Rebarrelled to 7.62 it was the L42. It had less furniture on the fore stock and an adjustable cheek piece. The first picture of the rifle in it’s container, is an L42 I trained on that weapon in the 1980s and it a great bit of kit.
I was a Rifleman in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1956 and a Marksman on this weapon. Prior to military service I had never fired as much as a Peashooter! But the Rifles Taught me well. Celer et Audax
Swift and bold. I’ve had a few RGJ (now rifles) snipers attend the Royal Marine course over the years. In my opinion the sniper roll is absolutely suited to the regiment. Probably a missed trick by the Army in modern warfare.
The British army handed the lee-Enfield 303 down to the cadets and it was the very first weapon I fired as a young cadet, I remember they had a bit of a kick to them. Exellent rifle.
Yep exactly that. ATC Marshalls Cambridge about 1990. 303 22 marksman badge inside a 2pence coin. That and flying about in a Chipmunk were the highlights. Also watching the 1990 world cup semi final in uniform stands out for me as well. Great days.
Aaahh great times as a cadet firing these..only age 14 & I remember a bruised shoulder. Thanks to all the adult instructors that gave up their evenings & weekends to supervise us 👍
We used to shoot with these rifles (basic version) when I was an ATC cadet. Mostly at Rainham, Essex. It's a nature reserve now, although they still have the target butts in place, with one target frame preserved. We also used to shot with the .22 version at a local TA indoor range.
My Grandmother used to make these guns and others in Maltby, Yorkshire, England as mentioned in the video, at the ROF (Royal Ordnance Factory) during WW2, she always said she`d never worked so hard getting the guns out and never had she earned as much money, they were paid a bonus on piece work, nice one Grandma and I still live in Maltby today. Thanks for the video and thanks for your help in WW2, kind regards from Blighty.
With the greatest of respects as I watched you rapid firing the L.E..303 you gave an ideal example of ALL of the mistakes that I along with the majority of others would make when firing the Beautiful L.E. with it's huge recoil. During one phase of my Military service in Singapore, I was doing my regular once a year familiarising with firing the L.E..303 at the Station Rifle Butts(Range), there I was honoured to watch an Indian Civilian Armourer rapid firing a L.E. .303 who's performance was silky smooth. The Fella's style was that the Rifles Butt never left his shoulder remaining tucked in, His right cheek never moved away from being in contact with the Wooden Stock, His eyes never moved from the Metal rear and forward sights, the recoil was somehow controlled down to only slight even during reloading when this posture was held whilst his right hand would turn with the palm on the wooden side fingers facing up then sliding up and backwards with the right thumb lifting the bolt as the hand moved the bolt fully backwards, then his thumb would curl round the bolt moving it forward as the palm of his hand slid along and finally pivoting down allowing the forefinger to slip into the trigger guard.. fire and repeat the smooooth as poetry in motion. until the Mag was empty but that was NOT the end as he would retrieve his once blank target that showed every shot all within the 1" (inch) circle proving he was not only FAST but MORE IMPORTANTLY HE WAS DEADLY ACCURATE... We never saw your TARGETS... Only your waving with the L.E. Another one of his demonstration was placing a Military Issue China Tea Mug in the 25 yard Butts sand then firing a round through the finger handle without breaking it.
Towards the end of WWII, a British sniper at a distance of 300 yards with standard sights, placed 38 rounds in a 4" circle in a timed 60 seconds. A feat never equaled. My father owned one of these rifles, and I could hit crosshairs at 100 yards time-after-time.
The Lee Enfield was the go-to rifle for many years for the British Army and served in every theater of war. This video was informative and as mentioned, the sniper rifle version came 'boxed' with scope, cleaning kit and ever other add-on and tool ensuring the British sniper wanted for nothing. As a weapons system this rifle and trained marksman were a formidable threat on the battlefield. A real piece of British engineering and thank you for the upload....
As a 14 year old cadet I managed to get an inch group with five rounds and was ultimately awarded my own personal rifle. I virtualy fell in love with this bit of kit,, and still rate it highly
A belated thanks for this vid the Mk 4 SMLE was the last rifle I owned before I gave up my FAC when my eyesight began to fail I I couldn't hit a shed door with a banjo. We had lads still using the Mk 4 on Op's for medium range work into the late 80's. There is something about the wooden furniture, it's organic and feels part of you.
My father was a sniper, first discovered at Sandhurst when his accuracy was so good they didn't believe it was a private who could shoot this well. Privates and officers had different places to shoot. It was 1940. My father taught me to shoot so well that in the 1950s when I was 9 I was winning at the local fetes.
We had an English couple that rented our other house on our Farm. He was a former WW2 sniper and he still had his Lee Enfield 4 and scope. It did come out every so often as did his 1912 12 Gauge shotgun. He was still a crack shot in his late 60's!
My grandfather was a sniper for Britain in WW1. He never stopped having nightmares about the men he probably killed. 70 years and never got over it. War is not a game and guns are not toys.
When I joined up in the late 1970s the L.E. No4 was still being issued (1 per platoon) to regiments stationed along the border between N.Ireland and the Irish republic, the only difference was that these weapons had now been converted from .303 to 7.62, I had the opportunity to use the 7.62 at the range on several occaisions and found it a lovely, well balanced but rugged piece of kit and it was obvious to see why the squaddies who used them on a long term basis were so fond of them.
yonniboy1: The RUC were still using these in N.I. during the early 1970s but we (British sqaddies) had SLRs / Sterlings / "Gimpys" or Brens (converted to 7.62 calibre).
I was too young to join the Cadets before schools dropped that option. RATC was a option out of school hour’s. Learned using my Fathers Lee-Enfield 303 No 4T. He was WW2 veteran. The stock fore-end was removed. The rifle was originally used for Govt contracts Deer culling. Same sights, same box everything so original and complete. Later after years of hunting trips, NZ, Australia and South Africa it was gifted to a friend of his. That friend had never hunted and culled Wallabies on his first hunt. Local Gun club used our property for long range competitions. NZ Tactical Response Units trained on our farm. Bit of a kick for 12 year old me.
I have a No.4(T) scope, chest, spotting scope and absolutely love it. With iron sights I can get excellent groups offhand at 200 yds and just had my scope refurbished as the springs had gone on it so just waiting to get it out to the range.
Recovered a No.4 (not sure if it was a T but I doubt it) in Afghanistan early 2012, yes they are still out there being used, an indication of a good solid design.
My grandfather was a WW1 for British snipers. He never stopped killing the nightmares about the men he probably'd. Never got over the 70 years. Games are not wars, and toys are not guns.
The sporterizing helps reduce a little weight which helps in carrying, but not so much as to require a recoil pad. I'm learning to appreciate mine and the reloading along with it. My Dad gave mine to me about 45 years ago. When I found out it was used as recently as the Falklands war, I understood why. Great rifle!
Allan Gibson not really. I used to have a sporterized 1937 Ishapore with a Williams adjustable trigger. It was one of the most accurate Enfields I’ve ever owned. The trigger made all the difference.
Interesting. I put an answer on Quora about the No4 Mk1 (T) and received a comment from a guy that owned (inherited from his father) a Mannlicher-Carcano model 1891. He was very proud that it hadn't been "sporterized" and could still be used as a hunting rifle with iron sights. Reckoned he, his grandfather, his father and his son have killed a lot of deer: "My grandpappy served in ww2. European and African theater. Bronze star recipient with Valor. He brought home a trophy gun from Europe. A mannlitcher carcano modelo 1891. 6.5. He hunted with that rifle most his life back home. Then my father. Currently me and this year my oldest son passed his hunters safety course, so he will be hunting with it. It's a all original rifle. Has not been sporterized. So yea its still a meter long lol. Anyway hundreds of whitetail deer have fallen to that rifle. For having only iron sights its one of the most accurate rifles I own. Point and shoot and the deer drop. Ammo is harder to find these days. I've only found around ppc. So I buy all I can find when I come across it. I love that old relic. I don't hunt as much with it anymore but I do knock at least one down a year with it anymore. My buddy runs a gunsmith shop out of his place and is constantly trying to get me to have him re chamber it in something easier to find. But I don't want to I love the 6.5x55 round. It shoots straight and has lots of knock down power. Gotta love them old ww2 bolt action rifles."
My favourite .303 is the No.1 MKIII. I have 3 of them as well as one that has a heavy target barrel fitted with a Parker Hale rear adjustable peep sight which are quite rare these days!!
I first used them aged 13 in the ATC. A real thump. Beret in the shoulder for a bit of padding. 500 metre ranges on ring sites I remember. Great stuff. And being a leftie was a toughie rotating the rifle for the bolt action
My Grandfather was a WW1 sniper in The Duke of Wellingtons west Riding Regiment He won the Military Medal and Bar and was mentioned in dispatches several times I believe our family is here today because he wasn’t sent over the top, he worked alone, as a child I used to ask him about the war but he would never speak about the horrors he experienced along with his comrades, as an innocent child I asked him did he kill anyone he would only say in our reports we would write Seen to Fall
I used this rifle many years ago but unlike in your picture always with a sling. The sling wasn't just a method of carrying the weapon (it came with a protective box/case anyway for that) the sling was integral in holding the rifle as still as possible in use (prone, kneeling or standing up). The scope was practically unusable close up ( I knew a fellow intraining who cut his eyebrow badly on recoil) Like your picture you had to have your head away on the stock which meant your left hand had to come further back.
The .303 was still in use in Rhodesia in 1979, though by then it had been handed down to farm militia. Some still had British South Africa Company stamps on them, which predated 1923. Some Internal Affairs DSAs (District Security Assistants) still had them into the mid 1970s. I was told of one contact in a Tribal Trust Land north of Mtoko/Mrewa where seven DSAs were ambushed by an unknown number of ZANLA Terrs. Two DSAs had old .303s and five had new German G3 automatic rifles. The Terrs had AKs, of course. At the end of a couple of minutes of intensive automatic fire all those on both sides with automatic rifles had run down their ammo, leaving the two .303s, which could only take single shots, in command of the battlefield by virtue of being the only ones left with a significant numbers of rounds! The Terrs withdrew with no reported casualties on either side.
Canadian Rangers, in the Canadian Arctic and extreme northern wilderness, in 2018 finally became the last military service to remove the Lee Enfield from preferred front line service. It had been in preferred use for 100 years.
As a nine year old 🇬🇧 kid, I learned windage and elevation with this rifle (amongst others) and was heart-broken when I could no longer use it, when my uncle passed it on a year later. I have had separation anxiety ever since. I have since finding this on YT thought of going to the US and meeting up with another.
I have a lee enfield sniper edition. Sadly not complete. have the holes in the back of the stock missing the cheakrest. Missing the scope but there is a parker and hale diopter on it. Its from 1955 came out of storage. Love this rifle. As it is maybe i get the cheakrest for it.
Not fired a 4T but have the standard .303. A great weapon. A little heavy and kicked like a mule. I was a very small and skinny 14 yr old when I first fired one and laying on the range each time I fired it it pushed me back a couple of inches. Didn't stop me getting the marksman badge though. Great memories. With luck I will be back on the range next year with the L98a2. Looking forward to it.
I cannot attest the following is true but I certainly would love to believe it. This story was told to me by a very good friend who served for many years in HM's forces. His friend (also a senior NCO) was doing a 'stock-take' (or whatever they call it in the army (probably 'stock-take'!) at a base then used by the Territorial Army. Basically he found a long, dusty, old wooden box under a bench in the armory and pulled it out for a look, guess what he found? Yep, absolutely pristine L E No. 4 (T), complete, the entire works as described. As these guys had both shot in competition for the regiment, you can imagine he was quite pleased. Even better, it was not listed, it no longer existed 'on-paper'. He thought about it for, oh, two seconds and decided it would be unfair to burden the system with a .303 'relic' , think of the paperwork? They'd probably have to form a special unit just to re-introduce this exquisite example back into the national arsenal and then dispose of it for reasons of obsolescence. Just wouldn't be right? So this heroic man selflessly assumed the 'burden' unto himself. It was a TA barracks (English version of the National Guard), it wasn't a training day, nobody around, backed his vehicle up and loaded the 'box', gave some 'shite' to the acting Lieutenant about the organisation of the armory (just so they would be glad to see him going), signed some forms and left the barracks, grinning hugely. And that is the end of the story, children, go to sleep now! Pax dudes.
This rifle was made in india until 1970 by Indian ordnance factory with the bore .303 even Indian soldiers fought 1962 india- china war with the same weapon. The zeroing facility was unique. The cartridges could be inserted from the top by removing the bolt.
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST RIFLE EVER! I am lucky enough to own a No1 Mk3 HT Built by Lithgow arms factory in Australia in 1946. Complete with a 1918 Pattern scope on low mounts (rare)
In Australia there were several additional rifles that found use as "Marksmen" rifles, according to my retired sources in the Australian army--in .303 British and 375 Holland and Holland Magnum. The P14, P17 were two of these WW1 variants that had Eddystone American Mauser type actions and these rifles were bought from the military and converted to 25 calibre as sporting rifles, where they had LITHGOW (Sportco) barrels fitted, and were still considered to be extremely accurate. It may be possible to buy one of these 303/25s and have it fitted with a new 303 barrel if one wished to emulate an original Enfield Eddystone P14 or P17, but who would bother unless a collector? Good luck finding either with an original as ordered matched heavy barrel..
I have a Lee Endfield with 1916 stamped on the works. (I had all the military wood remove and a civilian stock and wood put on it. I still shoot it with open sights shoots very good for an 82 year old shooting it. I finally got a scope mount made for it have not shot it with the scope yet. the 303 is a very outstanding weapon in my book
I gave up shooting in about 2015 or thereabouts and the good old Enfield was still being used on ranges in Somerset by some shooters at 600 yds or more.
Love the video, great work guys. I would love to coach the chap shooting the rifle, his recoil management and follow-through need a little work. Looks painful. Cheers and thanks again.
Got one, number four T...never had a scope on it as it was on the bench at holland and holland when the war ended..was halfdone and returned tothe armoury from whence it came....some smuck cut two inches off the end to "sporterize" it ..got a number 32 origional scope and a reproduction mount and pads...i culminated the scope to the rifle myself ...im a special forces marksman so i appreciate the accuracy and durability...cant get a matching one on a soldiers pension ...lol
Just after WW1 my Grandfather had his .303 bored out to use as a 410 shotgun for snake and rat control on the farm. My sister still uses it for the same purpose today.
I have a No. 4 Mark 1 dated 1944 from England. It appears that it was being converted to a sniper rifle but never completed. Maybe because war ended. Very sturdy rifle and also very attractive as rifles go.
The SAS man shown at 5.37 in Dhofar or Yemen) was still in the TA SAS in 1980. Always with a nice looking lady (often a new model). Notice he was wearing old 1944 pattern SAS windproof smock and trousers ( with the pajama cord waist ties).
My wife’s dad made Lee Enfield 303’s at the Enfield Small Arms Factory during WWII, my wife has shot them at Bisley, and an 18 year old grandaughter is currently no. 40 out of an international field of over 900 at the NRA UK Bisley Imperial. I was a cyclist 🙂.
Just before the guy started talking a pic of carlos hathcock with the untrl on top of a maduce showed up ive read about his long ass shots from patrol bases with that tripoded. 50 set up and i never ever knew there was ever a picture of it thats so cool also its awsome h&h were involed in the m4t development
I have the rifle and put a reproduction No.32 Mk2 scope on it just yesterday. However no instructions came with it and I can't find any on line. Does anyone have access to instructions on sighting in this scope?
i need a scope for this rifle... does anyone know where to start looking for it? i have been browsing for quite some time and have failed to find a solid link. any help would be appreciated.
Rebarrelled to 7.62 it was the L42. It had less furniture on the fore stock and an adjustable cheek piece. The first picture of the rifle in it’s container, is an L42
I trained on that weapon in the 1980s and it a great bit of kit.
I was a Rifleman in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1956 and a Marksman on this weapon. Prior to military service I had never fired as much as a Peashooter! But the Rifles Taught me well. Celer et Audax
Swift and bold. I’ve had a few RGJ (now rifles) snipers attend the Royal Marine course over the years. In my opinion the sniper roll is absolutely suited to the regiment. Probably a missed trick by the Army in modern warfare.
Christopher Jones Chosen man.
I know Im quite randomly asking but do anyone know a good site to stream newly released tv shows online?
The British army handed the lee-Enfield 303 down to the cadets and it was the very first weapon I fired as a young cadet, I remember they had a bit of a kick to them. Exellent rifle.
Remember it well in my cadet days in the late seventies, we also had a .22 martini henry that was a fine rifle
Yep exactly that. ATC Marshalls Cambridge about 1990. 303 22 marksman badge inside a 2pence coin. That and flying about in a Chipmunk were the highlights. Also watching the 1990 world cup semi final in uniform stands out for me as well. Great days.
Aaahh great times as a cadet firing these..only age 14 & I remember a bruised shoulder. Thanks to all the adult instructors that gave up their evenings & weekends to supervise us 👍
Yeah I remember the kick i wasn’t very big in my cadet days i used my beret to pad out my shoulder.
We used to shoot with these rifles (basic version) when I was an ATC cadet. Mostly at Rainham, Essex.
It's a nature reserve now, although they still have the target butts in place, with one target
frame preserved. We also used to shot with the .22 version at a local TA indoor range.
My Grandmother used to make these guns and others in Maltby, Yorkshire, England as mentioned in the video, at the ROF (Royal Ordnance Factory) during WW2, she always said she`d never worked so hard getting the guns out and never had she earned as much money, they were paid a bonus on piece work, nice one Grandma and I still live in Maltby today.
Thanks for the video and thanks for your help in WW2, kind regards from Blighty.
With the greatest of respects as I watched you rapid firing the L.E..303 you gave an ideal example of ALL of the mistakes that I along with the majority of others would make when firing the Beautiful L.E. with it's huge recoil.
During one phase of my Military service in Singapore, I was doing my regular once a year familiarising with firing the L.E..303 at the Station Rifle Butts(Range), there I was honoured to watch an Indian Civilian Armourer rapid firing a L.E. .303 who's performance was silky smooth. The Fella's style was that the Rifles Butt never left his shoulder remaining tucked in, His right cheek never moved away from being in contact with the Wooden Stock, His eyes never moved from the Metal rear and forward sights, the recoil was somehow controlled down to only slight even during reloading when this posture was held whilst his right hand would turn with the palm on the wooden side fingers facing up then sliding up and backwards with the right thumb lifting the bolt as the hand moved the bolt fully backwards, then his thumb would curl round the bolt moving it forward as the palm of his hand slid along and finally pivoting down allowing the forefinger to slip into the trigger guard.. fire and repeat the smooooth as poetry in motion. until the Mag was empty but that was NOT the end as he would retrieve his once blank target that showed every shot all within the 1" (inch) circle proving he was not only FAST but MORE IMPORTANTLY HE WAS DEADLY ACCURATE... We never saw your TARGETS... Only your waving with the L.E.
Another one of his demonstration was placing a Military Issue China Tea Mug in the 25 yard Butts sand then firing a round through the finger handle without breaking it.
Towards the end of WWII, a British sniper at a distance of 300 yards with standard sights, placed 38 rounds in a 4" circle in a timed 60 seconds. A feat never equaled. My father owned one of these rifles, and I could hit crosshairs at 100 yards time-after-time.
Won a range day in the uk and got to fire the Lee Enfield mk 4 and a mosin negant , both were awesome
The Lee Enfield was the go-to rifle for many years for the British Army and served in every theater of war. This video was informative and as mentioned, the sniper rifle version came 'boxed' with scope, cleaning kit and ever other add-on and tool ensuring the British sniper wanted for nothing. As a weapons system this rifle and trained marksman were a formidable threat on the battlefield. A real piece of British engineering and thank you for the upload....
As a 14 year old cadet I managed to get an inch group with five rounds and was ultimately awarded my own personal rifle. I virtualy fell in love with this bit of kit,, and still rate it highly
A belated thanks for this vid the Mk 4 SMLE was the last rifle I owned before I gave up my FAC when my eyesight began to fail I I couldn't hit a shed door with a banjo. We had lads still using the Mk 4 on Op's for medium range work into the late 80's. There is something about the wooden furniture, it's organic and feels part of you.
I worked at the royal gunpowder mill in Waltham Abbey when it closed in the 90s, affiliated to Enfield. We found piles of old bullets.
My father was a sniper, first discovered at Sandhurst when his accuracy was so good they didn't believe it was a private who could shoot this well. Privates and officers had different places to shoot.
It was 1940.
My father taught me to shoot so well that in the 1950s when I was 9 I was winning at the local fetes.
I have an Enfield Mark iii* that my dad bought 60 years ago and it's extremely accurate with iron sights.
We had an English couple that rented our other house on our Farm. He was a former WW2 sniper and he still had his Lee Enfield 4 and scope. It did come out every so often as did his 1912 12 Gauge shotgun. He was still a crack shot in his late 60's!
My grandfather was a sniper for Britain in WW1.
He never stopped having nightmares about the men he probably killed.
70 years and never got over it.
War is not a game and guns are not toys.
julian shepherd no one in the video said otherwise...
For every enemy soldier he killed, he saved the life of one or more of his mates.
i had the upgraded l42 a1 in belfast, '73... came top in the sniper course too... lovely weapon but had quite a kick
Best bolt action battle rifle ever made that's including the mauser!
I love its performance and accuracy of MK 4 but the Lee infield Iii is also unforgettable. Then the 5 shots Mauser with 8mm caliber is also alegent
Had 10 shots where every other rifle had 5
The lee actions close on fiering the mausers cock on opening i think so lees are fast and mausers are strong
weird science the 2nd Lees are also smoother! Comparing my No.4 Mk 1* to my 98k side by side, makes my Mauser feel like my Mosin lol
im sure it's a matter of personal preference but i found the p14 the best
When I joined up in the late 1970s the L.E. No4 was still being issued (1 per platoon) to regiments stationed along the border between N.Ireland and the Irish republic, the only difference was that these weapons had now been converted from .303 to 7.62, I had the opportunity to use the 7.62 at the range on several occaisions and found it a lovely, well balanced but rugged piece of kit and it was obvious to see why the squaddies who used them on a long term basis were so fond of them.
yonniboy1: The RUC were still using these in N.I. during the early 1970s but we (British sqaddies) had SLRs / Sterlings / "Gimpys" or Brens (converted to 7.62 calibre).
Interesting story.
7 62 and not NATO round is more of a twist
If you had looked over the border you would have seen the irish defense forces with them as well!
My Dad brought one back from the war. At our old quarry in Moose Creek he could hit beer cans with at 300 yards. A great rifle.
Read a story of a 3RAR Sniper in Korea who said that he was capable of headshots out to 600-1000 yards if required. Amazing rifle in the right hands.
I was too young to join the Cadets before schools dropped that option. RATC was a option out of school hour’s. Learned using my Fathers Lee-Enfield 303 No 4T. He was WW2 veteran.
The stock fore-end was removed. The rifle was originally used for Govt contracts Deer culling. Same sights, same box everything so original and complete. Later after years of hunting trips, NZ, Australia and South Africa it was gifted to a friend of his. That friend had never hunted and culled Wallabies on his first hunt. Local Gun club used our property for long range competitions. NZ Tactical Response Units trained on our farm. Bit of a kick for 12 year old me.
The No. 4(T) variants made in Canada in WW2 by the Long Branch factory in Ontario are also absolutely superb.
Yes wonderful rifle. Its been a great moose hunting rifle for me. Downeaster.
I have a No.4(T) scope, chest, spotting scope and absolutely love it. With iron sights I can get excellent groups offhand at 200 yds and just had my scope refurbished as the springs had gone on it so just waiting to get it out to the range.
I need to find an original scope for my T.
Recovered a No.4 (not sure if it was a T but I doubt it) in Afghanistan early 2012, yes they are still out there being used, an indication of a good solid design.
An excellent rifle. I was throughy trained during my college years .
I own one of these with a matching scope my great grandfather used it was his service rifle
I love Enfield. I have 3 of them. But that is the holy grail. I’d love to just see one. Thanks for the video 🇦🇺
My first big game rifle-picked it out of barrel full of them, paid $8.88 at the hardware store. I was 14. Brings back a lot of good memories.
Beautiful rifle, with the scope it looks great !
Magnificent rifle.
My grandfather was a WW1 for British snipers.
He never stopped killing the nightmares about the men he probably'd.
Never got over the 70 years.
Games are not wars, and toys are not guns.
The fact that they still used a version of this rifle in the Falklands says something
Dependable and reliable been around since world war 1
It was a superb rifle, starting in WW1. What may surprise people is that British lens grinding lead the world for a long time.
Great rifle. Love my lee Enfield. Just wish it wasn’t sporterized
The sporterizing helps reduce a little weight which helps in carrying, but not so much as to require a recoil pad. I'm learning to appreciate mine and the reloading along with it. My Dad gave mine to me about 45 years ago. When I found out it was used as recently as the Falklands war, I understood why. Great rifle!
@@stevephillips8722 Cutting the stock down ruins the barrel bedding.
Allan Gibson not really. I used to have a sporterized 1937 Ishapore with a Williams adjustable trigger. It was one of the most accurate Enfields I’ve ever owned.
The trigger made all the difference.
Interesting. I put an answer on Quora about the No4 Mk1 (T) and received a comment from a guy that owned (inherited from his father) a Mannlicher-Carcano model 1891. He was very proud that it hadn't been "sporterized" and could still be used as a hunting rifle with iron sights. Reckoned he, his grandfather, his father and his son have killed a lot of deer:
"My grandpappy served in ww2. European and African theater. Bronze star recipient with Valor. He brought home a trophy gun from Europe. A mannlitcher carcano modelo 1891. 6.5. He hunted with that rifle most his life back home. Then my father. Currently me and this year my oldest son passed his hunters safety course, so he will be hunting with it. It's a all original rifle. Has not been sporterized. So yea its still a meter long lol. Anyway hundreds of whitetail deer have fallen to that rifle. For having only iron sights its one of the most accurate rifles I own. Point and shoot and the deer drop. Ammo is harder to find these days. I've only found around ppc. So I buy all I can find when I come across it. I love that old relic. I don't hunt as much with it anymore but I do knock at least one down a year with it anymore. My buddy runs a gunsmith shop out of his place and is constantly trying to get me to have him re chamber it in something easier to find. But I don't want to I love the 6.5x55 round. It shoots straight and has lots of knock down power. Gotta love them old ww2 bolt action rifles."
My favourite .303 is the No.1 MKIII. I have 3 of them as well as one that has a heavy target barrel fitted with a Parker Hale rear adjustable peep sight which are quite rare these days!!
Yes..the MK III is the leader...I inherited one from my father
I love my old Mosin-Nagant, but, if I can, I want to bring this one and have two of beautiful rifle in the world.
Al those guys shooting, never had to put that much effort into working the action, forefinger and thumb all that ever had to use, smooth and quick.
Not many people can use the standing position when firing a rifle fitted with a scope. This guy can actually shoot.
Yeah shooting off hand with the scope definitely can be difficult
Didn't show if he hit his targets or not
I first used them aged 13 in the ATC. A real thump. Beret in the shoulder for a bit of padding. 500 metre ranges on ring sites I remember. Great stuff. And being a leftie was a toughie rotating the rifle for the bolt action
Nice write up. The Enfield has earned its good reputation. Nod to Holland & Holland.
Used as a sniper rifle into the eighties by the british
Jim was quite right The number 4 T held its Zero and that and its ruggedness was the most important thing in the field.
I got my first Marksman using the Lee Enfield .303 in the Cadets. A full marksman not a cadet Marksman. So accurate.
My Grandfather was a WW1 sniper in The Duke of Wellingtons west Riding Regiment He won the Military Medal and Bar and was mentioned in dispatches several times I believe our family is here today because he wasn’t sent over the top, he worked alone, as a child I used to ask him about the war but he would never speak about the horrors he experienced along with his comrades, as an innocent child I asked him did he kill anyone he would only say in our reports we would write Seen to Fall
I used this rifle many years ago but unlike in your picture always with a sling. The sling wasn't just a method of carrying the weapon (it came with a protective box/case anyway for that) the sling was integral in holding the rifle as still as possible in use (prone, kneeling or standing up). The scope was practically unusable close up ( I knew a fellow intraining who cut his eyebrow badly on recoil) Like your picture you had to have your head away on the stock which meant your left hand had to come further back.
I bought one recently, it’s pulling to the right but i didn’t zero it in yet.. still love it
The .303 was still in use in Rhodesia in 1979, though by then it had been handed down to farm militia. Some still had British South Africa Company stamps on them, which predated 1923.
Some Internal Affairs DSAs (District Security Assistants) still had them into the mid 1970s. I was told of one contact in a Tribal Trust Land north of Mtoko/Mrewa where seven DSAs were ambushed by an unknown number of ZANLA Terrs. Two DSAs had old .303s and five had new German G3 automatic rifles. The Terrs had AKs, of course. At the end of a couple of minutes of intensive automatic fire all those on both sides with automatic rifles had run down their ammo, leaving the two .303s, which could only take single shots, in command of the battlefield by virtue of being the only ones left with a significant numbers of rounds! The Terrs withdrew with no reported casualties on either side.
Canadian Rangers, in the Canadian Arctic and extreme northern wilderness, in 2018 finally became the last military service to remove the Lee Enfield from preferred front line service.
It had been in preferred use for 100 years.
As a nine year old 🇬🇧 kid, I learned windage and elevation with this rifle (amongst others) and was heart-broken when I could no longer use it, when my uncle passed it on a year later. I have had separation anxiety ever since. I have since finding this on YT thought of going to the US and meeting up with another.
I have a lee enfield sniper edition. Sadly not complete. have the holes in the back of the stock missing the cheakrest. Missing the scope but there is a parker and hale diopter on it. Its from 1955 came out of storage. Love this rifle. As it is maybe i get the cheakrest for it.
Not fired a 4T but have the standard .303. A great weapon. A little heavy and kicked like a mule. I was a very small and skinny 14 yr old when I first fired one and laying on the range each time I fired it it pushed me back a couple of inches. Didn't stop me getting the marksman badge though. Great memories. With luck I will be back on the range next year with the L98a2. Looking forward to it.
I cannot attest the following is true but I certainly would love to believe it. This story was told to me by a very good friend who served for many years in HM's forces. His friend (also a senior NCO) was doing a 'stock-take' (or whatever they call it in the army (probably 'stock-take'!) at a base then used by the Territorial Army. Basically he found a long, dusty, old wooden box under a bench in the armory and pulled it out for a look, guess what he found? Yep, absolutely pristine L E No. 4 (T), complete, the entire works as described. As these guys had both shot in competition for the regiment, you can imagine he was quite pleased.
Even better, it was not listed, it no longer existed 'on-paper'.
He thought about it for, oh, two seconds and decided it would be unfair to burden the system with a .303 'relic' , think of the paperwork? They'd probably have to form a special unit just to re-introduce this exquisite example back into the national arsenal and then dispose of it for reasons of obsolescence. Just wouldn't be right?
So this heroic man selflessly assumed the 'burden' unto himself. It was a TA barracks (English version of the National Guard), it wasn't a training day, nobody around, backed his vehicle up and loaded the 'box', gave some 'shite' to the acting Lieutenant about the organisation of the armory (just so they would be glad to see him going), signed some forms and left the barracks, grinning hugely.
And that is the end of the story, children, go to sleep now!
Pax dudes.
Haha Brits are world class at ‘liberating’ kit. For decades, the US Army had shit tons of stuff go ‘missing’ in Germany 😂
This rifle was made in india until 1970 by Indian ordnance factory
with the bore .303 even Indian soldiers fought 1962 india- china war with the same weapon.
The zeroing facility was unique.
The cartridges could be inserted from the top by removing the bolt.
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST RIFLE EVER! I am lucky enough to own a No1 Mk3 HT Built by Lithgow arms factory in Australia in 1946. Complete with a 1918 Pattern scope on low mounts (rare)
I learned to shoot the Lee Enfield as a small 12 year old and gained a marksmanship, loved this rifle
In Australia there were several additional rifles that found use as "Marksmen" rifles, according to my retired sources in the Australian army--in .303 British and 375 Holland and Holland Magnum. The P14, P17 were two of these WW1 variants that had Eddystone American Mauser type actions and these rifles were bought from the military and converted to 25 calibre as sporting rifles, where they had LITHGOW (Sportco) barrels fitted, and were still considered to be extremely accurate. It may be possible to buy one of these 303/25s and have it fitted with a new 303 barrel if one wished to emulate an original Enfield Eddystone P14 or P17, but who would bother unless a collector? Good luck finding either with an original as ordered matched heavy barrel..
HAD ONE IN THE ARMY VERY GOOD SNIPER RIFLE
That is the first time I've ever heard an American say the 'ham' suffix of a British place name correctly.
I have a Lee Endfield with 1916 stamped on the works. (I had all the military wood remove and a civilian stock and wood put on it. I still shoot it with open sights shoots very good for an 82 year old shooting it. I finally got a scope mount made for it have not shot it with the scope yet. the 303 is a very outstanding weapon in my book
I gave up shooting in about 2015 or thereabouts and the good old Enfield was still being used on ranges in Somerset by some shooters at 600 yds or more.
Carried in belfast and the falklands that was right into the 80s
I have a Lee Enfield No.4 Mk1 from Long Branch.
Mine was built sometime in the 50s and it shot well.
Re-barrelled with 7.62mm was still a good sniper rifle used by British police well in to the 1980;s.
Love the video, great work guys.
I would love to coach the chap shooting the rifle, his recoil management and follow-through need a little work. Looks painful.
Cheers and thanks again.
Had my army training with them a deadly rifle spot on
Got one, number four T...never had a scope on it as it was on the bench at holland and holland when the war ended..was halfdone and returned tothe armoury from whence it came....some smuck cut two inches off the end to "sporterize" it ..got a number 32 origional scope and a reproduction mount and pads...i culminated the scope to the rifle myself ...im a special forces marksman so i appreciate the accuracy and durability...cant get a matching one on a soldiers pension ...lol
Just after WW1 my Grandfather had his .303 bored out to use as a 410 shotgun for snake and rat control on the farm. My sister still uses it for the same purpose today.
I have a No. 4 Mark 1 dated 1944 from England. It appears that it was being converted to a sniper rifle but never completed. Maybe because war ended. Very sturdy rifle and also very attractive as rifles go.
My Father was Bombardier NZ Army. 1950s we had his, Lee Enfield at home for years
Americans had the most accurate rifles of WW2 no scope needed
first gun I ever fired. after that I fired a Springfield and a mosin, and let me say nothing compares to the enfield
Super rifle hell of a bang and kick especially when it comes with the brass butt
The Irish Army used the 303 sniper rifle up to the year 2000, they won many competitions with this very basic rifle. Simple,.
The SAS man shown at 5.37 in Dhofar or Yemen) was still in the TA SAS in 1980. Always with a nice looking lady (often a new model).
Notice he was wearing old 1944 pattern SAS windproof smock and trousers ( with the pajama cord waist ties).
My Grandfather used this Rifle serving in the Gordon Highlanders (British Army)in WW2.
My wife’s dad made Lee Enfield 303’s at the Enfield Small Arms Factory during WWII, my wife has shot them at Bisley, and an 18 year old grandaughter is currently no. 40 out of an international field of over 900 at the NRA UK Bisley Imperial. I was a cyclist 🙂.
My rifle : Enfield n. 4 mk 1 sniper production1945 best!!! 1,7 cm X 2,0 cm at 100 meters
Beautiful weapon.
Just before the guy started talking a pic of carlos hathcock with the untrl on top of a maduce showed up ive read about his long ass shots from patrol bases with that tripoded. 50 set up and i never ever knew there was ever a picture of it thats so cool also its awsome h&h were involed in the m4t development
India and Afghanistan still have this rifle and they are pretty accurate
I own an SMLE MK3 dated 1917 i got from my uncle. Still a good rifle even today.
That's awesome. I hope you take great care of it.
@@layzorbeeemz7317 yes you are lucky unlike me who handed in a fully working with ammo a 1879 Martini Henry in a UK firearms amnesty.
Got my marksman badge with it. When I was 16 yrs old. Left groves in the sand where my boots were. Haha.
I've been lucky enough to shoot a 4t. A very accurate and beautifully balanced weapon, I'd take one to war today in a heartbeat.
That would be an expensive rifle today.
same here first with a 22 sleeve to get used to them 4 company Cameronian Scottish rifles
Had 2x Lee Endfields Mk 1 and Mk 4 also had an Original 9mm De,Lisle silenced would be worth a fortune now
These videos are great!
I have one of the 3000 that didn't have a scope assigned to it.
I would know the affected range of the 303 rifle,
Nice seeing a beauty not ruined through being "sporterised"
A great rifle for sure
Pleasant adaptation by America of a BRITISH rifle........
Did Parker Hale make the scopes?
I would love one , it would be the only gun I would need.
I have lithgow no1 Mark 3* from lithgow fire arms Australia best of the 303 heavy barrel sniper rifle I love it
I have the rifle and put a reproduction No.32 Mk2 scope on it just yesterday. However no instructions came with it and I can't find any on line. Does anyone have access to instructions on sighting in this scope?
Where can you buy one?
I know what I want for Christmas..
someone please tell me how did they reload it with the scope on..
i need a scope for this rifle... does anyone know where to start looking for it? i have been browsing for quite some time and have failed to find a solid link. any help would be appreciated.