ovenpaa wrote:We have a Danish Krag so a slightly different hinge on the trapdoor however it is fast to load, just bung a handful in and close the door.
I've not actually fired one - If you were comparing them on a 5-shot test (so no 10 shot advantage for the SMLE) it would be very interesting to see which was quickest over 20 shots - The Krag requires; open the trapdoor, pour (or paw) in, close the door...where as the SMLE just requires; pick up clip and push in...
...I'm sure we could do a much better test than the clowns in the video.
It would also be nice to see someone actually use the grasping the bolt and pulling the trigger with your middle finger technique with an Enfield, all these tests are done with standard bolt work, not using the SMLE to it's true potential.
Yes I've seen it done (on you tube) and it's very impressive when done by someone who has mastered it - I often shoot the 'mad minute' with my Smelly, and have tried practicing it that way - the problem is that with that course of fire you lay prone and can't use a sling...I found it very difficult to maintain accuracy with only my left hand and shoulder holding the rifle...
...Anyway the Enfield action is the best of all the classics, which ever way you work it tongueout
Tower75 wrote: The first episode I watched compared US Green Berets to Russian Spetsnaz. The comparisons made were laughable. Turned out, Spetsnaz won as they have a ballistic knife, and the US Berets have an entrenching tool.
I saw that episode too. What a complete joke. They also somehow determined that the 9 x 18 mm Makarov was superior to the M9 Beretta. Sheesh
The two rifles are from different tactical eras. The Krag is from the slow fire, single shot era with riflemen on a line shooting prone loading and firing one round at a time. We know what the SMLE was designed for. The U.S. realized after Cuba that speed of reloading was critical in combat conditions. The U.S. Krag users reported that many rounds were dropped and lost on the way from the cartridge belt to the magazine and if the rifle was inadvertently tipped to the right while loading (say from flinching away from a shot or exploding shell) the rounds sitting loosely in the magazine spilled out onto the ground. The cartridge belt itself with the array of rounds held in web loops to be pulled one at a time to be fed into the open chamber or magazine allowed rounds to get squeezed out and lost on the ground. The opposite was also true: the webbing on the belt would contract to the point where the rounds couldn't be pulled out to be loaded!
The U.S. was so taken with the Spanish Mauser that they copied it in many ways and enough similarities existed that the U.S. ended up paying royalties to Mauser on the clips and completed rifles.
Saying that the Krag is a more effective combat rifle than the SMLE is hogwash.
I would love to try that course of fire at bisley complete with explosions. Perhaps fig11s though. However if anyone fancies a good "how many rounds can you vomit out of your service rifle in under a minute" session try entering the Agincourt competition the morning of the Queens Prize at the Imperial. Its run by the British Alpine Rifles and is a standing shoot at 300 yards using fig 11s. Put upto 15 rounds down in a one minute. Its great fun, you can just turn up and they feed you pimms afterwards!
what is a good question is how much nationalism comes in when British people talk about the Lee Enfield, I for one highly doubt the 38 rounds in a minute on a 12 inch target story (appreatnly there is no record of that either) also is the Springfield 1903 not a more accurate rifle?, which is why the yanks tend to use Springfield type rifles at there comps which are open to all rifles of the era. I suppose to responds to how certain armies train there solders and what tactics they used. but I find it hard to believe that the lee Enfield is the best rifle at everything yet we (and the commonwealth) are the only people who used it.
The Lee Enfield wasn't the best at everything, indeed far from it. It was however, good enough at everything. The Mauser had a stronger action, but a lower rate of fire and less available ammunition. The Springfield was more accurate, but not so fast and not so robust. The Lee was accurate enough, fired fast enough, was robust enough. It was the best battle rifle.
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+1, as I said More than accurate enough for government work!...... A military rifle doesn't need to a tack driver, just good enough to hit a man at 400+ yards, the SMLE could do that all day with a properly trained soldier behind it.
I agree, in all the important factors, its got to be the worlds finest Military BA rifle....If my life depended on it, it would be my choice and I would take it over any Mauser type.
I think many of our Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers had the Enfields fast bolt and 10 rounds to thank for coming home again.
Ares590 wrote:what is a good question is how much nationalism comes in when British people talk about the Lee Enfield, I for one highly doubt the 38 rounds in a minute on a 12 inch target story (appreatnly there is no record of that either) also is the Springfield 1903 not a more accurate rifle?, which is why the yanks tend to use Springfield type rifles at there comps which are open to all rifles of the era. I suppose to responds to how certain armies train there solders and what tactics they used. but I find it hard to believe that the lee Enfield is the best rifle at everything yet we (and the commonwealth) are the only people who used it.
I've actually had this discussion with my father in law a who is an Springfield 03 owner a few years back and so we put it to the test at both 100 and 200 yards. Result was that the Lee Enfield No4 that I used put as many rounds on target accurately and faster than is 03. I was still shooting my first ten rounds while he was faffing around reloading and even then reloading the Enfield was faster than the 03.
Unfortunately the Lee Enfield gets a bit of a bad wrap over here, however in my time I have managed to turn a few over to the dark side and a couple of them loved them so much they started collecting them. I own a couple of Mausers as well but I have to say the Lee Enfield is the best bolt action battlefield rifle of it's time IMO. Besides it wasn't just Commonwealth troops who used it, you will find Enfield rifles with marking which have been added by Forces/Arsenals from all over the world outside of the Commonwealth.
I've actually had this discussion with my father in law a who is an Springfield 03 owner a few years back and so we put it to the test at both 100 and 200 yards. Result was that the Lee Enfield No4 that I used put as many rounds on target accurately and faster than is 03. I was still shooting my first ten rounds while he was faffing around reloading and even then reloading the Enfield was faster than the 03. 