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The Lee-Enfield Rifle – Royal Armouries

By A Mystery Man Writer

The Lee-Enfield is one of the 20th century's most recognisable and longest-serving military rifles. It was adopted by the British Army in 1895 and only replaced by the L1A1 SLR in 1957. It saw combat from the Boer War onwards, and thousands are still in use today; it is estimated that 17 million have been produced.Soldier's recollections of the rifle are overwhelmingly affectionate (it was known as the Smellie); today it remains a very popular target rifle for competitive shooting, and modern copies are being manufactured to meet demand. Featuring first-hand accounts, brand-new full-colour artwork and close-up photographs, this is the story of the Lee-Enfield, the innovative, reliable and long-lived rifle that equipped British and other forces through the world wars and beyond. Martin Pegler was curator of firearms at the Royal Armouries for twenty years and during his
The Lee-Enfield is one of the 20th century's most recognisable and longest-serving military rifles. It was adopted by the British Army in 1895 and only replaced by the L1A1 SLR in 1957. It saw combat from the Boer War onwards, and thousands are still in use today; it is estimated that 17 million have been produced.Soldier's recollections of the rifle are overwhelmingly affectionate (it was known as the Smellie); today it remains a very popular target rifle for competitive shooting, and modern copies are being manufactured to meet demand. Featuring first-hand accounts, brand-new full-colour artwork and close-up photographs, this is the story of the Lee-Enfield, the innovative, reliable and long-lived rifle that equipped British and other forces through the world wars and beyond. Martin Pegler was curator of firearms at the Royal Armouries for twenty years and during his career shoot almost every historic and current sniping rifle. He is the author of a dozen books about firearms, but specialises in the development sniper and technology of sniping. More of the Royal Armouries Firearms collection can be found here Centrefire bolt-action magazine military rifle - Lee Enfield Mk.I, sealed pattern (made 1895) - Royal Armouries collections Publication date: 20 Jan 2012 ISBN: 9781849087889 Dimensions: 186 x 248 x 5 (mm)Binding style: Paperback