Short Magazine Lee Enfield Mark 1 n°4 rifle

History, technical sheet and photo

Lee Enfield Mark 1 n°4

Lee Enfield Mark 1 n°4 rifle history

The Lee Enfield Mark 1 No. 4 was introduced into the British Army as a standard weapon in 1941. Created in 1895 by engineer J. P. Lee, the Mark 1 type rifle was manufactured by the Royal Small Arms Factory.

The No. 1 Mark 1 is one of the descendants of the Lee Enfield No. 1 gun, introduced in 1906 and the base army of the British Army during the First World War.

Mark 1 No. 4, with a manual firing mode by Lee’s mobile breech, has a small banding surrounding the weapon, allowing for regimental marking.

This weapon was also used as a precision shotgun by Commonwealth snipers, which not only added a rifle but also a piece of smooth wood on the butt to allow the shooter to have an optimal firing position.

The Lee Enfield Mark 1 No. 4 is a handy rifle that has a fairly high rate of firing, superior to most manual shotgun weapons. The receiver can count one or two clips of 5 cartridges, depending on the choice of the shooter, ie a total capacity of 10 cartridges.

This weapon was used by Commonwealth forces until 1957, when the Lee Enfield Mark 1 No. 4 was replaced.

Lee Enfield Mark 1 n°4 rifle specification

Creator/User: Commonwealth countries
Denomination: SMLE Mk 1 (Short Magazine Lee Enfield)

Fire mode: bolt action
Caliber: .303 Mk VII SAA Ball
Feed system: 10-round magazine
Effective firing range: 503 m
Maximum firing range: 2,743 m
Rate of fire: 15 rounds/min

Weight: 4,11 kg
Length: 1129 mm