The No.4 is loaded using 5-round stripper clips. 30, Model of 1917”, equipping most of the American Expeditionary Force in WWI. 30-06 caliber, became the "United States Rifle, cal. 22 rimfire-converted training rifles, while the “Rifle No.3” was the brilliant yet unlucky “Pattern 1914 Rifle” that, after having been modified and rechambered in. Some further simplifications in 1942 – including a simplified bolt release – led to the No.4 Mk I* model.īy the way, in case you wonder why the new rifle was named “Number 4”: the “Rifle No. In the meanwhile, in 1926 they had also changed the official nomenclature: the SMLE became the “Rifle No.1 Mk III” or “Mk III*” (earlier marks were declared obsolete) and when the new gun was ready for trials, in the 1930s, it was called Rifle No.4 Mk I. That's why in the 1920s they tried to introduce many modifications and simplifications. So, what was wrong with the SMLE? Basically, it was expensive and time-consuming to make, and its production engineering was stuck in the late 19th-early 20 th century technology. It even sported a 10-round, stripper clip-fed detachable magazine, as opposed to other famous issue rifles such as the German Mauser Gewehr 98, whose internal magazine held just 5 rounds.Ĭaliber equipped the British and Commonwealth forces during the later stages of Moreover, in the harsh conditions of the Great War trenches the rifle proved to be rugged, accurate and reliable. Why did the British War Office looked for a new service rifle? Actually, the SMLE was good indeed: the Lee bolt action, featuring rear-locking lugs and a detachable bolt-head, was the fastest and smoothest of all issue battle rifles of its time – a trained soldier could shoot 15-20 aimed rounds in a minute with no difficulty. 303 caliber Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE), its slow development started in the years immediately after World War I. Its history is somewhat peculiar, too.Ī derivative of the venerable and much appreciated. The Lee-Enfield No.4 Rifle, officially adopted only when World War 2 had already started, is no exception. There's always something distinctive in their design, in their technical solutions, or the way they were adapted to contemporary military think. British military rifles have a style of their own.
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