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Short Magazine Lee Enfield No. 1 Mk. III* in Pictures

Author's SMLE. This is a 1949 dated model from ishapore, India. It was a wire-wrapped model used for launching grenades, but was unwrapped by me for various reasons. The wood was finished with an oil blend.

Detail pictures. Click and photo for a larger view.

Left side of action. The safety lever is operated by thumb. Pulling it rearward locks the bolt, forward is the fire position.

Right side of action. Note the long cocking distance.

Loading of rifle. The detachable magazine holds 10 .303 cartridges. Each stripper clip holds five rounds.

View of markings. Note "G.R.I." for the Ishapore rifle factory. Also, by 1949 the factories in England had long been making No. 4 Enfields, but India tended to produce outdated models.

Field stripped rifle. The magazine is removed by pressing the lever forward of the trigger. The bolt head unscrews. To remove the firing pin a special tool is required.

Brass buttplate with trapdoor. The compartement held a oiler and allowed for access to the screw to remove buttstock.

Top view of action. Note the pernounced bridge for charger guides. This was an improvement ofver earlier Enfields which had one hald of the charger guide built into the bolt head.

Top view of action and rear sight.

Rear sight. Adjustable from 200 to 2000 yards in 25 yard increments. There is no windage adjustment unlike the original No. 1 Mk. III.

Muzzle lug. Note the bayonet mount below the muzzle. This was done so to prevent the stress of bayonetting from bending the muzzle. Author H.W. McBride described the Enfield as "a handle for a bayonet," in his book A Rifleman Went to War.