The action features helical locking surfaces (the technical term is interrupted threading). The bolt has a relatively short bolt throw and features rear-mounted lugs, and the bolt operating handle places the bolt knob just rearwards of the trigger at a favourable ergonomic position close to the operator's hand. The Lee–Enfield rifle was derived from the earlier Lee–Metford, a mechanically similar black-powder rifle, which combined James Paris Lee's rear-locking bolt system that had a barrel featuring rifling designed by William Ellis Metford. The Lee–Enfield takes its name from the designer of the rifle's bolt system- James Paris Lee-and the location where its rifling design was created-the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield. Total production of all Lee–Enfields is estimated at over 17 million rifles. As a standard-issue infantry rifle, it is still found in service in the armed forces of some Commonwealth nations, notably with the Bangladesh Police, which makes it the second longest-serving military bolt-action rifle still in official service, after the Mosin–Nagant (Mosin-Nagant receivers are used in the Finnish 7.62 Tkiv 85). Although officially replaced in the UK with the L1A1 SLR in 1957, it remained in widespread British service until the early/mid-1960s and the 7.62 mm L42A1 sniper variant remained in service until the 1990s. The Lee–Enfield was the standard issue weapon to rifle companies of the British Army, colonial armies (such as India and parts of Africa), and other Commonwealth nations in both the First and Second World Wars (such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada). 303 British cartridge manually from the top, either one round at a time or by means of five-round chargers.

It featured a ten-round box magazine which was loaded with the. The WWI versions are often referred to as the 'SMLE', which is short for the common 'Short, Magazine, Lee–Enfield' variant.Ī redesign of the Lee–Metford (adopted by the British Army in 1888), the Lee–Enfield superseded the earlier Martini–Henry, Martini–Enfield, and Lee-Metford rifles. The Lee–Enfield or Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century, and was the British Army's standard rifle from its official adoption in 1895 until 1957. Fixed and adjustable aperture sights incorporated onto later variants Sliding ramp rear sights, fixed-post front sights, 'dial' long-range volley telescopic sights on sniper models. Border Campaign (Irish Republican Army)ġ0-round magazine, loaded with 5-round charger clips.

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