Video of Lee-Enfield five rounds rapid

crusoe

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Here's a very brief video of me charger-loading a 1943 Ishapore Lee-Enfield No 1 Mk III* and shooting five rounds rapid. I got annoyed with all those lengthy YouTube videos by people who don't really know how to do either of these things. This is really a 'short' for a longer film I want to make showing not only the No 1 Mk III* as here but also the No 4 Mk 1 and 2.

The load I'm shooting (23 gr IMR 4759, Sierra 150 gr .311 spitzer) chronographed at 1900 fps that day, so is powerful enough but without the kick of the full-strength load. It's a good reduced load for a demonstration like this and also for practicing the rapid fire technique.

Interestingly, none of the musketry manuals I have, including the 1955 British Infantry Training manual, specify this technique for rapid fire, but instead require the rifleman to shoot as fast as they can using the trained technique for shooting the rifle with the hand returning to the grip for each round. My uncle who was a British army rifle instructor in the 1950s said that this was because all the emphasis in British training was on accurate single-shot fire. However, in battle the use of this technique is amply attested - my grandfather described it to me when he told me about how his cavalry troop dismounted in March 1918 to pour rifle fire on the advancing Germans during the huge spring offensive on the Somme. Both he and his brother (a scout sniper, in the same squadron) were highly trained rifleman, in a professional regiment that spent weeks behind the lines on musketry exercises, so it was doubtless accurate fire as well.
 
I though giving her the middle finger was standard on mad minute challenges?

At least it has been on the ones I've heard of, the people would keep their hands on the bolt at all times, using their middle or ring finger to press the trigger.
 
I though giving her the middle finger was standard on mad minute challenges?

At least it has been on the ones I've heard of, the people would keep their hands on the bolt at all times, using their middle or ring finger to press the trigger.

You are correct in saying the middle finger is normally used for rapid fire.

I watched several videos made by Americans that state the shooting a lee enfield accuratley as fast as history says they used to do is impossible.

This summer at our CGN milsurp get together we had the chance to witness a real mad minute. The shooter was CGN's own Buffdog who is no spring chicken being in his 70's. He grabbed a no1 and 15 rounds and proceeded to school us youngsters on the mad minute. The fire was fast, accurate and being shot at the 300 yard gong. IIRC his time was just over 20 seconds starting with 10 in the magazine and he loaded 5 when he ran out.

I now know that the mad minute is a real thing but can only be accomplished by those who are very skilled!! (not by me!!:))
 
Excellent video OP, a few suggestions though. One suggestion would be to use "full house" loads for the vid. It was apparent to me watching the video that you were using underpowered reloads before I even read your script. Some may criticize "neat trick, but not possible with what the troops of the day were using." {they'd be wrong, but it won't stop them from criticizing all the same.}
My second suggestion would be to show how this technique can be very accurate when utilizing the sling "locked" around the left arm. In this position there is no need to place the shooting hand back on the pistol grip or remove one's cheek weld. {nor does one need to find a tree for a brace:p}

Great vid, I love watching rapid fire from the MkIII...small wonder the German infantry at times mistook our riflemen for machine gun crews after receiving fire like this!
 
I'm a bit of a historian and a shooter (don't own an Enfield though) and I was unaware of this technique until now. Makes perfect sense and I have absolutely no doubt the troops would have used it. I'm a vet and I can say that there are times when volume of fire trumps accuracy.
Thanks for this.
Cheers
 
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