Lee Enfield SMLE ( No1) Rifles

The Enfield SMLE entered service as the Mk1 just after the turn of the 20th century, when King Edward VII was still on the throne. After various upgrades the revised short rifle, the SMLE MKIII, was introduced prior to WW1.

Various companies and countries produced the SMLE for the Empire, RSAF Enfield, LSA and BSA in the UK (Also Standard Small Arms, later the National Rifle Factory during late 1917 & 1918), Lithgow in Australia and Ishapore in India (India continured manufacturing the SMLE into the 1970's!).

Manufacturing alterations caused several changes to simplify production, offically from 1916 but in practice prior to this. The main changes were to the rear sights and the removal of the magazine cut off which was designed for single shot loading, also the omission of the long range volley sights, this became the MKIII*. In practice however rifles dated 1917/18 sometimes still have the cut off. However repairs and modification to new specifications meant that MKIII's often appear with fixed rear sights and new wood without volley sights.

The SMLE, renamed the Rifle No1 MkIII* (they should all have been upgraded to MK111* where possible), carried on until the end of WW2 in the British Army, seeing service in France in 1940, and also in North Africa, Italy and Burma etc until the end of WW2.