide the inner bbl band & rear sight base onto the bbl first if reassembling a Military.
Check headspace, feeding and ejection.
Adjust headspace by swapping bolt heads on the MkIII. The #4 &5 had specific #'d sizes available for adjustment, a later refinement.

Thanks much for the annotations and corrections! With respect to the barrel length, my U.S. Savage/Stevens-made example measures 25.12 inches. But then, Americans may have longer equipment than our British cousins... You are correct regarding Chicopee Falls. I incorporated some of your comments in the original text; it's now somewhat longer than optimum for the Blue Press, but maybe they can cope with it.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Howdy Tex!

Being US marked and made by Savage were icing on the cake of how nice it was , especially the bore. I even have the spike bayonet. Think I paid $225 or so.

At a gunshow shortly after I acquired the rifle , I bought a literal ' big shoe-box' full of mixed WWII to '70s ball ammo for $20.

These eyes have enough trouble seeing a paper plate thru open sights at 100yds from a bench let alone hunting.

The butt plate was indeed black painted zinc alloy. But I had an NOS brass butt plate in my parts bin , so I swapped it out. Might not be 'correct' but it sure is purrr-dee!

I've heard the Savages were generally more accurate than the Brit-made rifles and were often selected to be made into sniper rifles.

But I've also heard that most Savages that made it over were never even issued , they sat in warehouses because the snooty Brits didn't want to defend the homeland with a foreign made rifle , let alone a YANK made rifle.

I could have sworn that the barrel/receiver threads on No1s and No4s were cut in a way that did not guarantee that a barrel from another gun would clock up. I wonder what the deal was with the one I saw attempted.

Not sure how much of the above is tongue in cheek. So, for those that take your comments seriously, I shall dispel a few myths.

1) And despite the wonky action , it is surprisingly accurate. The myth that rifles with rear locking lugs are "wonky" and inherently inaccurate is just that, a myth. If you don't believe look at the accuracy that can be squeezed from a MAS 36 or a Danish M47.

2) ... it is surprisingly accurate. Maybe not so surprising. It is made by Savage! A myth promulgated by the "American Stuff is Better" Society.

3) The butt plate was indeed black painted zinc alloy. But I had an NOS brass butt plate in my parts bin , so I swapped it out. Might not be 'correct' but it sure is purrr-dee! The noise you can hear outside your house is the Enfield Purists Club warming up their tar boiler and shaking up their sacks of feathers.

4) I've heard the Savages were generally more accurate than the Brit-made rifles and were often selected to be made into sniper rifles. More propaganda from the "American Stuff is Better" Society, I'm afraid. I'm am not going to say that Savage rifles were never selected to be snipers, because saying never when talking about milsurps is a quick way to get egg on your face. The great majority of No4 snipers were made at the BSA Shirley factory with some built using Long Branch rifles.

5) But I've also heard that most Savages that made it over were never even issued , they sat in warehouses because the snooty Brits didn't want to defend the homeland with a foreign made rifle , let alone a YANK made rifle. Your little rolleyes chap is dead on there. I suspect this rumour may have been started by some Brits with poker faces winding up their American allies over beers in the ETO. Also the UK was so short of weapons there was little chance of anything being left to languish in stores.

The Japanese on the other hand were funny about using rifles that did not bear the chrysanthemum mark of the Emperor. Many of the Italian made Type-I rifles languished in warehouses in Japan for that reason. The Japanese naval forces used them quite a bit but the Army seemed to want nothing to do with them.

Your rifle has seen service with the South African armed forces looking at the mark on the receiver. If you remove the wood you may find that the barrel has been replaced and stamped something like 61, 62 or 63, indicating the year. During that refurb they would also likely have changed the rear sight for a micrometer type.

You wood looks nice but I suspect it has been refinished. The edges looked rather rounded, sure sign of a previous owner with too much sandpaper lying idle.

Hmmm , my turn!

1. By wonky , I do mean unnecessarily difficult to machine. I'm a tool & die maker and knowing the type of machinery used in the days of the original , it was time consuming. Time is everything when making the numbers needed in wartime. Wasn't that why they started on the P-14 'Enfield' action before WWI? Granted the No.4 was somewhat less complex and supposedly stronger.
The 2-pc stock? Can't think of too many bolt action battle rifles with this desirable feature.

But the Brits have lots of 'wonky' designs. Take Lucas Electrics (The Prince of Darkness) and their wonderful idea of 'positive ground' in autos & motorcycles in a country where it rains 300 days a year.

2. SMLE's and their line are not generally regarded as accurate as a '95/'98Mauser , 1903 Springfield , Mosin-Nagant. Much is probably due to the shot out bores asnd throats eroded by Cordite. But I can't say I've seen a lot of target or hunting rifles made with , or rifle builders that pick that action as the first choice.

3. Wanna tar and feather someone , go find Piers Morgan. I'll put the old butt plate back!

4&5. well , ya know most of the people telling tales in gunshops are also fishermen. And ya know ya can't believe anything a fisherman tells ya!

I do recall story about a few thousand Garands sent over , proofed , painted with the big red stripe , put back in the crates , where they sat till after the war.

Then there's the story about how GB begged American citizens for arms to be sent over to help those poor disarmed subjects (Home Guard?) with the promise of their return after the defence of Britain, only to be collected after the war , put on barges and dumped in the channel.



Stock on mine seems to be a post-war birch replacement. I've seen similar stocks for sale.

mkk41:

My Savage-Stevens-made example, produced in 1942, also has the more complex micrometer rear sight, and the buttplate has that "pewter" finish mentioned. The rear sight is marked "F," which would indicate to me that it originated at Fazakerley. Is it just a coincidence about the sights on our two rifles, or was this a wider practice, I wonder?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Nicely written article. Thanks! I have two 40's era Enfields, 1 as it was back then, and one that is an old sporterized rifle. Love em both. The sporter is very handy in the woods.

Thanks again for sharing.

Pat

I inherited a No. 4 mk1* from my FIL a few years back.(Savage Arms, 1942) He bought it from a Roses store back when they were selling them. He said by the time they quit giving him discounts for using his credit cards, being a vet, etc, he thought they were going to pay him to take the rifle. Sadly, he passed away before he ever got a chance to shoot it. Finding ammo is a challenge but it's a tank.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

You remembered correctly, I just didn't word it very well.
1s and 4s are different,,
1s and the MLM, MLE are the same.
I use the term 'SMLE' to mean the No1 rifle. I did in this case and caused to confusion.
Sorry for that,,my fault.
I'll spend the next evening cleaning the bores with the pull through.

For rifles with South African provenance, it is very common. It is also a common retrofit by civilian owners, too.

The Savage No. 4 I had as a boy had that sight, and I THINK it had the F marked sight. But I've seen a number of their No. 4's with the two leaf sight, set for either 300 or 600 yards. I think Savage may have been supplied with both sights, or armorers fitted the better sights after the war.

I am not surprised to learn that South Africa fitted the better sights. They were known as a nation of riflemen, especially on the Boer/Afrikaaner side.


I saw a South African marked one, but couldn't afford it at the time. If you saw press photos of the SAP at the Sharpeville mass shooting of black rioters about 1960, some officers are seen carrying these No.4's. SA also modifed the spike bayonet to a more conventional bladed sort. It differed from the UK sort of that type in that the blade was more of a dagger shape, ground much like our M-3 trench knife.

They replaced the rifle with FN autos, made locally as the R-1. It was eventually replaced with the R-4, a locally made version of the Israeli Galil, but with a longer stock, to fit their generally taller troops.

My present No. 4 is a 1952 Fazakerly one with a rack number painted on the stock. It is well made, with the micro sight. I've wondered if it saw service against the Mau-Mau in Kenya or in Korea or in Malaya, during the fighting against terrorists there.

What's this "one Enfield" business? My "does not compute" light is glowing brightly.

I just became the new owner of a fairly nice No.2 Mk.4. A .22 conversion of a No.1 Mk.III* 303. The conversion to a .22 trainer was done by Parker Hale. In this case a new .22 barrel was installed. Many early LE trainers were sleeved 303's to .22. It is now a single shot as the gutted 303 magazine only acts as a brass catcher. I've had it to the range once and it was great fun.



LTC

Wow! That area looks familiar.

I love the SMLE. I have a #4 that I had cut to 20" and put in a synthetic stock. It has a sourdough on a ramp up front and I use the battle aperture modified with a tiny washer insert. It's the rifle I use when I go hunting, although I have other, more modern ones available.

Three big changes in the MkIII to become the MkIII*
The two above....and the windage adjustable rear sight replaced w/an elevation only adj one.

Oddly they continued to mfg'r the rear sight protector wings with the off set right side wing that allowed room for the now non-existant windage adjustment knob.,,and off set sling swivels to allow use of the non-existing volley/long range sights.


(c) 2013 JLM[/QUOTE]