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The "Long Lee" - Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle (M.L.E.) Rifle

converted to .22-inch Rimfire

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Above and below is a BSA manufactured 'Long' Lee-Enfield, converted for use as a .22" training rifle. This example is a commercial version equivalent to the Rifle, Long, .22-inch, RF, Mark I, with the newly introduced solid .22RF barrel, neither bolt nor receiver mounted safety, and in a configuration more or less as supplied for Royal Naval training subsequent to the .297/.230 Morris tubes being rendered obsolete. The Birmingham Small Arms Company, as well as W.W. Greener and the London Small Arms Company, manufactured these rifles for Territorial Service Units, for the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs and for use in the Colonies.

The earliest conversions of the "Long" Lee-Enfield and Lee-Metford Service rifles to training rifles for the military (apart from the shortened versions - the Rifles, RF Short, Mks I & II - designed to emulate the S.M.L.E.) were the 1912 approved Rifles, Long, .22-inch, RF, Mk.I and Mk.I*, the former, as the example on this page, without safety, the latter retaining the bolt mounted safety. The Rifle, Long, .22-inch, RF, Mk.II succeeded the Mark I versions and was intended as a training rifle for Army units still armed with the now obsolescent .303 calibre 'Long Rifles'. Those rifles converted from Lee-Metfords had the bolt dust-cover removed.The last of the "Long Lee" conversions was the Rifle, Long, .22-inch, RF, Pattern 1914 - the rifle being converted from the Charger-Loading Magazine Lee-Enfield (C.L.M.L.E.). These aforementioned Pattern 1914 rifles are not to be confused with the .303" Centre Fire Service "Pattern 1914" (P '14 or Rifle No.3) introduced early in WWI, but also a conversion carried out by A.G. Parker Ltd.

(See Enfield Training Rifle Chronology)

Apart from the .22" sleeve, and the removal of the bolt dust cover, the major modification was to the bolt-head. In early conversions, the original .303" bolt-head had the striker-hole filled and re-drilled off centre for the rimfire striker and firing pin. Later conversions used the purpose-built bolt-heads, initially just stamped ~~ .22"~~ and later, as fitted to most No.2 S.M.L.E. conversions, they were stamped ~ .22" No. 2 ~ as on the example below. Most conversions for military use had the magazine cut-off removed. That was not done on the illustrated rifle, a commercially converted BSA. The bayonet lug has also been left in place. This lug was removed on most of the "RF Short" training rifles, which were intended to emulate the S.M.L.E when that was introduced.

For use with the Hiscock-Parker magazine, the bolt head required an under-chamfer to permit its smooth passage over the ramp of the magazine platform. The bolt-head illustrated is not so mofdified, and is for use only with an empty .303 magazine which would normally have the spring follower and platform removed. The empty magazine then became a perfect receptacle for the fired cartridge cases.~~~~~~~~

  

For more detailed information and images relating to this magazine, see The Lee-Enfield Rifles, RF Short, Marks I and II