SMLE Lee Enfield Rifle
- Thread starter Sukerkin
- Start date
Steve
Mostly Harmless
My brother owns several of these. While they all look the same to me, he can tell you what country manufactured which ones, and all sorts of blah blah details about them. I've gone out to the range with him a few times.
He also has a few of these:
He also has a few of these:
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OP
OP
By coincidence, I was just reading about how the M1 replaced the Springfield 1903 bolt-action because it was less tiring on the troops to keep up sustained fire with one.
"It was found that well trained firers, using the service rifle at 300 yards, could maintain a rate of fire of approximately ten rounds per minute, without an appreciable loss of accuracy, for a maximum periodof four minutes....all were temporarily incapacitated for further firing for a period of from six to ten minutes.
It was found that the same firers, using the two types of semiautomatic rifles at the same range, could maintain a rate of fire of approximately 16 rounds per minute, without an appreciable lost of accuracy for the same period, and without any evidence of physical fatigue....With an absence of malfunction, due to mechanical defects, it is believed that a rate of fire of 20 well aimed shots per minute could have been maintained for at least six minutes...without an appreciable loss of accuracy....
The men employed in the test had had almost daily firing, both in the regular target season and in the pursuance of these tests, for approximately two months, and were addition qualified as expert riflemen, so that the above results would probably two high for the average shot, and without the same amount of physical fitness.
"It was found that well trained firers, using the service rifle at 300 yards, could maintain a rate of fire of approximately ten rounds per minute, without an appreciable loss of accuracy, for a maximum periodof four minutes....all were temporarily incapacitated for further firing for a period of from six to ten minutes.
It was found that the same firers, using the two types of semiautomatic rifles at the same range, could maintain a rate of fire of approximately 16 rounds per minute, without an appreciable lost of accuracy for the same period, and without any evidence of physical fatigue....With an absence of malfunction, due to mechanical defects, it is believed that a rate of fire of 20 well aimed shots per minute could have been maintained for at least six minutes...without an appreciable loss of accuracy....
The men employed in the test had had almost daily firing, both in the regular target season and in the pursuance of these tests, for approximately two months, and were addition qualified as expert riflemen, so that the above results would probably two high for the average shot, and without the same amount of physical fitness.
chinto
Senior Master
the minimum number of aimed rounds a British Soldier was expected to fire from his SMLE or No.4 rifle in aimed fire in a mad minute was 30rnds! most could fire more! that is why the Germans in WWI when they first encountered the tommys shooting at them thought they were facing massed machine-gun fire! I like the old SMLE and or the No.4 almost as much as I like the old Springfield 1903.. but I would rather have the M1 over both for most uses. However I understand that some of our troops in Afghanistan have found out that most of the old Battle Rifle calibers leave the 5.56 cartridge wanting badly, especially at long range!.
OP
OP
Here's a nice little vid showing just how a shooter, even one who is not too familiar with using the rifle (I am assuming), can quickly get a high rate of fire out of an SMLE:
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I raise the comment about being not too familiar because at first he was lifting away from the gun to work the bolt whereas it was specifically designed not to require you to do that; that made me think he was more accustomed to other designs that are not quite so 'slick'
.
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I raise the comment about being not too familiar because at first he was lifting away from the gun to work the bolt whereas it was specifically designed not to require you to do that; that made me think he was more accustomed to other designs that are not quite so 'slick'
.
OP
OP
Pleasant video of an experienced fellow enjoying his Lee Enfield:
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Nice little 'colourful' tale of how he used to store is with a Mauser and neither rifle would work properly until he separated them.
Another piece by the same chap:
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Nice little 'colourful' tale of how he used to store is with a Mauser and neither rifle would work properly until he separated them
.Another piece by the same chap:
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Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
any idea what his accuracy rate was?
OP
OP
And an interesting thread on rate of fire and accuracy requirements for soldiers of the BEF.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72521
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72521
OP
OP
One last Lee Enfield post for a bit.
I found a link to this PDF in the thread I posted above - it might be of interest to collectors and others with a passion for the details of a great rifle like the SMLE:
http://www.lexpev.nl/downloads/smallarmstrainingrifle1942.pdf
I found a link to this PDF in the thread I posted above - it might be of interest to collectors and others with a passion for the details of a great rifle like the SMLE:
http://www.lexpev.nl/downloads/smallarmstrainingrifle1942.pdf
chinto
Senior Master
I do not know about him but the British army expected every soldier on the end of Boot camp to be able to do a minimum of 30 accurate aimed rounds in a " Mad Minute". It is historical fact they could indeed do it, and many experianced troops could do as many as 40-45 aimed rounds and hit with them!!! the Lee-Enfield action is the fastest bold action in the world.
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