Replacing this with a new square-shaped rifling system designed at the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield solved the problem, and the Leeâ∾nfield was born. Experiments with smokeless powder in the existing LeeâMetford cartridge seemed at first to be a simple upgrade, but the greater heat and pressure generated by the new smokeless powder wore away the shallow, rounded, Metford rifling after approximately 6000 rounds. 303 British service cartridge, a rimmed, high-powered rifle round. The Leeâ∾nfield was adapted to fire the. To further facilitate rapid aimed fire the rifle can be cycled by most riflemen without loss of sight picture. Early models of the LeeâMetford and Leeâ∾nfield even used a short length of chain to secure the magazine to the rifle. Originally, the concept of a detachable magazine was opposed in some British Army circles, as some feared that the private soldier might be likely to lose the magazine during field campaigns. The rifle was also equipped with a detachable sheet-steel, 10-round, double-column magazine, a very modern development in its day. This is one reason the bolt closure feels smooth. The British probably used helical locking lugs to allow for chambering imperfect or dirty ammunition and that the closing cam action is distributed over the entire mating faces of both bolt and receiver lugs. This means that final head space is not achieved until the bolt handle is turned down all the way. The action features helical locking surfaces (the technical term is interrupted threading). The bolt has a relatively short bolt throw and features rear-mounted lugs and the bolt operating handle places the bolt knob just rearwards of the trigger at a favourable ergonomic position close to the operator's hand. The Lee action cocked the striker on the closing stroke of the bolt, making the initial opening much faster and easier compared to the 'cock on opening' (i.e., the firing pin cocks upon opening the bolt) of the Mauser Gewehr 98 design. The Leeâ∾nfield rifle was derived from the earlier LeeâMetford, a mechanically similar black-powder rifle, which combined James Paris Lee's rear-locking bolt system that had a barrel featuring rifling designed by William Ellis Metford. Total production of all Leeâ∾nfields is estimated at over 17 million rifles. The Canadian Rangers unit still use Enfield rifles, with plans to replace the weapons sometime in 2017â∲018 with the new Sako-designed Colt Canada C19. As a standard-issue infantry rifle, it is still found in service in the armed forces of some Commonwealth nations, notably with the Bangladesh Police, which makes it the second longest-serving military bolt-action rifle still in official service, after the MosinâNagant. Although officially replaced in the UK with the L1A1 SLR in 1957, it remained in widespread British service until the early/mid-1960s and the 7.62 mmL42A1 sniper variant remained in service until the 1990s. The Leeâ∾nfield was the standard issue weapon to rifle companies of the British Army and other Commonwealth nations in both the First and Second World Wars (these Commonwealth nations included Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India and South Africa, among others). 303 Britishcartridge manually from the top, either one round at a time or by means of five-round chargers. It featured a ten-round box magazine which was loaded with the.
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A redesign of the LeeâMetford (adopted by the British Army in 1888), the Leeâ∾nfield superseded the earlier MartiniâHenry, Martiniâ∾nfield, and LeeâMetford rifles.