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Character Profiles
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Lee
Enfield No. 4 .303 inch Rifle
Operation:
Manual, bolt-action
Caliber: .30 inch (7.62 mm)
Capacity: 10-round clip
The Lee Enfield No. 4 was the result of over 30 years of refinement in
bolt-action rifle performance. This rifle’s genesis was the Lee Model
1895 rifle, developed by James Lee (a Scotsman who became an American
citizen). The Model 1895 fired a high-velocity 6-millimeter (0.236-inch)
round; however, its straight-pull bolt proved to be difficult to operate
in combat conditions.
In 1907, the short-magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) Mark II was introduced;
the SMLE Mark III followed a few years later. These rifles used a rotating
(rather than straight) bolt action and were the standard British infantry
rifles during World War I. This smoothly operating bolt enabled a trained
soldier to fire up to 15 aimed shots per minute.
Further simplification of the SMLE design resulted in the Lee Enfield
No. 4. Developed in 1928, it was not produced in quantity until 1941 when
it became the standard British infantry rifle.
Source: Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far
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