Smle

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Tim Lovelock

Would someone mind answering a brief question?
The Lee Enfield rifle, in particular.
I was at the Imperial War Museum in London recently, unfortunately I didn't get to ask a curator this question about their exhibit.
They had a rifle labeled SMLE, Short Magazine Lee Enfield. I had always believed
SMLE meant Short Muzzle Lee Enfield.
Could someone enlighten me.
Cheers

The museum is right. It's ''short' because its predecessor was the 'Long Lee Enfield', 'magazine' because it had one (this set it apart from earlier British rifles like the Martini Henry and Snider Enfield that didn't) and Lee Enfield was the type. Oddly enough, British SMLE's were never marked as such, they were stamped "Sht. L.E. Mk.III or Mk.III*" and it was only the Australians that marked theirs SMLE.

When introduced in 1902 or thereabouts, the British army brass felt it was an awkward rifle 'too short to be accurate' and it would never succeed. Well, history sure proved them wrong.

SMLE's are the prettiest rifles ever made (says me). Here's one with volley sights made by Birmingham Small Arms in 1908 and an Australian Lithgow made in 1915.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Bruce Parker

SMLE's are the prettiest rifles ever made (says me).

Pshaaw....give me a LongBranch no4mk1*T any day of the week. Absolutely gorgeous.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by rob love

Pshaaw....give me a LongBranch no4mk1*T any day of the week. Absolutely gorgeous.

Can't help with a Long Branch T but I agree No.4 T's are very nice (almost ALMOST as nice as SMLE's...with mag cutoffs...and volley sights...and a 1907 Pattern sword on the front...oh stop me I'm getting excited).

How about a 1944 Shirley instead?

[Mike Cecil]

I agree with Bruce et al: SMLE does indeed stand for 'Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield'.

I seem to remember that 'magazine' denotes fed from not only a magazine, but one that is detachable.

Lee is named for James Paris Lee, the designer of this particular bolt action, and Enfield after the Royal Small Arms Factory staff for improvements to Lee's design to make it what it is: a solid, fast, rear-locking, bolt action.

I've had both a No4 Mk1* T and a No.1 Mk3* HT with the Patt 1918 'scope, and thought the latter was a far far nicer rifle to shoot.

Never was able to procure a No.3 Mk.1 (T), but shot with one a couple of times: another nice rifle, but the SMLE was my favourite of the scoped .303 rifles.

However, the nicest .303 I ever owned and fired was a 1915 Enfield manufactured No.1 Mk3*. It had a walnut stock that was much slimmer with much more 'shape' than the Australian coachwood-stocked rifles I had.

My 'alfpenny's wurf...

Mike

[Ed Storey]

From 1914 Small Arms Manual.

SMLE Mk III - diagram - Plate 1 copy.jpg

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I agree with Bruce et al: SMLE does indeed stand for 'Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield'.

I seem to remember that 'magazine' denotes fed from not only a magazine, but one that is detachable.

Lee is named for James Paris Lee, the designer of this particular bolt action, and Enfield after the Royal Small Arms Factory staff for improvements to Lee's design to make it what it is: a solid, fast, rear-locking, bolt action.

I've had both a No4 Mk1* T and a No.1 Mk3* HT with the Patt 1918 'scope, and thought the latter was a far far nicer rifle to shoot.

Never was able to procure a No.3 Mk.1 (T), but shot with one a couple of times: another nice rifle, but the SMLE was my favourite of the scoped .303 rifles.

However, the nicest .303 I ever owned and fired was a 1915 Enfield manufactured No.1 Mk3*. It had a walnut stock that was much slimmer with much more 'shape' than the Australian coachwood-stocked rifles I had.

My 'alfpenny's wurf...

Mike

Queensland Maple on the 1915 Lithgow...very nice and more than a match for British walnut (unless it's tiger stripe walnut of course...check it out on this 1899 Lee Enfield Carbine and tell me it's not the most fetching).

But the best shooter (though one who's looks need to grow on you) has to be a Canadian Model 1910 Ross. Once you get over that whole "the bolt could blow back in your face" thing it's a dream to shoot. Pull the trigger, settle in, aim, adjust and 'plink', right in the bulls eye.

[Mike Cecil]

"Queensland Maple on the 1915 Lithgow...very nice and more than a match for British walnut"

I agree Bruce, Qld Maple does look nice, but it doesn't stand up to the strain of use: a very soft wood that seems to gets dings and dents just looking at it.

Mike

[motto]

The Enfield part of the title SMLE in fact refers to the form of rifling used so as to differentiate these rifles from those built with the former (read obsolete) Metford rifled barrels. Metford rifling was found to be unsatisfactory for use with smokeless propellant. It was adequate for black powder cartridges but eroded rapidly with usage of cordite ammunition.

David

[Tim Lovelock]

Thank you all, my misconception is truly corrected,
'Ask a question, and you are a fool for a moment, don't ask and you are a fool forever'.
Thank you all again 😃