Lee Enfield Rifle Manual

							LEE-ENFIELD
RIFLE MANUAL
No.1 -- No.3 - - No.4 - - No.5
MKlllMKIMKIMKI
PAMPHLET 1 
						

							No. 4 Mk. 1The No. 4 Mk. 1 rifle was developed from the No. 1 SMLE between
the World Wars. It retained the basic Lee action design of the No. 1
rifle, but was extensively modified to improve performance and made
easier to manufacture.Important modifications included a heavier barrel, heavier receiver,
aperture rear sight and simplified bedding of the barrel in the 
fore-
end.Before the Battle of Dunkirk, only a few No. 4 rifles were built.
However, after the British disaster, these rifles went into major
production in England, Canada and the United States. After World
War II, No. 4 rifles were used by Italy, Greece and some Arab
countries. The No. 4 Mk. 2 rifles were used during the Korean War. In1954, the No. 4 rifle was replaced in the British, Canadian and
Australian Services by the FN-FAL in 7.62 NATO. No. 4 rifles are byand large in better condition that No. 
1’s. but for the most part, are
not finished as well as the peacetime rifles.No. 5 Mk.
During World War II, the No. 1 SMLE and No. 4 rifles were found to
be too long and heavy for jungle fighting. A shorter more handy riflewas needed and the No. 5 Mk 1 was developed and adapted from
the earlier rifles. The new rifle became popularly known as the ‘jungle
carbine”, as was a No. 4 with short fore-end and barrel.
It was also fitted with a flash hider and a rubber buttplate. The shortfore-end makes the No. 5 look like a sporting rifle. Many of these
rifles were built and used in Burma and the South Pacific during thelater part of World War II. This version of the 
Enfield is very popular
with shooters and hunters and will likely bring a premium price.
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							Sights
The front sights for the Enfield were originally a barley corn sight with
a small ‘v’ for the rear. As improvements were made to the rifle, a
front blade was used and a u-shaped ,rear sight replaced the old ‘v’.
Later a long range adjustable stand-up sight with a peep was used.
They were fixed to the barrel. As the rifles were further refined, the
rear sights were set over the tang to increase sight radius. These
sights have adjustments out to 1600 yards and some can be fine
tuned with a worm wheel to more precise increments.
The purpose of the long range sights was not for accuracy. The British
like to fire in volleys and were able to use this strategy to terrorize
the enemy with a hail of bullets from long range while the hapless
enemy could not return fire.
During World War II, sniper scopes were introduced along with
mounts and boxes to carry them when the scopes were not attached
to the rifle.
loading and Firing
Place the rifle on a table in the upright position or if in the field, place
the left hand under the receiver and with the right hand, grasp the
bolt and turn it up and to the left. Pull the bolt straight back as far as
it will go. Insert a loaded five round clip in the clip guide inside the
receiver and force the cartridges down into the magazine with the
right thumb. Take out the empty clip. Place another five round clip in
the clip guide and strip these cartridges into the magazine. There will
be ten rounds in the magazine.
With the right hand, grasp the bolt handle and push it forward and
down, (to the right). This will strip a cartridge from the magazine and
slide it into the chamber. This action also cocks the firing pin. The rifle
is now ready to be fired by squeezing the trigger. If the rifle will not
be fired immediately, set the thumb safety on the rear of the receiver
to “Safe”.
After the rifle has been fired, lift the bolt handle up and to the left.
Pull the bolt straight back. This action causes the spent cartridge tobe withdrawn from the firing chamber and flipped clear of the
receiver. To reload the rifle, push the bolt handle forward and down.
9 fresh cartridge is stripped from the magazine and slipped into the
:hamber. The rifle is now ready to fire again. This sequence may be
repeated until the magazine is empty.
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							Insert the t-shaped tool into the notches and turn the cocking piece
until the lower two notches are reached. The firing pin spring should
be virtually decompressed. Remove the firing pin locking screw found
in the rear of the cocking piece. Now we may finish removing thefiring pin with the special tool. 
Wnscrewing the firing pin with a
‘makeshift rig may cause damage and should be left to a qualified
gunsmith.Removal of the Extractor Spring
Place the bolt in a 
padded vice and 7insert a drift punch 
bf less than 0.04
inch in diameter into the small hole
found in the bolt head adjacent to the
extractor. Push the punch into the hole
against the extractor spring and ease
the spring forward using a screw driver.Punch is insmud through Ihe holea) in the boh bead. Extractor springb) is of V type.
Keep one finger over the extractor slot L
to keep the spring from jumping out. To reassemble, place the spring
into the extractor slot and seat the small projection on the spring into
its seat in the bolt head.Replacing the Bolt
Lee-Enfield bolts are nQt interchangeable. They have been fitted to
their respective boltways. Compare the number of the bolt with the
number of the rifle to avoid any chance that might cause you to
substitute a bolt in the wrong rifle. Check to see that there is no
cartridge in the chamber. Be sure that the bolt head is fully screwed
home and that the bolt cocking piece lines up with the lug on the
underside of the bolt.
Replace the bolt in the boltway and push if forward. Next, pull the
bolt to the rear to the resistance shoulders and force the bolt head
down over the spring retaining catch. Then, push the bolt forward all
the way and turn the bolt handle down. Hold the rifle so the muzzle is
pointing in a safe direction and press the trigger. The firing pin should
fall with an audible click.9 
						

							The Lee-Enfield Ballistics
In 1892, the .303 British cartridge was loaded with 70 grains ofblack powder and had a 215 grain round nose bullet with a muzzlevelocity of 1850 fps. Muzzle energy was 1640 fp. By 19 14, with a
smokeless powder loading and a 174 grain pointed bullet, the
velocity moved up to 2440 fps. This was the Mk. VII round and was
still in use when the .303 was discontinued.
Used extensively in Africa, Canada and India by the military, govern-ment, workers and settlers, the 
.303 cartridge suffered from a bad
reputation due to the use of the military full metal jacketed pointed
bullets. When sporting ammunition became available, the .303
became a reliable cartridge for lighter non-dangerous game. Jacketed
ammunition has a bullet diameter of .3 1 1 inch. Cast lead bullets can
be .3 12 inch or even .3 13 inch.The .30-40 Krag was the cartridge by which the 
.303 was judged
early in its life. The .303 had a slight edge over the .30-40 and later
could take chamber pressures of 50,000 psi. The 
Enfield Mk. 4 has
been successfully converted to .308
 Winchester (7.62 NATO). TheBritish 
.303 is now compared with the more powerful .308
Winchester and the .303 has found its niche in the American market.
Plentiful stocks of rifles and ammunition have assured it a place for
many years to come.
.303 British
Max. Case Length: 2.222” Trim-To Length 2.212” Max. Overall
Length: 3.075” Primer Size: Large Rifle Bullet Diameter: .3 1 1 *
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							LOAD
NUMBER
I6
*‘Rifle Loads for
18
t19
Abbreviations: ACC - Accurate Arms Co.; - Canadian Industries, Ltd.;
HDY - Hornady Manufacturing Co.; HER - Hercules, Inc.; HOD -
Hodgdon Powder Co.; IMR - IMR Powder Co.:
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