The Dark Reason the Lee-Enfield Is Still in Service
238K views · May 7, 2026 · Education
Comments · 219
@mpccenturion · 4 months ago
30 rnds - hold the bolt with the first finger and thumb - pull with the second finger - hold stripper clips in left hand. Grandson of a WW1 Vet.
30
@garryej · 4 months ago
My dad told me the same thing. During WW2 when the PPCLI captured Germans, they were shocked that the Pats had "only" Lee Enfield bolt action rifles. They thought they were using automatics.
21
@BruceKinghorn-i5w · 12 days ago
The simple fact is that the Lee-Enfield SMLE is a damned fine weapon in the hands of well trained troops.
1
@barricadeish · 4 months ago
As an army cadet in 1960s we trained with these rifles always had a bruise at first but soon got used to the weight and recoil brilliant experience as a 14 -15 yr old boy still remember it as clear as day now in my 70s😊😊
46
@stuartcrawford3045 · 4 months ago
What this story does'nt mention is the first battle of Ypres in which the German regiment that had actually won the battle of Waterloo, Blucher's regiment advanced as a single mass of men. Having used a Lee-Enfield mark 3, I can confirm that it is possible to fire 11 bullets in under 9 seconds. Blucher's regiment was wiped out in under 10 seconds. The Germans never ever advanced as a solid mass ever again in WW1.
10
@Locknut61 · 4 months ago
My wife's grandfather was one of those men at Mons. (KOYLI) He was wounded and invalided out of the army.
8
@JackClayton123 · 4 months ago
The Canadian Rangers only phased out the SMLE starting in 2018.
19
@chrisramm1 · 4 months ago
If I had to go to war, I would be more than happy to carry the Lee Enfield, talk about stopping power, awesome
8
@JeremyNewns-d9p · 4 months ago
My Great Uncle Jesse Wallingford taught the mad minute at Hythe.He was six times Champion of the Queens Cup at Bisley. He was sent to New Zealand to train ANZAC troops and fought at Gallipoli with the Auckland Regiment.
18
@ArmsInContext · 1 day ago
What’s crazy about the Lee-Enfield isn’t just how long it stayed in service — it’s how many times Britain tried to replace it, only for the rifle to remain relevant anyway. The EM-2 story especially shows how politics and standardization can shape weapons history just as much as battlefield performance.
@alalder1533 · 4 months ago
In 1990s saw a Small Arms School Corps instructor give a demonstration of sustained fire with a 7.62 No.4 rifle. Clip after clip were used at 300 yds and the accuracy was impressive.
5
@RossWexford · 4 months ago (edited)
Back in 1977 at age 17 I was issued with a Lee Enfield 303 (No. 4 Mk 2, I believe), wrapped in wax paper, when serving in the Irish Army Reserve. We were told that they were new, having been manufactured in the 1950s and sold to the Irish Army. A nice accurate rifle at 100 yards, at 400 yards with iron sights, you'd have to be marksman standard to get small groups. Need to hold it tight or get a shoulder bruise. I can still remember the smell of cordite. Also, the 303 was a better rifle to use doing arms drill. In comparison, I thought the FN which replaced the 303 was an ungainly thing.
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