A recent acquisition was a CLLE version of the Magazine, Lee Enfield Mk1* (MLE). Introduced in November 1895, the rifle had only a short service life before many were converted to charger loading (CLLE) after the introduction of the first variant of the SMLE in December 1902. Conversions by the addition of a charger bridge were carried out from 1906 onwards.
My example was manufactured in 1902 and converted to CLLE in 1909. Receiver, barrel, and woodwork are matching numbers and it is just the bolt that is a mismatch. The rifle was in quite poor condition when I purchased it, the exposed part of the barrel above the wood line were heavily pitted and it took careful use of a file working on the round of the barrel to remove the shallow pitting and make the deep pitting look shallow. the top hand guard was virtually non-existent, and I had to fashion a new one from scratch using an old piece of walnut. The clearing rods were discontinued on these rifles, although the channel for them was never filled in during the conversion.
The ladder sight on this example is windage adjustable - although not all rifles had this feature. When flat, the rear sight is graduated to 500 yards. And when lifted, it is graduated to 1,800 yards. The volley sight takes the range even further to 2,800 yards - although the rear aperture sight on this example has been cut off.
The safety catch was fitted to the rear of the bolt and could only be applied if the rifle was de-cocked. Although the rifle was some five inches longer than the highly regarded SMLE, it was still a formidable weapon in the hands of a trained rifleman. Many a pre-war serviceman would have carried out the 'mad minute' using these rifles where quite astonishing rates of fire could be achieved. In 1908, Sgt Major Jesse Wallingford scored 36 hits on a four foot square target at 300 yards within the prescribed minute. And in 1914, Sgt Instructor Snoxell of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment scored 38 hits on a two foot square target. whether it was with the CLLE or the SMLE is not recorded (I think), but the bolt action of the older CLLE was every bit as fast as the SMLE.
The rifle used the pattern 1888 bayonet... the same one as used on the Lee Metford series of rifles, and although the pattern 1907 bayonet on the SMLE might have looked more fearsome with its 17 inch blade, the reach with rifle and bayonet fitted for both rifles was just the same. The 1888 bayonet had a 12 inch blade, but the rifle was five inches longer than the SMLE. Many Territorial battalions - as well as regular, went to war with this rifle in August 1914, and it remained in front line service until well into 1917. The Kings Liverpool regiment went 'over the top' at the battle of the Somme armed with the MLE and the later CLLE version of this rifle. This one was at some time in its life relegated to 'EY' (emergency use), and then eventually to 'DP' for training. All in all it is quite an historical rifle, and military issue examples are getting harder to find and are much rarer than the SMLE.
Men of the Kings Liverpool regiment with their CLLE's on the Somme. Click on images to enlarge.
Cheers,
Steve
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