![]() 1 Mk III*s, one manufactured by Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield (RSAF) in England, and two by Lithgow Small Arms Australia. Two were Indian-made Ishapore 7.62x51 mm derivatives (model 2A1s) with noticeable wear, along with $600 price tags. It held my interest until I looked at the $1,000 price tag. 4 Mk 1 had typical wear on the metal and wood. When I arrived, six Enfields were on the rack of which one was a No 4. With these factors in mind, I decided to drive to a local gunshop to look for a No 4. Cheaper examples are on the market, but expect a rifle that has non-matching parts or has been “sporterized. While Mk III*s that are veterans of battle can be purchased, they generally look the part as well with wear, tear and taller price to match. 4, which was simplified to ease production. Depending on where and when they were made, Mk III*s are generally more intricate in their craftsmanship and build quality over the No. 1 Mk III*s are desirable for their historic role in both world wars across multiple theatres. Parts and furniture are also easier to find for the No 4. 4s can generally be found with less wear for a comparatively lower price than the Mk III*. ![]() 4 due to more familiar peep sights, longer sight radius, and slightly improved accuracy. 1 Mk III* and No 4 share design principles, but only a few small parts are fully interchangeable. ![]() There are two models of Lee-Enfield most common on the surplus market today: the No. 4 adopted in 1939 were the equivalent of what the M1 Garand would become as a battle rifle-a “Commonwealth Garand.” For these reasons, the SMLE (which was renamed the No. Trained soldiers drilled to accurately shoot 15 rounds per minute or more, greater than the potential output of opponents. The cock-on-close action allowed more rapid manipulation of the bolt than on other models, like the cock-on-open action of the Mauser 98. In fact, when the Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield (or SMLE) Mk III was introduced in 1907, its magazine capacity was twice that of its contemporaries. The use of a double stack 10-round magazine and cock-on close bolt-action meant that the Lee-Enfield was one of the fastest firing battle rifles of the era. Although some early "Long Lees" and carbines had smaller magazine capacities, the Lee-Enfield's 10-round magazine, fed by stripper clips or "chargers," gave British soldiers a real advantage. From the mud of the trenches on the Western Front, the arid sands of North Africa, and to the dense jungles of the South Pacific, the Lee-Enfield proved to be a reliable battle rifle. As the common rifle of the British Empire, the series was used across the globe in vastly different climates and conflicts. The Lee-Enfield served as the standard issue rifle of Great Britain and the Commonwealth forces from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20 th century. While these three examples have undoubtedly earned their reputations and fan bases, they often overshadow another workhorse of the era, the Lee-Enfield series. When it comes to bolt-action service rifles of World War I and World War II on the military surplus market, the models that typically come to mind first are rifles like the Mauser 98, Springfield M1903 and Mosin-Nagant.
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