Who made my SMLE?

[Trifocals]

A short time ago I did a trade with a friend and ended up with an absolutely brand new #4 SMLE. According to a tag on the wrappings, I think it was manufactured in 1959, but cannot determine by the SN where it was made. I know the SN's are coded to reflect the manufacturer, but I've been stumped on this one. The SN is: UF55A14XX Can anyone shed some light on who made this rifle?

[PAT303]

UF55A is Fazarkerley in England.Does it have No.4 MK2 as well?,it should have meaning the trigger is mounted on the receiver and not on the trigger guard.Do all of us a favour and leave it mil-spec,please don't bubba it. Pat

[mag44uk]

As above. Please dont alter it in any way apart from a military bedding job. Myself and a couple of friends own these. Bought new in the cosmoline.
They shoot very well with fmj and cast. We use ours alot as members of LERA (Lee Enfield Rifle Association) for service rifle shooting.
These are changing hands in the UK for 500 GBP!
Tony

[JeffinNZ]

Made in 1955. Almost a twin of mine.

[Trifocals]

Many thanks for the info, guys. Yes, the rifle is a #4 MK2 and no, I have absolutely no intention of altering it in any way.

[dromia]

For the record you don't have an SMLE you have a Lee Enfield No4.

The SMLE was the original name given to the Lee Enfield No1 MK111.

The Lee Enfield series of rifles were given numeric designations later so the SMLE became the No1, the .22 trainer conversions became the No 2, the Patt 14 became the No 3 and your rifle when introduced was called the No 4. and so on up the the No 9.

[303Guy]

I always wondered what came between the NoI and the No4. You left out few of the finer details though. The NoI MkI was the LongTom or LMLE or just MLE for 'Magazine Lee Enfield'. The NoI MkII I think had the clip charger on the bolt head and the NoI MkIII was the SMLE for 'Short Magazine Lee Enfield'. By the time they got to the No4, they had stopped using Roman numerals. I don't remember what the '*' designation after the Mk was for.

[Stoats]

303 guy,

Sorry but you are wrong. The sequence is:

MLM (Magazine Lee Metford), various marks, blackpowder, long rifles
MLE ( Magazine Lee Enfield), these are the "Long Lee Enfields" ( various marks)
LEC ( Lee Enfield Carbine), carbine versions of the MLE( various marks)
CLLE ( Charger Loading Lee Enfield) Charger loading upgrades of MLE's
none of the above got taken over into the "new" nomenclature.
SMLE ( Short Magazine Lee Enfield) mk.1 - original 1903 short rifle, No.1Mk.I, charger guide on bolt head.
ditto Mk.II - conversions of MLM & MLE to SMLE mark 1 standard, No.1 Mk.II
ditto Mk.III and III* - the 1907 "definitive" SMLE, No.1 Mk. III
ditto Mk.IV - conversions of MLM& MLE to SMLE Mk.III standard, No.1 Mk. IV
ditto Mk. V - essentially a mark III with a receiver bridge sight and extra band
ditto Mk. VI - essentially the prototype No.4.

google is your friend...

[docone31]

A three point bedding job to the BOOK, will make it a tack driver! Also, they make jacketeds in .312 which tightens up the pattern considerably. My rifle is ok with jacketeds, much better with .312.
That rifle also loves paper patched loads! That gives a tighter group yet!
It is a beautiful rifle. I am glad you are not going to Bubba it.
Just me.
With a rear aperature sight, it is a fast pointer.

[Pioneer2]

The UF55 were never issued so don't alter it No.4 MK2 Last batch made before Brits sold tooling to Pakistan for their version POF MK2.Don't mess with the bedding til you actually try it.The military load used a 174 gr bullet at 2440fps.Shouldn't be hard to duplicate.For cheap plinking or small game for the pot.Lee has a .314 32 pistol mold sitting ontop of 4-5 gr of Unique around 900fps.Great to decap grouse or headshoot rabbits.Harold

[dromia]

A potted history far from complete.

Some Significant Dates in the Development of the .303” Cartridge and the Lee Enfield Rifle.

Compiled by Stuart McDougall

Edited by Adam Sutherland

1883 Formation of a special sub committee examining the possible adoption of a magazine rifle.

1885 First examination in Britain of Swiss .298” Rubin rifle and ammunition.

1886-87 British trials of Rubin rifle and ammunition.

1887 The committee opt to conduct future trials with .303” ammunition.

1887 Approval of .4” cartridge for service in machine guns.

1887 (Sept) Committee recommends that future rifle ammunition has rimmed cases.

1888 (Jan) Secretary of State for War approves approves a pattern for 350 troop trial rifles.

1888 Troop trials held with the 350 experimental rifles.

1888 (December) Magazine Rifle Mark 1 (became Rifle, Magazine, Lee Metford Mk1 on 8th August 1891) approved.

1889 Cartridge SA Ball, Magazine Rifle Mk1 approved for service (black powder).

1891 First cordite loaded .303” (the cordite Mk 1) approved.

1893 Maxim machine guns in .303” approved for service.

1893 First Berdan primed .303” cartridge approved for service (Cordite Mk 2).

1894 First recorded trial of nitro cellulose loaded .303” ammunition.

1895 The Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle Mk1 approved for service. The first of the Lee-Enfields.

1896 First appearance at the Meerut rifle meeting in India of a Mk2 (special) .303” cartridge. From the Dum Dum arsenal.

1897-1898 .303” Dum Dum ammunition issued for service on the North West frontier.

1897 Approval of the first .303” hollow point ball bullets (the Cordite Mk 3).

1899 Outbreak of the South African war.

1900 Establishment of a permanent Small Arms Committee.

1902 End of the South African war.

1902 (December) Approval of the Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle Mk1 (SMLE).

1904 Last round nosed bullet .303” ball cartridge (the Mark 6) approved.

1907 Start of main series of trials with .303” spitzer bullets.

1907 Letter “C” dropped from head stamps of cordite ball ammunition and last two digits of date of manufacture included on head stamps.

1909 Start of ammunition and rifle trials designed to replace the .303” Enfield.

1910 First .303" spitzer ball (the Mark7) approved for service.

1913 Troop trials of the .276” Pattern 13 Enfield intended to replace the Lee Enfield.

1914 Outbreak of the First World War.

1914 Pattern 13 Enfield converted to .303” to become the Pattern 14 Rifle

1915 First “Ringing-in” of .303” cartridge primers.

1915 First Buckingham incendiary trials.

1915 First .303” tracer(RL Tracer) issued for service.

1915 First .303” armour piercing (V11.S) approved for service.

1916 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle Mk 111* approved.

1916 .303” Brock incendiary (Mark V11.K) approved for service.

1916 .303” Tracer SPG (V11.G) approved for service.

1916 .303” Buckingham Mk 1 incendiary approved for service.

1916 .303” PSA Mk 1 explosive round approved for service.

1916 Four Government Cartridge Factories set up (initially not producing .303” ammunition).

1916 First German Zeppelin SL 11 destroyed by .303” incendiary and explosive ammunition.

1916 First nitro-cellulose loaded .303” Ball Mark V11 approved for service.

1916 System of head stamp code letters to indicate .303” bullet types approved.

1917 Letter “Z” approved for head stamp of .303” nitro-cellulose loaded rounds.

1917 First RTS explosive ammunition (RTS Mk1) issued for service.

1917 First appearance of four digit dates on .303” head stamps.

1918 Coloured primer annulus first used to denote type of .303” loading.

1918 Government cartridge factories switch production to .303” ammunition.

1918 End of First World War.

1918-1919 Government Cartridge Factories cease ammunition production and close.

1918 Formation of Explosive Trade Ltd (later to become Nobel Industries).

1922-1924 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk V trialed.

1926 Formation of Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd, incorporating Nobel Industries.

1926-1935 Rifle No.1 MkVI “A” “B” and “C” patterns trialed.

1927-1928 Rationalisation of .303” cartridge nomenclature and head stamp codes.

1931 Rifle No 4 Mk1 Trials model developed from the Rifle No.1 MkVI.

1932 First purchase by Government of Kynoch .303” streamlined bullets.

1938 Small Arms Committee wound up and work transferred to Ordnance Committee.

1938 First .303” ball cartridge with streamlined bullet (Mk 8 Z) approved.

1939 First British trials of De Wilde explosive and incendiary ammunition.

1939 .303” B Mark 6 incendiary approved for service.

1939 Start of Second World War.

1939 Rifle No 4 Mk1 approved.

1940 First production .303” Ball Mk 7 at Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) Radway Green.

1940 First production of .303” Ball Mk7 at ICI Agency factory, Standish (K 2).

1941 Last .303” incendiary cartridge (B Mk 7) approved for service.

1942 Rifle No 4 Mk1 T officially adopted for service.

1942 Use of four digit dates on head stamps of .303 air service ammunition introduced.

1942 Commencement of system of internal case stampings to denote case maker.

1944 Rifle No 5 Mk1 approved for service.

1945 Last .303 tracer cartridge approved for service

1945 Change from Roman to Arabic numerals to denote mark on head stamp.

1945 End of Second World War.

1953 Britain officially adopts new 7.62 x 51 NATO small arms calibre

1957 Last recorded production at Woolwich of .303” Ball Mk 7.

1969-1970 L42, L39 and Envoy 7.62 NATO rifles introduced.

1973 Last production of .303” Ball Mk 7z at ROF Radway Green.