Original Item: Only One Available. The Victorian Era was a time of great change in firearms technology, with Queen Victoria's crowning coinciding with the first official "Pattern" of percussion rifle for British forces, the Brunswick P-1837 "Two Groove" Rifle. There had previously been rifles and some percussion arms, but this was the first one put into wide spread production, and Flintlocks would continue to be used for decades after this point, however their time was definitely over. It was then only a few decades later when muzzle loaded percussion arms began to be superseded by self-contained cartridges of various types, with most eventually settling on centerfire as being the better choice.

Throughout this time, the propellant remained the same as it had been for centuries: black powder. In 1886 however, this all changed, with the introduction of the 8×50mmR Lebel cartridge for the French Lebel Fusil Modèle 1886 Rifle. Germany followed quickly with their introduction of the Gewehr 1888 "Commission Rifle", and at the same time Great Britain had been developing its own design for the use of high power smokeless powder.

Unfortunately, they were not able to settle on the smokeless propellant to use, and after years of protracted development, the decision was made to release the new design using black powder propellant, with the intension that it would be switched to smokeless powder once development was complete. The rifle released in 1888 was the Magazine Lee-Metford (MLM) rifle, utilizing a rimmed Cartridge .303 Mk I cartridge loaded with black powder. The design would continue development and serve as a platform for testing various smokeless powder formulations, while at the same time was deployed as the new front-line weapon for British forces.

Various changes were made to the Lee-Metford, including changing the type of sights used, the location of the safety, the shape of the handguard, and other minor issues. It was however also noted during the testing of smokeless powders that the higher power and bullets used led to relatively rapid wear of the rifling in the barrel. By the time Cordite was selected as the propellant, it was known that the barrels would become unusable after 6,000 rounds. The "Metford" rifling was polygonal, often favored for black powder because it has no sharp edges to trap powder fouling. However with the increased pressure, this wore away more rapidly, and RSAF Enfield developed a new rifled lining for the barrels. It featured deeper square cut grooves, and was able to withstand 10,000 rounds before failure.

At this point the Magazine Lee-Metford Mk.I rifles had the barrel design changed to use the new "Enfield" rifling, and were renamed the "Magazine Lee-Enfield MkI". They were identical to the Metford except for the rifling, and development continued incrementally. The Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk.I* removed the cleaning rod from the inside of the stock and the bayonet lug was filled in. Then in 1904, not even 10 years later, it was decided that the rifles were too long, and the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield, or SMLE, was born, and would continue to serve for over 50 years in various versions.

After the introduction of the SMLE, many of the older MLM and MLE rifles were sent back to arsenal and updated to the SMLE standard, with shorter barrels and modified stocks. Some of these then would again be updated to become .22 Trainer rifles for use during WWI and WWII. However there were some who felt that the SMLE barrel was too short, and the modification too time consuming, which resulted in several parallel lines of development. At the same time that MLE rifles were being converted to SMLE MkI, MkII, and MkIII rifles, from 1906 onwards MLE rifles were also being converted to "Charger Loading Lee–Enfield" rifles, which fitted a charger guide bridge over the bolt, and removed the dust cover. These continued to be used throughout WWI and into the mid 1920, before most were destroyed or converted to trainers. Rarely however, one survived without further modification.

That is exactly what we have here, and it is the first time we can remember having an early Lee-Enfield rifle that was modified as such! Company director Christian Cranmer is not sure that he has ever seen one in person before! It is in lovely condition, showing signs of moderate wear from long service, and really looks great! This this example still has all of the correct features that make the Charger Loading Lee-Enfield rifle what it is. The dust cover on the bolt has been removed, and a charger guide bridge attached to the top of the receiver, with a small inlet added on the right side of the stock. It still retains the safety on the cocking piece, as well as the "volley" front and rear sights on the left side of the stock, which are both present and functional. It still retains the handguard, with the "lip" on the front to make it easier to remove, and the magazine cut-off is present as well. The bayonet lug on the nose cap still has the hole for the cleaning rod as well, though the cleaning rod is missing.

Checking the receiver, it is marked with original serial number 8741 / B on the left side, and the top of the barrel nocks form is correctly stamped E for "Enfield" rifling, used to quickly identify the type of barrel installed in the field. The butt stock still has a faint ENFIELD / (BROAD ARROW) / 1908 stock cartouche, and there are numerous crossed out unit markings on the tang of the brass butt plate. The "cup" at the rear of the receiver where the butt stock attaches is marked with the rifle's original production information:

The royal cypher Crown over V.R. stands for for Victoria Regina. Well, this Queen, who reigned for almost 64 years, had an influence far beyond the British Isles and the British Empire during the Nineteenth Century. Victorian morals dominated the cultured classes of Great Britain and the new United States, and even now, in the Twenty-First Century, nostalgic organizations such as the Victorian Riflemen thrive in the former Colonies.

L.S.A. Co indicates that the first incarnation of this piece was produced by London Small Arms Co. Ltd. a small and rather rare contractor to see on one of these rifles, and 1898 is the year of original manufacture. L.E. is the abbreviation for the .303 calibre, Rifle, Magazine, Lee–Enfield, with the I indicating the first version. This was made with a dust cover on the bolt, however that has been removed, and there is now a charger guide mounted over the bolt. This rifle was converted to a "Charger Long Lee-Enfield", or C.L.L.E., as indicated on the lower left of the buttstock cup:

This indicates that the rifle was updated at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock in 1907. It was then presumably in service in this configuration through WWI and was then stored at arsenal, not having any further updates. The rear sight is now windage adjustable, and is similar to those seen on other surviving CLLE rifles

Condition is very good, still showing worn bluing on a lot of the metalwork, with the balance showing a polished bright patina. The stock is also great, showing a lovely color and wear from use and service, but no major damage such as cracks or repairs. The forestock has some gouges and dents, and is overall dark in color from long exposure to dirt and grease. The buttstock is lighter in color, showing a small wood graft repair, probably replacing a defect in the wood, and is actually made of lovely figured wood, which really looks great!

 The action works well, with a crisp dry fire and functional safety, though we have no way to test to see if the magazine is still able to feed. The magazine looks to be in good shape, with the follower depressing easily. We checked the bore, and it is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some wear and past oxidation present, but for a rifle that saw the amount of use this one did, it's in great shape. Both sling swivels are present and move, though the rear swivel is very stiff, and the stacking swivel is present as well.

Really a great example of a very hard to find early Lee-Enfield Updated variant that we have not had before! Definitely a great opportunity for a collector of early Lee-Enfield rifles! Ready to research and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1898
Caliber: .303 British
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Overall Length: 30.2 Inches
Overall Length: 49.25 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: Single Shot

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.