NRA Gun of the Week: Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III

by
posted on December 3, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

A century ago, as the “War to End All Wars” was fought in the horrific trenches of France and Flanders, one rifle more than proved its worth on the Western Front. The Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield was the workhouse of the British Empire from the 1890s until the adoption of the FN FAL in the 1950s. The main British infantry rifle of the Great War was the SMLE Mk III chambered in .303 British, and it is our “NRA Gun of the Week.” The “smelly” as it was nicknamed has a short 25.2” barrel and detachable box magazine that held 10 rounds. The guns before 1916 had a magazine cut-off—allowing single rounds to be fed while holding 10 rounds in reserve for an emergency—as well as long-range volley sights. The SMLE today remains one of the slickest bolt-action rifles ever invented. Learn more in this week’s "NRA Gun of the Week" video hosted by American Rifleman's Mark Keefe.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (B.S.A.)
Model: Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III
Chambering: .303 British
Action Type: bolt-action, repeating center-fire rifle
Magazine: detachable box, 10-round capacity
Barrel Length: 25.2”
Overall Length: 44.5”
Weight: 8 lbs., 10 ozs.
Year of Manufacture: 1913

Additional Reading:

Lee-Enfield Rifle—Workhorse Of The British Empire
The Lee-Enfield: The Greatest Bolt-Action of the Great War
Top 10 Infantry Rifles

 

Latest

Hearing Healthy
Hearing Healthy

Summer Suppressor Deals On Now

Whether it is a BOGO deal from SIG or free tax stamps from Guns.com and Silencer Central, there's plenty of hearing-safe savings to be had this summer.

Rifleman Report: Defending Freedom For 250 Years

"Anyone who claims not to understand the plain and simple intent of the Second Amendment—especially if that person happens to be a constitutional law professor, Supreme Court justice, congressman, senator or president—is likely hiding nefarious intent: to strip individual liberty from American citizens for the express purpose of making them susceptible to a tyrannical government."

Book Review: 2025 Traveler’s Guide To The Firearms Laws Of The Fifty States

Newly updated for 2025, the 29th edition of the Traveler’s Guide To The Firearm Laws Of The Fifty States is packed with all the need-to-know information for cross-country trekkers seeking to bring their arms along with them and remain legal in all localities.

Springfield Kuna: A PDW For The Masses

Small, yet fierce, the namesake of Springfield Armory’s latest large-format pistol is a revered forest dweller in the land of its Croatian manufacturing partner, HS Produkt. The new Kuna is poised to be just as welcome in America.

The Armed Citizen® June 30, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Book Review: Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers Of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler

The result of a decade of research, Clockwork Basilisk is a comprehensive, two-volume history of the rare revolvers that preceded the development of the well-known Colt guns of the 1830s.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.