Rifle, Lee-Enfield, Modified

Shown below is a Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) No. 1 MK III* Rifle. The Lee-Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine fed, repeating rifle that served as the main firearm used by the British Empire and Commonwealth military forces during the first half of the 20th century.

The best-known Lee–Enfield rifle, the SMLE Mk III, was introduced on January 26, 1907. During the First World War, the SMLE Mk III was found to be too complicated and expensive to manufacture, and demand outpaced the supply. In late 1915 the Mk III* (* indicates part of modification name) was introduced incorporating several changes. However, some changes to the Mk III* rifles lacked the volley sights, magazine cutoffs, and windage adjustable rear sights the earlier Mk III rifle had. Some were also equipped with barbed wire cutters.

Through the course of the 2WW, further modifications were made to the SMLE which resulted in the Mk III*. These changes were made to simplify and to speed up production. Also, with increased production Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield (RSA) and the National Rifle Factory (NRF) were contracted to produce SMLE’s. By the end of the war, almost four million SMLE Mk III and Mk III* rifles had been issued and different models remained in service in the British Army until 1957.

In 2018, Canada replaced the last of the Lee-Enfields used by the Canadian Rangers (a sub-component of the Canadian Army Reserve working in remote regions of Canada) with the specially commissioned Colt Canada C19.

Rifle, Lee-Enfield, Modified - Tikka T3 02.01.2008 11-41-55 3156x2128Rifle, Lee-Enfield, Modified - image2Enfield Colt Canada C19

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