World arms history knows many cases when some rifles became the real “face” of their time. That was our "three-ruler", the same was the Lee-Enfield rifle. Until now, collectors around the world can roll a decent jackpot to any lucky one who can offer them a sample of this weapon in perfect condition. In the UK itself, rifles of this type have the same significance as the legendary “mosquito” has.
How it all began?
For the first time, an English rifle of this type was adopted by the Royal Army in 1895. In fact, its direct predecessor was the Lee-Anfield rifle of 1853. Interestingly, initially
this weapon was created specifically for smoky gunpowder. When they tested the cartridges with the latest smokeless samples, it immediately became clear that the weapon was completely unsuitable for their use.
The British had to urgently develop a new trunk with a different configuration of rifling. Of course, alterations were made and sights. The new “Lee-Enfield” fully proved its “suitability” during the bloody Anglo-Boer wars.
If you read adventure novels in your childhood, then you probably remember the “Boers” and “fittings” that allow you to hit the enemy from distances beyond those times. As a matter of fact, in most cases it was just about the English Lee Enfield, since the Boers (Dutch colonists) used mainly German Mausers.
By the way, the Germans' products in those conflicts proved to be much better, but the patriotic British praised their rifle, which since then has often been called the “drill."
What did the African events show?
Great Britain won that war, but the army team suffered a lot from the exact Mausers. Not surprisingly, they requested an urgent modification of their rifles. And therefore, already in 1903, a new model appeared - SMLE MK I. How did it differ from its predecessors?
Following the example of the Germans, the British decided to do something in between a cavalry carbine and a "full" rifle in size (like the "Mauser K98"). This was a completely justified decision, since already in that war it became clear that the cavalry was gradually losing its significance and that mounted soldiers constantly had to dismount in order to conduct fire in combat mode.
In 1907, they adopted the SMLE Mk.III modification, which was distinguished by the ability to quickly charge through clips. This Lee Enfield rifle was widely used during the First World War and proved to be very good. The soldiers loved this weapon for its high accuracy and accuracy. In 1916, an “interim” version of this rifle was adopted, which could be made using simplified technology, which in wartime was not out of place.
What weapon did soldiers like so much?
Despite some technological “tricks”, the British were able to create extremely reliable weapons. There are cases when soldiers wrapped the shutter with oiled rags, after which they continued to fight, even while lying in the water of the trenches. In conditions of constant shelling of large guns, when the entire contents of the trenches turned out to be covered with a thick layer of dirt and sand, the reliability of these rifles was simply a gift from above.
Further development
Before World War II, the modification SMLE No.1 (SMLE No.4 Mk. I) was adopted. The main innovations touched on the creation of a more durable trunk, a simple and technologically advanced receiver. Also at that time, a simple diopter sight appeared, significantly improving the accuracy of aiming and fire.
If you compare the new rifle with earlier modifications, then it has become even simpler and more reliable. Maintenance of weapons began to take much less time. The shutter speed became shorter, it could be faster and easier to distort. Finally, the rate of fire of this rifle for the first time exceeded that of the Mauser.
On the "weighty" characteristics
It should be noted that the British military noted only one significant drawback - weight. Only the fifth modification weighed 3.3 kg, and all other varieties were within 4 kg (Rifle No. 4 Mk. I weighed 4.11 kg). On the other hand, our "mosinka" with a bayonet pulled all 4.5 kg, so this drawback is very doubtful compared to other competitors. By the way, the Mauser K98 also weighed about 4.1 kg, so here is full parity.
Sniper "modding" and other modifications
Based on the latest modification, sniper rifles also began to be created , since the need for a separate category of weapons for “marksmen” by that time had become obvious. However, the British did not reach manufacture on separate conveyors: weapons were simply chosen from the general heap, proceeding from increased accuracy and accuracy (they did exactly the same with us, that in the Wehrmacht). Names of sniper modification - SMLE No.4 Mk. I (T).
In 1944, active hostilities began in Burma and other regions of Asia, from where the British tried to expel the Japanese, who easily escorted the British from there at the very beginning of World War II. It quickly became clear that with standard rifles, the infantrymen feel very constrained in the jungle, since a long barrel greatly limits the freedom of maneuver.
Because of this, designers quickly created Rifle No. 5 mk. I jungle carbine This rifle had a pronounced flame arrester, and also had a very shortened barrel and forearm. But the soldiers did not like this modification for a number of reasons, this model was not widely used in the army.
By the way, what is the firing range of this weapon? It is quite impressive: the first versions have 2743 meters, the Rifle No. 5 mk. I Jungle - 1000 meters. Of course, all this is “horses in a vacuum,” since in practice the effective range of firing did not exceed 500-900 meters, but these results (even by today's standards) are quite good. A bayonet was intended for close combat: the Lee Enfield was equipped with an impressive blade, which to this day is very much appreciated by collectors.
Tales and "hunting traditions"
Until the end of the 50s of the last century, these weapons were in service with the Royal Army. In principle, the rifle of one of the above models can still be easily found in those countries that were English colonies. It is known that in Afghanistan Mujahideen actively used Enfield in attacks on our soldiers. At the same time, tales describing the actual use of the “Boers” have since accumulated a great many.
For example, it is entirely possible to agree that a bullet fired from an old English rifle does indeed penetrate standard army body armor. But the stories of the wrecked ... armored personnel carrier !? To put it mildly, such information raises doubts among experts, since the BTR-70/80 armor holds, albeit not at point blank range, a 12.7 mm caliber. There is also information that from the "Boers" several Soviet transport helicopters were shot down.
One can also agree with this: MI-8 has no armor as a class, so there is nothing surprising in such episodes. In the end, in Vietnam, the American “Hugh” also shot down from the simplest rifles of the Second World War. In a word, controversial disputes about the strengths and weaknesses of the Anfield are still ongoing, and they have no end in sight.
Specifications
From a constructive point of view, the English rifle is a classic representative of weapons with manual reloading and a sliding bolt. The main feature is a ten-charge store, which, although it strongly advocates the dimensions of the “drill”, is non-removable. In the photo of the weapon it is clearly visible.
Simply put, you have to charge it by moving the shutter to the extreme position (as in the three-line or “Mauser”). However, in the depth of the trigger guard there is a latch that can be used to remove the store. Although this option was used only if it was necessary to carry out a complete cleaning or replacement of the part.
Ammunition
Charging is done through a longitudinal window in the receiver. It, as we mentioned above, is released only with the shutter fully open. It was possible to load weapons with one cartridge each and with clips, each of which had five rounds. As with all rifles of that period, for the convenience of the latter type of loading, special grooves were milled in the receiver itself.
By the way, what cartridge is used here? "Lee-Anfield" was equipped with rather specific ammunition: .303 British caliber, which in the human metric system is 7.7 mm. Sleeve length - 56 mm. It should be noted that initially the caliber of the weapon was 7.69 mm, but subsequently, due to the transition to the new rifling system, it was necessary to change it.
Shutter and trigger characteristics
In the lower part of the shutter there were two protrusions, due to which a reliable locking of the barrel was made. When the shutter was closed, the cock cocked automatically. The handle of the reloading handle was slightly bent down. The shutter itself is very easy to use, has a "solid", but moreover a short stroke. Due to the latter circumstance, an increased rate of fire was provided, which the Lee-Enfield rifle has always been famous for.
USM (i.e. trigger mechanism) - the simplest, shock type. There is a fuse located on the left side of the receiver. Unlike our three-ruler, this item on the "Englishwoman" was very convenient, with a fuse it was possible to work with the finger of one hand without changing the grip of the weapon.
In addition, the Li-Anfield rifle had a two-stage descent, which greatly improved the accuracy of the shooting. The butt of the butt was made very interesting: having a practically "pistol" shape, it was very ergonomic, which significantly improved the grip of the weapon.
If you look closely at the butt, you can find three small holes in it: one is designed to store cleaning devices, the other two are needed to reduce the total weight of the weapon. In general, there is a lot of wood in the construction: a photo of the weapon shows that all the linings are made of this material.