Royal Small Arms Factory

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Small Arms Factory
legal form Public company until 1984
private
founding 1804
resolution 1988
Seat London Borough of Enfield
Branch Weapons manufacturer

RSAF machine shop, November 2007

The Royal Small Arms Factory ( RSAF ) is a former British arms manufacturer.

history

In 1804, a government-owned company for the manufacture of gun barrels was built in Lewisham . In 1812 this company was expanded to include a plant in Enfield Lock, as water power was available there to drive the machines. A powder mill was also located here. In 1816, the Lewisham plant was given up in favor of Enfield. After the end of the Napoleonic War, sometimes only 30 people worked here. It was not until the Crimean War that the need for rifles revived, so that mass production became possible in 1857 with new production lines. The machines for this were supplied from the United States of America. With this increase in capacities, the RSAF virtually became its own city with a church, market, residential buildings and everything that goes with it. The main production hall with an Italian-style facade and clock tower still stands today and is now part of a shopping center.

During the U.S. Civil War , large numbers of the Enfield Rifled Musket from 1853 were sold to the Northern and Southern states.

In a letter from Eduard von Knorr to Leo von Caprivi from December 1884 , it is recorded that snider-type breeches in particular were the most important commodity in Cameroon .

Around 1890, around 2000 rifles with all other equipment are said to have been made every week.

RSAF belonged to Royal Ordnance from 1984 , which were at times also owners of Heckler & Koch , and was sold to British Aerospace in 1987 . However, the RSAF was subsequently closed. The famous pattern room, in which the sample piece of every model made is kept, and in which there is also a copy of almost every rifle manufactured in the world, has been moved to the Royal Armories in Leeds .

Products

Revolvers and pistols

Revolver Enfield No. 2 Mark 1

Rifles

Front and single-shot rifles

The first weapon produced - and according to some sources as early as 1790 in the Enfield area - was the Brown Bess rifle. The Baker Rifle was introduced around 1800 . This rifle was also a muzzle loader, but in .628 caliber and had an inner barrel profile with 7 rifles. In the years that followed, various other muzzle-loading rifles followed, and from 1871 the first breech- loading rifles , beginning with the Martini-Henry rifle in .45 caliber.

The Lee Enfield rifle

The Lee-Metford- and Lee-Enfield - gun was comparable weapons superior to his time in many ways. A short repeating travel and a slight rotation of the gently running bolt combined with the ten-round magazine ensured a high rate of fire . Fundamental disadvantages, however, were the loss of precision due to the locking mechanism located far back and the mostly two-part shaft as well as the feeding problems with the rim cartridge .303 British . Because of the cartridge , it was suggested several times to manufacture a new weapon in other calibers . Experiments were also carried out on this. Nonetheless, the weapon proved itself and the various versions were built for over 70 years.

The basis for the introduction of these weapons was the desire of the Royal Navy for a magazine weapon . It was then in 1888 as magazines Rifle, Mark I introduced. It was eventually renamed Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle, Mark I , because the inner barrel profile had the "Metford structure" with which rifles were successful at various sporting events. According to British figures, 188,930 Mark I and Mark I * were produced. In 1895, however, the inside profile of the barrel was changed in order to be more resistant to barrel corrosion .

The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield ( SMLE ) was created in 1902 from practical experience with the Lee-Enfield, especially from South Africa . From now on it was used less than its predecessor by all units of the British military. It was also a weapon that was easy to use for mounted units . During the First World War alone , Enfield manufactured over two million SMLEs . After the war, smaller numbers of the SMLE, Mark V and SMLE, Mark VI were produced, which were mainly used for troop trials.

The first rifles still had a fixed magazine that was loaded individually from above. Later, the magazines with five were shot Clips load faster, have been introduced until finally removable magazines. Some versions had the option of inserting cartridges individually from the outside into the breech with the magazine inserted. So you could keep ten cartridges in reserve.

Between 1963 and 1970 India built around 250,000 SMLE No. I Mark III to the version SMLE 2 A1 in caliber .308 Winchester . These weapons have a sight limited to 800 m , a simple muzzle cap , a modified butt plate and a rectangular ten-round magazine.

After several weapons exploded in 1987 due to fatigue , the British armed forces are no longer allowed to use .303 British caliber Lee-Enfields . However, the small-caliber weapons are still in use for training purposes.

No. 4 rifle

The No. 4 Rifle, Mark I emerged from the SMLE, Mark VI . Allegedly, these weapons, which are still in widespread use today, were developed at Enfield , but were never manufactured there. In any case, the main producers were companies in the USA and Canada .

Enfield No4 Mk1 Longbranch rear sight

With the introduction of some changes to the weapon, the weapons were also renamed; a diopter sight was introduced; and the barrel became heavier and the shaft simplified. At No. 4 Rifle, Mark I * further simplifications were introduced due to the Second World War . Many rifles were made by Steven Arms Co. , a subsidiary of Savage Arms Corp. , Ma. / USA made. In the USA around 200,000 pieces were produced on direct orders from the British government. Then at least one million pieces were produced under a kind of military lease agreement between the USA and Great Britain and stamped with " US PROPERTY ". While the first weapons were still SMLE, Mark I , the simplified SMLE, Mark I * were produced later . An attempt to replace the sight with a simple shape with only two adjustable distances of 400  yd and 600 yd (365.75 m / 548.64 m) failed. Since the results with these weapons were very poor, an improved aiming device with an accurate scale was introduced from 1944.

These weapons were manufactured in Canada's Long Branch Arsenal until after World War II. For cost reasons, No. 4 rifle, Mark I * with six rifles , as barrels for machine guns were made at the same time . These are stamped with " C Mk. 4 ".

From No. 4 Rifle, Mark I (T) , around 25,000 pieces were manufactured from 1942 onwards due to the lack of sniper rifles . They emerged from SMLE, Mark I and Mark I * with exceptionally good running. Holland & Holland in London were responsible for these conversions . In particular, the weapons around the scope No. 32 added and a cheek pad attached to the piston. No. 4 Rifle, Mark I (T) are said to have been in the British Army until about 1970 and then to have been kept in the reserve. They were replaced by the L42 A1 with a caliber of 7.62 × 51 mm. In Canada, the No. 4 Rifle, Mark I * (T) also with the riflescope C No. 67 Mark I used.

No. 5 rifle

For the jungle fight , the army required light and short carbines . For this, the No. 4 Rifle, Mark I shortened to 1,003 mm, and the barrel length was only 478 mm. There was a flash suppressor attached, and the piston cap received a thick rubber statements. In addition, the rear sight and bayonet were modified. The production of the No. 5 Rifle, Mark I was discontinued at the end of 1947 after approx. 350,000 copies. In the shot, the recoil had an extreme effect on the lightweight weapon, which weighs only 3.39 kg. The light carbine caused pain to the shooter and the hit pattern was no longer acceptable. In addition, the weapon was very loud and formed a large muzzle flash . A practical use was thus excluded. Existing weapons achieve good results with ammunition designed for sporting purposes, but are nevertheless not very pleasant to shoot.

Today these weapons, some of which were used by the police in India or Malaysia , but are still in a good state of preservation , are available on the used weapons market . The prices achieved for well-preserved specimens are usually significantly higher than those of standard weapons. One of the manufacturers of these weapons was the Royal Ordnance Factories ( ROF (F) ) in Fazakerley / GB. The year and month of production are shown behind the manufacturer's mark.

The Pattern 1914 Enfield Rifle ( No. 3 Rifle )

In 1910 the War Department decided that a rifle with improved ballistic values ​​should be introduced. It should fire rimless ammunition with the same dimensions as the SMLE and function according to the Mauser System 98 . For this purpose, the weapon should be able to be secured in all loading conditions and the trigger should be attached directly to the breech. The .276 cartridge was developed as ammunition in the Woolwich Arsenal . In addition to a converted Springfield M1903 , several developments from Enfield and Birmingham were also compared. Finally, the 1913 Enfield Rifle pattern was selected for troop testing. However, there were massive problems with corrosion damage to the barrels. For this reason an attempt was made to modify the propellant charge of the .276 cartridge. Entry into World War I made it impossible to introduce a new caliber into the British Army . The Pattern 1913 Enfield Rifle were converted for the standard caliber .303 British and introduced as the Pattern 1914 Rifle ( No. 3 Rifle ). However, production ran in the USA at the Remington , Winchester and Eddystone plants .

Developments after World War II

L42 A1

After the Second World War, the British Army had renewed need for sniper rifles. This time, however, they did not want to be satisfied with serial weapons supplemented by a telescopic sight. The Envoy was the inspiration for the L42 A1. This worked on the same principle as the SMLE No. 4, but was designed as a target rifle in the 7.62 × 51 mm NATO caliber. The weapon had a cheek rest. The wooden shaft only reached about the middle of the barrel. With a telescopic sight, the range was 800–1000 m. However, there was also an auxiliary sight. The trigger resistance was adjustable. The weapon was used by the British armed forces for a long time.

Enforcer

The Enforcer was developed for the police and civil market. Also in the base is an SMLE No. 4, it was produced in caliber 7.62 × 51 mm and had a heavy barrel. The weapon was like a hunting rifle. The cheek rest is not attached, but made in one piece with the piston. The piston closes with a rubber cap. As with the L42 A1, the fore-end ends halfway down the barrel. The telescopic sight is removable and the weapon is equipped with an auxiliary sight.

Automatic weapons

  • Sten - submachine gun
  • Bren - light machine gun
  • L1 A1 - assault rifle based on a Belgian weapon
  • SA80 - weapon system consisting of:
    • L85 E1
    • L86 E1

Special weapons

Tables

Overview of the Lee Enfield rifles

introduction designation Changes
1888 Magazine Rifle, Mark I. 8-round magazine, long cleaning rod
1891 Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle, Mark I. just renaming
1892 Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle, Mark I * Fuse, magazine, stock, sight
1892 Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle, Mark II Weight reduction, 10-
round magazine, short cleaning rod
1895 Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle, Mark II * Fuse
1907 Charger-loading Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle Magazine is loaded via loading strips
1895 Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle, Mark I. Lee-Metford Mark II * with Enfield barrel
1899 Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle, Mark I. Cleaning rod and holder are not required
1905 RIC Model (Royal Irish Constabulary) 10,000 pieces, shaft change for knife bayonet 88
1902 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark I. newly designed weapon
1903 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Converted Mark II to SMLE, Mark I converted Lee-Metford or long Lee-Enfield
1906 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark I *
1906 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Converted Mark II *
1907 Charger-loading Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle, Mark I * Magazine is loaded via loading strips, V rear sight, Barley front sight
1907 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark III
1907 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Converted Mark IV Existing weapons converted to SMLE, Mark III
1908 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark I ** Conversion from SMLE, Mark I, sight adapted to Mark VII ammunition
1908 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark II ** Conversion from SMLE, Mark II, new sights
1908 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark II *** Conversion from SMLE, Mark II *, new sights
1914 The Pattern 1914 Rifle (No. 3 Rifle) Experimental weapon, completely new design,
caliber .276 1913 experimental cartridge
1914 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark I *** Conversion from SMLE, Mark I *, sight adapted to Mark VII ammunition
1916 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark III * Long-range sights, no single loader lock
1922 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark V. Second shaft ring below the bayonet holder, tilting rear sight
1930 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle, Mark VI heavy barrel, two-part barrel jacket
1939 No. 4 Rifle, Mark I reinforced SMLE, Mark VI
1939 No. 4 Rifle, Mark I * manufactured in a new manufacturing method
1942 No. 4 Rifle, Mark I (T) SMLE, Mark I and Mark I * with cheek rest and telescopic sight
1949 No. 4 Rifle, Mark II The trigger is guided in the housing instead of in the trigger guard
1949 No. 4 Rifle, Mark I / 2 Conversion from Mark I to Mark II
1949 No. 4 Rifle, Mark I / 3 Conversion from Mark I * to Mark II
1949 No. 4 Rifle, Mark I / 2 (T) Mark I (T) with trigger guide in the housing
1944 No. 5 Rifle, Mark I (jungle carabiner) No. 4 rifle, shortened, flash hider
1946 No. 7 rifle No. 4 rifle in .22 caliber for the Royal Air Force
1950 No. 8 rifle No. 4 rifle in .22 caliber for the Army
1950 No. 9 rifle No. 4 rifle in .22 caliber for the Royal Navy
1963 Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle 2 A1 Indian conversion from SMLE Mk III to caliber .308 Winchester

literature

  • Big mouth. Converted Enfield rifles with snider and tabatière locks (collecting & self-making), in: Visier 1988 issue 1, p. 76.
  • VL service rifles: Parker Hale Enfield P 1858 Navy, Neumann P 1858 Navy Match, Euroarms P 1858 Navy, Dikar 1863 Zouave, Armi Jäger M 1863 Zouave (Im Visier), in: Visier 1989 Issue 9, pp. 44-49.
  • Replicas of US Civil War carbines: Smith 1857, Sharps M 1859, Gallager M 1860, Enfield M 1861 (Im Visier), in: Visier, 1992, No. 6, pp. 104-107.
  • Ian Skennerton, .303 RIFLE No. 4, 2nd ed. Labrador (Australia) 2001.
  • Dieter H. Marschall, British Treasury. The "Ministry of Defense Pattern Room" in Nottingham, in: Deutsches Waffenjournal January 2001, pp. 140-143.
  • Ian Skennerton, .450 & .303 Matrini Rifles & Carbines, Labrador (Australia) 2002.
  • Ian Skennerton, .303 RIFLE No. 1, SMLE, 3rd edition, Labrador (Australia) 2004.
  • The length doesn’t matter. Test: imprecise and hard? Not at all. Seven short order rifles in comparison: M 96 carbine - 6.5 × 55 mm, M 94 in 8 × 57, M 1935 in 7.65 Argentino, G33 / 40 in 8 × 57 IS, Mosin Nagant M 44 in 7.62 × 54 R, FR 8 in 7.62 × 51, Lee Enfield No. 5 in .303 British (Oldies im Visier), in: Visier 2006, Issue 2, pp. 26-30.
  • .. maybe for the military, but definitely not for the target shooter: The Enfield P 14 in .303 British (powder & lead), in: Visier 2002, issue 7, pp. 44–48.
  • In stock. How multi-loader rifles came about and why many generals resisted it for so long. Spencer M 1860, Vetterli, Hotchkiss, Mauser 71/84, Kropatschek 1886, Lebel rifle 1886, Krag-Jörgensen, Springfield 1903, Lee rifle, Mannlicher-Carcano, MAS 36, Enfield No. 5 "Jungle Carbine", Enfield No. 4 MK I, (repeating rifles), in: VISIER-Special issue 31, pp. 32–35.
  • Rolff, Bernd, In the Service of Her Majesty (1995).
  • Zimmer Michael, Jungle carbine - The rifle No. 5 Mk. I, its variants and accessories (2000).

Individual evidence

  1. Heiko Herold: Reichsgewalt means sea violence The cruiser squadrons of the Imperial Navy as an instrument of German colonial and world politics 1885 to 1901 , Munich: Oldenbourg 2013, page 38