VIDEO: Finest Bolt Action Battle Rifle in History?

[PTMCCAIN]

The Lee-Enfield, a remarkable battle rifle with one of the longest service histories in the world, even today being used on active duty. The bolt operation is so fast that during World War I there were times when the Germans thought they were under attack by British machine guns, no bolt action rifle was able to be fired as quickly and with as much accuracy at high speed than the Lee-Enfield.

Do you own one? Would love to hear from others about their Lee-Enfields. Here is mine with a bit of background on the rifle's history:


LINK TO VIDEO HERE.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

I have an Enfield #1

Yes the bolt draws quicker then on my little 22. I just can't see the Germans thinking a lee enfield as a machine gun. But it is a durable and dependable little gun.

I didn't know about still being active duty, who still uses? I know that the Afgan Northern guard used enfields to great effect People don't realize, when the CIA first started supplying arms to the Afgans during the 80s, one of the most supplied items was 303 British, the afghans had to take out the soviets at long range becuae full auto ak fire will. Eat you alive under 100 yards.

 

[csa77]

yes I own 4 lee enfields and I agree they are IMO the best bolt action rifle ever fielded(no4mk1, 2x no1 MKIII* and a RIC LEC mk1*)
I forget what the designation of the rifle was but Iv read afew times on gunboards.com(mil surplus site) that the enfield rifle was used as a sniper platform for the British up until the early 1990's (I believe 1993)

 

[Sport45]

It may have been the best bolt action in use at the time, but I think the bolt guns we have in service now are better.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I just can't see the Germans thinking a lee enfield as a machine gun.

It was a squad of riflemen instead of just a single rifleman firing.

 

[303tom]

I have several Enfield, greatest bolt action rifle ever................

 

[interlock]

lee enfields were indeed used as the basis for a sniper rifle for a long time... but it was a later action (name escapes me) that locks up at the front like a mauser.

i have a .410 made from a lee metford action.

mauser 1898 best bolt action rifle

 

[madcratebuilder]

lee enfields were indeed used as the basis for a sniper rifle for a long time... but it was a later action (name escapes me) that locks up at the front like a mauser.

i have a .410 made from a lee metford action.

mauser 1898 best bolt action rifle

The British sniper rifle, the No4 MkI (T) was a normal No4 rifle that exhibited better than normal accuracy when test fired at the factory. These rifles, most from BSA and Maltby were sent to H&H for conversion to a scoped rifle. Two mounting pads were drilled and tapped to the left side of the receiver. A one piece scope mount and cheek raiser were added. These shipped in a large wooden case with a group of accessories.

 

[PTMCCAIN]

Beautiful rifle! Wow.

 

[RPRNY]

The Canadian Armed forces still issue the Lee - Enfield. 303 (I have no idea what model) to Rangers as their primary polar bear defense weapon. They have been studying alternatives for years but as of 2012 it remains in service with Canadian forces.

 

[Ignition Override]

I own four #4/Mk. 1s and a pair of #5 "Jungle Carbines". The reason? For my very limited skills the aperture sights are much more effective than Mauser or MN sights.

On a side note, before WW1 the US Springfield rifle apparently incorporate enough patented features of the German Mauser that some sort of court etc allowed Mauser to win a lawsuit.
WW1 prevented the lawsuit from causing financial damage to Springfield.

Feel free to correct this vague info, as this is just my impression from random remarks on various gun websites.

 

[meanmrmustard]

I think that if you look past the max cap of the rifle, which is its finest point, it really isn't anything special. So, I'll disagree that it's the best. I think for functions sake, the 1903 was hands down the best that saw use. Other than that, I find the K31 superior, being only 4 rounds behind the Enfield in capacity. But I can actually hit things with it quite quickly and accurately. But, it never went to battle!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

One overlooked rifle is the P13/P14/M1917. That was a Mauser-type rifle (albeit a cock on closing action.) The P13 was chambered for a .280 round based on the .280 Ross. It was adopted, but never put into service, because WWI intervened.

The British contracted for the P13 design to be produced in the US, but chambered for the .303 round. That was the P14, and was produced by Winchester, Remington and Eddystone.

Just as they were completing their contracts, the United States entered the war, and they continued production of the rifle, but in .30-06, for the US Army. That rifle, the M1917, was the most-used American rifle in WWI.

 

[ROAshooter]

just to be a trouble maker.....can anyone imagine how many more would want the Ruger GSR if it was more like the lee enfiled???

 

[EMNofSeattle]

I never heard about the lawsuit, but I several things strike me as wrong about the story

1) Springfield was a government arsenal and plant in Massachuesitts, not a private company, hurting the bottom line of springfield wouldn't matter since it was a government arsenal.

2) as an arsenal of the US Federal Government, all actions of the Government are subject to Absolute immunity, the government can only be sued if they consent to the suit. so in any lawsuit the government can just claim immunity and tell the germans to pound sand. I'm looking into it now, but i don't think any suit would have succeeded.

*Edit, it appears the US Government did in fact pay royalties to Mauser after threat of a suit, but no suit was filed and the US Government paid mauser until our entry into the war.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

An Enfield in 30-06 - now that would be the finest in history in my book. I just can't warm up to that rimmed cartridge case when it comes to ammo handling, packaging and the like.

 

[conhntr]

I have alot of wwii rifles; and (amongst the bolt actions) the enfield #5 is probably the one i would pick for a battle rifle. Very handy and quick. Not the most accurate off a bench at 100 yards but i can hit man sized targets offhand with it faster than any other bolt gun, and i can hit ten of them instead of 5!

Run a test 8 ballons set 25-100 yards. Engage offhand with a enfield vs speingfield/mauser. Will not even be close.

 

[aka108]

Some gun writer I read about stated that in his opinion the Americans had the best hunting rifle (the 03's) , the Germans had the best target rifle (the 98's) and the British had the best battle rifle(the No. 4's) I've never owned at 03 but do have Mausers and Enfields. I am able to get better accuracy from the Mausers and I sure it is because I can better utilize the inverter V type sights.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Some gun writer I read about stated that in his opinion the Americans had the best hunting rifle (the 03's) , the Germans had the best target rifle (the 98's) and the British had the best battle rifle(the No. 4's) I've never owned at 03 but do have Mausers and Enfields. I am able to get better accuracy from the Mausers and I sure it is because I can better utilize the inverter V type sights.

I like the writer's quote except that I kinda think of the 03 series as the best Mausers ever made... and a damn good hunting rifle at that .

 

[Vern Humphrey]

An Enfield in 30-06 - now that would be the finest in history in my book. I just can't warm up to that rimmed cartridge case when it comes to ammo handling, packaging and the like.

The Enfield in .30-06 was not a Lee Enfield. It was a modified Mauser.

 

[mortablunt]

The Lee-Enfield, a remarkable battle rifle with one of the longest service histories in the world, even today being used on active duty. The bolt operation is so fast that during World War I there were times when the Germans thought they were under attack by British machine guns, no bolt action rifle was able to be fired as quickly and with as much accuracy at high speed than the Lee-Enfield.

Do you own one? Would love to hear from others about their Lee-Enfields. Here is mine with a bit of background on the rifle's history:

@PTMCCAIN
Here's another great video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

The Enfield in .30-06 was not a Lee Enfield. It was a modified Mauser.

I think you're missing my point. I mean a Lee Enfield - Enfield but not in that annoying rimmed nonsense but rather 30-06.

I don't think of that other "Enfield" as an Enfield at all.

 

[brandonc]

The Lee-Enfield is a modified Mauser actions. It had advantages but it is still a less reliable design than the original 1898 action. If it was so obviously superior to the other battle rifles of the area the other countries would have modified their own weapons as has been done throughout history. Most other countries correctly believed the more basic Mauser 1898 actions nearly perfect. A 10 round bolt action grants no advantage against the MG crewmen or tankers with Kar's.

 

[R.W.Dale]

The Lee enfield in no way is related to a Mauser especially not a 98 that it predates by a fair margin.

The Lee enfield is a modification of the American Remington Lee from 1885

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I think you're missing my point. I mean a Lee Enfield - Enfield but not in that annoying rimmed nonsense but rather 30-06.

I don't think of that other "Enfield" as an Enfield at all.

That's a little ironic. The rifle we call the Lee-Enfield has very little association with Enfield. Lee designed the action -- the Enfield input was the barrel, which replaced the original Metford barrel (and the rifle was called the Lee-Metford) when that barrel couldn't take cordite temperatures.

On the other hand, the P13, father of the P14 and M1917 is a complete Enfield design and has more claim to that name than the Lee rifles.