The Magazine Lee-Enfield (MLE)

Images courtesy of Nick Booras

 

The Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle or "Magazine Lee-Enfield" (MLE), also known as the "Long Tom" was originally adopted by the British government in 1895. The original Long Tom (1888) had Metford rifling, thus it was known as the Magazine Lee-Metford or MLM. The change in rifling was necessary to accommodate the change in ammunition, from black powder to smokeless powder (cordite). It was found that Metford rifling could not handle the new hotter powder, resulting in erosion. But together, these were Britain’s first bolt action rifles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured here, is a Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) manufactured Long Lee-Enfield. This particular rifle is one of BSA's commercially produced types. That is to say, it was not produced under contract for the British War Office, but privately by BSA for sale on the open market.

It sports a very nice, early BSA No9 adjustable rear sight. Most likely fitted to the rifle when brand new.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close-up of the BSA No9 sight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another view of the rear sight, this time extended.

 

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