Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
I and II (II)
SITE MAP * HOME * ENFIELD & TRAINING RIFLES * TARGET RIFLES * SIGHTS * AIMING * TARGETS * LITERATURE * SUB-CALIBRE * SUB-TARGET * MISCELLANEOUS * BIBLIOGRAPHY *
CHRONOLOGY * LINKS
YOU ARE VISITING THE PAGES OF THE U.K. N.R.A. HISTORIC ARMS RESOURCE CENTRE - MINIATURE CALIBRE RIFLES RESEARCH SITE - COPYRIGHT ©1997-
ALPHABETICAL SITE
ALPHABETICAL SITE INDEX INDEX
- please - please
scroll down scroll down for subject
for subject
.......................................................................................................
Search
Above, the Rifle, RF Short. (Mk.I) , which was approved for service in December 1907 - without the fitment of any magazine.
The two main differences between the Mk.I and the Mk.I*, introduced in October 1911, were in the rear-sight, updated to represent that of the
S.M.L.E. service rifle re-calibrated for the Mk.VII .303 ammunition, and in the vertical straightening of the curved fore-sight protector wings of
the Lee-Metford Mk.I rifles to which the latter conversion was applied.
The RF Short Rifle was a conversion of various marks of the "Long" Lee-Enfield or Lee-Metford to a .22" training rifle. Issue of the Mark I
commenced late in 1907, whilst the Mark I* arrived on the scene in 1912 after approval the previous year. The intention of these conversions was to
provide a miniature rifle with similar weight and balance characteristics to the then issued Short Magazine Lee-Enfield, which was superceding the
"Long Lee". As the replacement service rifle, the "S.M.L.E" was in short supply, and it was neither practical, nor economical, to convert large numbers
of these for training purposes. Outgoing "Long" models, or those showing signs of wear from long service, were therefore either shortened in barrel
length, then sleeved, by such as the Parkerifling system, or fitted with a solid .22" barrel. The fore-end furniture was then cut back to suit. The resulting
arm then offered handling close to that of the S.M.L.E. with the economy of the miniature cartridge, which at that time was the Mk.1 cartridge hitherto
used with the .22 rimfire Aiming Tube. Usually the cut-off was removed, and the rifle fitted with a magazine which had the spring and platform
discarded, to receive the empty cases.
This practice continued right up to the close of production of the last of the line, the Parker-
Hale conversion of the No.4, issued as the .22" Enfield Rifle No.9. The example shown here
is a Mk.II, approved in 1912 for use by the Royal Navy. This particular rifle is shown fitted
with the Hiscock-Parker magazine designed to offer five round magazine fire. This magazine
is a retro-fit of those originally introduced for use with the R.F. Short Rifle Mk.III in 1915.
The design was exceedingly clever, but could not cope with hard use by recruits. It proved
unreliable, difficult to maintain and required constant attention. With care, and in the hands
of an experienced handler, it can be made to perform quite adequately. Between 4,000 to
5,000 were manufactured before its impracticality resulted in withdrawal. Nowadays scarce,
a good example may well exceed the value of the rifle to which it is fitted.Versions were
produced both for the 'Long' Lee-Metford and Enfield, and the S.M.L.E. The very rare early
Metford example can be identified by the radiused nose of the case.
Relates to magazines adapted to fit the full¬sized magazine opening and to receive miniature
ammunition, especially to the kind in which the whole magazine is upwardly spring pressed and is
automatically pushed down by the advancing breech-bolt, as described in Specification 189/12. The
invention consists in loading the magazine through a side opening, the top of the magazine being
closed, and in providing means for holding the cartridge-lifter depressed during the loading
operation. In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the miniaturemagazine 2 is formed at the front part of
a frame which loosely fits into the full-sized service magazine casing 1. The frame is mounted so
that it can move up and down, and is pushed
upwards by a spring 4. When the breech-
bolt is moved forwards, it first engages a
plunger 17, which presses the top cartridge
into the chamber, and then engages the
inclined top of the magazine and depresses
the magazine and frame against the action of
the spring `4Y; -&tis releasing the plunger 17, which is then returned by a spring. The
magazine 2 is permanently enclosed at the top and is charged through a side opening. The
cartridge-lifter 3 is con¬trolled by a lever 8 which is actuated by the spring 9. The lever 8 can
be positively turned to bring the lifter 3 to its lowered position by means of a plunger 12 and a
cam 13 which is turned by an external thumb-lever.
Further images of the magazine in actioning sequence can be found on the page for the
"Long" Lee-Enfield in .22RF calibre.
The unit was approved for service in December 1917 as the " Magazine, .22" Rifle, Mk.I "
Further images of the magazine in actioning sequence can be found on the page for the "Long" Lee-Enfield in .22RF calibre.
WARNING: if considering purchase of one of these now rather rare and valuable magazines, bear in mind that we have seen modern reproductions,
on which modern milling marks may be evidence of recent manufacture. These replicas would have been
time consuming and expensive to make in
themselves, and are a fascinating way of investigating and experiencing the use of this magazine, but .......................
Click here to access a Chronology of Enfield genre Training Rifles, Adapters & Cartridges