Is the SMLE a good rifle?

Is the SMLE a good rifle?

British military rifles have a style of their own. 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.

Which is the best Lee Enfield rifle?

SMLE Mk III
The best-known Lee–Enfield rifle, the SMLE Mk III, was introduced on 26 January 1907, along with a Pattern 1907 bayonet and featured a simplified rear sight arrangement and a fixed, rather than a bolt-head-mounted sliding, charger guide.

What does SMLE stand for?

SMLE

How many rounds does an SMLE hold?

Its official name is ‘Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield, Mark III*’, often abbreviated as ‘SMLE’. It is a bolt-action rifle with a ‘magazine’ which holds ten rounds of . 303 inch calibre ammunition.

How good is 303 British?

The . 303 British makes a good choice as an all-around cartridge, with enough rifles still in commission and enough good ammunition to feed them. Modern ammunition is centered around the 150- and 180-grain bullets, and the velocities tend to run just a bit slower than the . While I’ve seen some cool double rifles in .

How accurate is a British 303?

Accuracy will depend on the rifle, most 303’s are 60 to 100 years old and you have to take that into consideration. A decent rifle should have minute of deer accuracy easily to 250 – 300 yards.

What’s the difference between 303 and 308?

308 Winchester is a rimless cartridge descended from the . 30–06 — essentially same cartridge with a shorter case. . 303 British is a rimmed cartridge, a little older. With its sturdy rim and tapered case it is noted for easy extraction from maachine gun and bolt action rifle chambers.

Are Lee Enfield accurate?

The Lee Enfield (or most any 30 cal. bolt action Battle Rifle), is capable of sustained, accurate, lethal fire at a range in excess of 1000 yards (a much greater distance than what is usually seen on a modern battlefield.)

Who used the Turner Smle in ww2?

The Turner SMLE was a prototype semi-automatic conversion of the bolt-action Short-Magazine Lee-Enfield. Designed by American gunsmith Russel Turner, it was intended for use by Canada.

What gun does the British Army use?

SA80 individual weapon SA80 A2 comprises the Individual Weapon (IW) and the Light Support Weapon (LSW). These are the British Army’s standard combat weapons. Made by Heckler and Koch, they fire NATO standard 5.56 x 45mm ammunition. Both weapons have been modified in light of operational experience.

Is .303 British still made?

303 British, remains in non-stop production today, though mostly as hunting fodder. Inducted into military service in 1888, the British had developed their black powder .

When was the Smle adopted?

To allow for more rapid production of rifles during WWI, further simplifications were approved, leading to the adoption in 1916 of the SMLE Mk III*.

What is a SMLE rifle?

Manufactured in large quantities during the First World War, the Mk.III and III* rifles were used extensively by British Commonwealth forces in both World Wars. The SMLE was very advanced in it’s day, the early 1900s to late 1950s. It was unusual for a rifle in WWI to have a detachable 10 round magazine not unlike that of modern battle rifles.

What is the difference between a Mk III and Mk III* SMLE?

III* in 1915. The Mk. III* was a wartime simplification of the Mk. III, with the most notable changes being the deletion of the magazine cut off and the volley sights. The Mk. III* was the final full production variation of the SMLE and saw service in WWI, WWII, and beyond.

When did the Lee Enfield SMLE Mk III come out?

The best-known Lee–Enfield rifle, the SMLE Mk III, was introduced on 26 January 1907, along with a Pattern 1907 bayonet and featured a simplified rear sight arrangement and a fixed, rather than a bolt-head-mounted sliding, charger guide.

Where was the first MkIII rifle made?

It’s a Lee-Enfield SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) model No. 1 MKIII (.303 British caliber) produced at the Birmingham Small Arms Co. in England in 1940. Lee-Enfields were manufactured from 1888 to the early 1970s, and total production was nearly 14 million rifles.