/k/ Educate me on Lee-Enfields/SMLEs (are they same thing or

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>>31773299
>/vg/ pls go

>>31773303
Not from /vg/
Just taken a recent shine to Enfields and am thinking about purchasing one as I am in need of a nice bolt gun with a bit of character to it. Wanting to make the right purchase and learn a bit about it before I pull the trigger.

Most of the time an SMLE is the same thing as an Lee-Enfield. It gets confusing as there are other Lee-Enfields. The SMLE is the shorter riflen while the MLE( or Emily) is the original longer rifle

>>31773299
SMLE stands for short magazine Lee Enfield. The "short" bit refers to the rifle, as they were shorter than most british military rifles directly preceding them. I think the most popular ones are the No. 1 mk.3 (used in ww1, 2, and onwards) and the No.4 (a few changes, different sights, used in ww2 and onwards). I also quite like the Enfields, something about them speaks of a Britain of iron, colonialism, long names and eccentric inventors. Some people like to sporterize them as with most rifles. Hope that helped.

>>31773313
You'll want to handload for them, as factory ammo is expensive and not very accurate. Brass and projectiles will be the biggest cost, otherwise they use large rifle primers and Varget is a great all round powder to use.

Brass will not last very long, as 303 British is prone to case head separation. A No4 will be better than a No1, but will generally be more expensive.

They're great fun, and 303 British delivers plenty of power down range and will take care of probably anything you intend to hunt (deer, elk, moose, Germans, etc).

Where are you from, so which market do you have access to?

English are best, LSA is better than BSA.

I have a 1917 BSA SMLE. NRA wartime special procurement, target rifle setup. Has Australian Central number 4 sights, and BSA heavy target barrel all bedded and shit. Has a 1907 bayonet almost as long as my dick.

303 is expensive these days. You might find one re-barreled in 308win carbine length with OG iron sights if you if you want to shoot it all the time, I'd love to have a rifle like that.

>>31773340
This was one of the things that really caught my attention while I indulged in my Mosin fetish are all the variations. You say No. 1 Mk. 3 and the No. 4
Does that mean there are No. 1-4 and by No. 4 do you mean a No. 4 Mk.1 and on or was there only a No. since no other marks were made? What were the main differences between all of the different versions. Why is the No. 1 Mk. 3 the most popular? Quality? Availability?

I personally think they are some of the most handsome bolt guns out there. And of course they speak their own tale much as a Mosin or Mauser does.

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>>31773359
SoCal
I know, I know.

Also wanted to add, if your eye is good you can identify steel/finish from different factory and regions.

I love British LE's for dat old british steel. Brit steel from first half of last century has never been beaten for quality on the scale it was produced back then.

>>31773359
Oh and yeah, were there/do they make Enfields in other calibers? Are there sort of conversion kits and the like. Not that .303 would be too big of a hindrance in any way, but the practicality of having the availability of a more commonplace cartridge would just be cushier.

>>31773372

check this out http://www.allaboutenfields.co.nz

>>31773299
SMLE stands for Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield. You will always find it stamped Sht.LE on the rifle however, but no one will call a rifle the Shitlee. The name Lee-Enfield comes from the British military naming conventions of their rifles, the rear locking bolt that is a hallmark of the family was designed by James Paris Lee and the barrel rifling was designed by the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield. Hence you get Lee-Enfield, you can see this same naming convention in the Snider-Enfield, Martini-Henry, Martini-Metford/Enfield and Lee-Metford.

There is really no correct answer as to what is the 'best' Enfield because there are so many rifles in the family tree. You can go all the way back to the 1890's and up into the 1970's and find Enfields in all guises, from the trim and elegant Lee-Speed of the 1900's to the Enfield Enforcer and the Ishapore 2A1 of the 1960's.

Really it all boils down to what you can afford and which rifle is your favorite aesthetically, find the happy meeting point of the two and you won't be disappointed. Just don't sporterize one, they're getting to be a bit harder to find these days and if you feel the need to scope an Enfield at least hang it on a 2A1 or something.

>>31773381

Curry's make one post ww2 that was chambered in 7.62 nato. Ishapore factory. I'm sure you could use 308win so long as it's not too hot.

Easiest to find a rechambered LE in 308, they are not uncommon.

>find barreled action
>have a 308 barrel fitted
>weld sights on barrel and use a LE with sights on receiver (reinstalling rear sight on new barrel would add work)
>buy a stock kit from bongistan
>??
>profit

>>31773381
Your best bet for a common cartridge SMLE would be the Ishapore 2A1, they are the very last of the Enfield family. They're a beefed up No.I Mk.III SMLE designed to fire 7.62x51mm with a ten or twelve round magazine, otherwise it's a regular SMLE with the exception they will be some of the homeliest fuckers in the world. my 2A1 was coated with a thick layer of what I could only describe as slime that hid a layer of shiny black paint over parkerizing and furniture that is black as night and riddled with repairs, dents, and scars.

Still a good rifle though, not technically capable of firing .308 but YMMV. Be easiest just to stick to cheap 7.62x51 and call it good.

>>31773358
>(deer, elk, moose, Germans, etc).
Kek'd slightly

>>31773429
Ive used winchester and Venezuelan 7.62x51mm in all of mine they work alright they were made to handle 7.62x51 until their fals could arrive (l1a1's mayb?)

>>31773423
Ah, I see. Is there a big ass chart with all of the SMLEs ever made on it?

>>31773372
Looking at the link you were sent, it seems like the No. 2 was a training rifle and the No.3 was a very different design that was used for when demand could not be filled by the other rifles, it was used by some americans in ww1, and by some new zealanders and the home guard in ww2. The No. 4 has a couple different variants, i guess I just meant the mark 1. I think the main differences the No.4 has is that it has different sights, mounts a spike bayonet, and a visually different furniture, and i think there slight changes in the action, barrel and stock. I think the No.1 Mk. 3 is most popular as it was familiar to troops from its ww1 usage and was very comparable to the No.4, had an established accuracy, reliability and rate of fire, and was fielded widely due to shortages in arms. Personally, I think it's the best looking of the bunch, and like you said, the enfields, like the mosins and mausers, carry with them their own attributes and stories.