7.62mm Rifle L8: The Last Gasp of the Service Lee Enfield
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ธ.ค. 2021
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After the British adopted the FAL as the L1A1 rifle, there was still an interest in converting stocks of existing No4 Enfield rifles to the new 7.62x51mm cartridge for reserve and training use. A conversion system was developed using a new barrel, bolt, and magazine - although the Sterling company was doing much the same thing at the same time and intellectual property lawsuits would close the project for nearly 10 years. By the time the lawsuits cleared up, it had become clear that the rifles were neither particularly successful nor particularly necessary anymore. The problem the British has was one of accuracy - the 7.62mm version just wasn't sufficiently accurate. A thousand were sold to Sierra Leone, and a few more used in New Zealand and by cadet organizations in the UK, but the project was basically a failure.
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In the beginning (about 60 years ago), I was confused about British rifle designations. After decades of using, collecting and shooting them I became even more confused. Now.......after becoming addicted to Forgotten Weapons and watching Ian turn up more, and more, and more variations......I AM REALLY CONFUSED!🌴🍀
it's funny how L8 sounds like "Late" in SMS lingo. quite fitting for that rifle.
A bolt action service rifle in 1965. Yeah I'd say that's pretty L8
Just when you thought there were no more official Lee Enfield models then they go and find another one.
I like the idea of testing the yards to meters sights to see how true that was.
Lee Enfields are numerous up here in Canada. The Longbranch factory was built in 1940 and built No. 4 rifles and Sten sub machine guns. It was located in a suburb of Tornto. I have a lovely 1945 No.4 Mark1*.
To confirm whether or not the sights actually do work if read in meters instead of yards sounds like a job for Henry over at 9-Hole Reviews
When I was a range officer with the RAFVR(T) teaching cadets, the MoD changed the shooting points from Yards to Metres. So the 100 yard shooting point became the 100 metre point.... The distance never changed, just the sign😂🤣😂🤣
I did a back of the envelope math, and that “yard to meter” thing is relatively close. A meter is 9% longer than a yard (39.39 inch vs 36 inch), and M80 Ball has 12% higher muzzle velocity (2800 FPS vs 2500 FPS), so really the new cartridge on the meter scale is only 3% faster than the old cartridge on the yard scale. All else being equal, that’s definitely within the realm of “close enough for government work”
Here in South Africa there was another iteration of the 7.62.
This gun needs to go to 9 holes reviews to see if those sights are accurate! That would be neat if it were true.
Enfields are really really fun to shoot the bolt action is just 😗 fast and smooth
Have great memories of using the .303 back in the 70's as a young Cadet! As well as the rifle conversion, the Bren was also converted from .303 to 7.62 x 51mm was a dream to shoot!
with the amount of video's that Jonathan has done on the Lee enfield and it's predecesors, and now this video, i feel like i know more about this rifle then i do about my airsoft guns
I read this as "Enfield LS" initially and was very confused, but people LS swap everything these days.
Well done Ian on the pronunciation of Fazakerley.
As an owner of an Ishapore 2A in 7.62 NATO I am intrigued by this Enfield iteration. Oh I want those rear sights....
If you see an L8 up for sale, its 99% likely a fake. There are a number of genuine full Sterling conversions around (different ejector and magazine), but also a large number of 7.62mm No4s built up out of barrels made in Belgium, UK and Canada. Charnwood Ordnance specimens are by far the most common of the trade built rifles, and these are marked with a CO-xx-xxx format number.
As an army cadet in the UK in the late 00s, I learned to shoot with a 22. Lee Enfield and it was great fun! Seems like there's always another Lee Enfield variant to discover
Had a chance a few months ago to purchase an Ishapore 2a1, but by the time I was ready, it was sold out and delisted. I’m still heartbroken because it’s literally the last piece needed for my collection. 😢