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notes
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Postal League information:
Miniature conversions
excerpt:
Targets:
Long Lee Enfield
.22" conversion:
Enfield RF Short
Rifle Mk.II:
Enfield .303"
cum .22" A.J.Parker conversion:
Enfield Rifle
Pattern '18
Enfield Rifle No.2 &
Mk.IV*:
Enfield Rifle No.3:
Enfield Rifle No.4 (T)
Enfield Rifle No.5:
Enfield Rifle No.6:
Enfield Rifle No.7:
Enfield Rifle No.8:
Enfield Rifle No.9:
To email the editor
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Next page:
Postal League information:
Miniature conversions
excerpt:
Targets:
Long Lee Enfield
.22" conversion:
Enfield RF Short
Rifle Mk.II:
Enfield .303"
cum .22" A.J.Parker conversion:
Enfield Rifle
Pattern '18
Enfield Rifle No.2 &
Mk.IV*:
Enfield Rifle No.3:
Enfield Rifle No.4 (T)
Enfield Rifle No.5:
Enfield Rifle No.6:
Enfield Rifle No.7:
Enfield Rifle No.8:
Enfield Rifle No.9:
To email the editor
Click here HARC-MRL@
rifleman.org.uk
Click
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notes
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Previous
page:
Next page:
Postal League information:
Miniature conversions
excerpt:
Targets:
Long Lee Enfield
.22" conversion:
Enfield RF Short
Rifle Mk.II:
Enfield .303"
cum .22" A.J.Parker conversion:
Enfield Rifle
Pattern '18
Enfield Rifle No.2 &
Mk.IV*:
Enfield Rifle No.3:
Enfield Rifle No.4 (T)
Enfield Rifle No.5:
Enfield Rifle No.6:
Enfield Rifle No.7:
Enfield Rifle No.8:
Enfield Rifle No.9:
To email the editor
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rifleman.org.uk
Click
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notes
& images
Previous
page:
Next page:
Postal League information:
Miniature conversions
excerpt:
Targets:
Long Lee Enfield
.22" conversion:
Enfield RF Short
Rifle Mk.II:
Enfield .303"
cum .22" A.J.Parker conversion:
Enfield Rifle
Pattern '18
Enfield Rifle No.2 &
Mk.IV*:
Enfield Rifle No.3:
Enfield Rifle No.4 (T)
Enfield Rifle No.5:
Enfield Rifle No.6:
Enfield Rifle No.7:
Enfield Rifle No.8:
Enfield Rifle No.9:
To email the editor
Click here HARC-MRL@
rifleman.org.uk
Click
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notes
& images
Previous
page:
Next page:
Postal League information:
Miniature conversions
excerpt:
Targets:
Long Lee Enfield
.22" conversion:
Enfield RF Short
Rifle Mk.II:
Enfield .303"
cum .22" A.J.Parker conversion:
Enfield Rifle
Pattern '18
Enfield Rifle No.2 &
Mk.IV*:
Enfield Rifle No.3:
Enfield Rifle No.4 (T)
Enfield Rifle No.5:
Enfield Rifle No.6:
Enfield Rifle No.7:
Enfield Rifle No.8:
Enfield Rifle No.9:
To email the editor
Click here HARC-MRL@
rifleman.org.uk |
Lee-Enfield Rifle
No.8 - in .22in. RF calibre
click to view a representation of the War
Office User Handbook for this rifle
This design of this rifle was the outcome of much research
and trialling immediately after the 1939-45 War. at least two prototypes
had been made and trials rifles built up for testing. The recommendations
of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs were taken into account and a number
of each of the various designs were passed over a period of about four years
to the SMRC for assessment and trials by selected Clubs. In the event, many
civilian shooters were beginning to use very capable target rifles produced
by BSA, but particularly a significant number of very accurate and well-built
target rifles from the U.S.A. This dramatically reduced the likelihood of
civilian sales of the No.8, which was thus largely restricted to production
for the military.
- this is the shorter barreled "Infantry" variant,
being that selected from the two prototype designs as providing adequate
accuracy
combined with the best weight and handling characteristics. This
rifle significantly increased enthusiasm towards small-bore target rifle
shooting post-war (WWII) and was responsible for a resurgence of both military
and civilian service style competition.
To this day it is still in use by Cadet units and continues to
fulfill the criteria of the task for which it was designed.
Immediately below are LH and RH images of the final production
'weapon' - The Enfield Rifle No.8 Mark I
The standard production rifle was simply marked thus
The receiver is that of the No.4 service rifle, but is machined
to permit the solid .22 barrel to protrude rearwards into the body by a
distance designed to accommodate the shorter overall length of the .22 bolt.
This allows a considerably shorter travel than usual on most conversions
of the full-length No.4 rifle. This system, with minor adjustments to the
design for cheaper mass-production, was as that first seen on the .22RF
No.5 and No.6 trials rifles between the end of the War and 1946. A similar
bolt, but slightly more complicated and longer, was utilised on the British
No.7 rifle produced for the Royal Air Force. ( View the appropriate pages
for further information on each of these rifles)
The rifle was fitted with a grooved single-shot loading platform
as illustrated above, and the magazine aperture in the base of the receiver
body was blanked off. The steel pressing is stamped with the BSA factory
code number "M 47 C". Whilst BSA designed and manufactured the
No.8 rifle at the Shirley factory on the outskirts of Birmingham, a significant
number, probably the greater, of rifles were produced at Fazakerley, the
Royal Ordnance Factory in Lancashire.
It can be seen that the bolt travel is virtually half that
of the .303in. calibre rifle
and that even this bolt-head required complex machining. That
of the British No.7 rifle even more so.
  Most of the preceding training rifles
and the post-war trials rifles had the familiar brass or steel butt plates
of the Service rifles they were designed to emulate. Not so the No.8. Possibly
as a result of input from the civilian clubs, the No.8's rubber butt plate
was a sensible use of the design already utilised on BSA's target rifles.
It is moulded with the familiar 'Piled Arms' logo of the Birmingham Small
Arms Co. as applied to all their many varied manufactured items from arms
to motor and push bicycles, cars and a plethora of unexpected products including,
of all things, a patent design for an 'automatic' telescopic aluminium shoe-tree
given the unlikely trade name "T.A.T."
Lest this should be found difficult to believe, 
perhaps proof should be provided..........................
The "TELESCOPIC AUTOMATIC TREE"
The rear-sight fitted to the No.8 was, as has already been mentioned,
the leaf from the No.4. This was recalibrated with settings for 25, 50 and
100 yards - the usual .22RF calibre ranges - but had an additional setting
"H" at the upper extremity of the slide. When elevated to this
mark, the point of impact was approximately 27" above the point of
aim at 25 yards. This feature permitted shooting at the military 'Landscape
' targets without actually hitting the costly poster printed target. The
fired shots hit a 'Sky-Screen' above the landscape picture and could be
scored using a 27" plumb-line arrangement. Details of this system,
still in use today in a modified form, are to be found on the "Targetry"
page.
 
The letter "B" struck on the top left hand corner of
the
leaf is the BSA code marking for small parts.
The fore-sight block was similar to that for the No.4 rifle,
but was sized to fit the larger diameter barrel. Although shorter, the No.8
barrel, of fractionally over 41 inches in length, is actually heavier than
that of the .303in. No.4 rifle.
The perforated protector wings eased lateral adjustment of the
fore-sight blade.
The shallow rifling is tapered out to almost bore diameter at
the muzzle. It is a six-groove rifling with a right-hand spirol and a pitch
of ! turn in 16 inches. The leed (lead) of the rifling is unusually a chamfer
tapered from nothing at just ahead of the chamber to full groove depth in
less than a half inch. The rifle weighs 8lb. 14 oz. in standard configuration.
The sight radius, considerably less than that of the No.4, is just over
27 inches.
The commercial variant of the No.8 was less common. These rifles
were sold out privately from BSA after the initial military contract was
complete, and some surplus rifles found their way onto the civilian market.
The specially built commercial rifles enjoyed a superior finish
to both the metal and woodwork.
Not as elaborate or finely finished as the trials rifles, but
far above the finish of the military bound production.
Below are images of such a rifle with the most usual light
coloured beech wood stocking
For their expected use as a target file, the rear-sight leaf
was removed and the Parker-Hale PH5D rear-sight fitted.
This unit was exactly that which was already in use on Enfield
No.4 target rifles by now commonly in use for civilian competition,
particularly at long-range, at such venues as Bisley ranges.
 
The rifle is devoid of military markings, which were removed
when the receiver was drawn from stock.
Only the serial number remains.
The No.4. based fore-sight block is adorned with a target type
Parker-Hale fore-sight tunnel dovetailed as the standard issue fore-sight
arrangement. It is a directly 'swapped' unit which easily permits a quick
change to enable the rifle to be used again for Service competition.
 
A nice touch is the fitment of the Parker-Hale screw drum to
contain the considerable selection of fore-sight elements available.
These elements are the same as those used on most small-bore
and full-bore target rifles in the 'Fifties' and beyond.
The accuracy of these rifles, even after many years of use, is
not to be sneezed at. A lightly used privately owned commercial rifle will
still be capable, in practised hands, of competing at an unexpectedly high
level in modern competition. The trigger may need fine tuning to improve
one's chances, but even this rifle particular rifle has shot a 97 ex 100
on the current N.S.R.A. indoor short range target; this would be a commendable
score with a modern Anschutz or equivalent target rifle.
Below is a copy of the trigger adjustment detail
This is taken from the classic book on the history and
development of the Lee-Enfield Rifle
written by Major E.G.B. Reynolds in 1960 - no collector's
library should be without one!
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