Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 2
Royal Small Arms Factory · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1949
Also known as: Rifle No. 4 Mk II, No. 4 Mk II, No4 Mk2
Overview
The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 2 is a bolt-action repeating service rifle, the final standard-pattern development of Britain's .303 Lee-Enfield family. Adopted in 1949 and built exclusively at the Royal Ordnance Factory Fazakerley until 1955, its defining change was relocating the trigger so that it hangs from a boss machined into the steel receiver rather than from the trigger guard, decoupling trigger pull from any swelling or warping of the wooden fore-end and giving a more consistent let-off. Otherwise it retained the No. 4's cock-on-closing turnbolt, 10-round detachable magazine fed by five-round chargers, rear aperture sight and 25.2-inch heavy barrel.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3940 g (139.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1130 mm (44.49") |
| Barrel Length | 640 mm (25.20") |
| Sight Radius | 696 mm (27.40") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 744 m/s (2441 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2420 J (1785 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2700 m (2953 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Left Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 5 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .303 British · primary — also known as 7.7x56mmR, .303 Mk VII
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Rear Aperture Sight, Receiver Mounted Trigger, Detachable Box Magazine, Charger Loading, Bayonet Lug, Two Piece Wood Stock
Variants
- Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 1/2 — Factory Conversion
- Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 1/3 — Factory Conversion
Base model
Service history
Operators
- British Army · adopted 1949 · as Rifle No. 4 Mk 2
- Indian Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Malayan Emergency (1948-1960)
Production
Production years: 1949-1955
Produced only at ROF Fazakerley from July 1949 until 1955; it was the last .303 Lee-Enfield rifle made in England as a new-production pattern.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: James Paris Lee
Discontinued: 1955
Notes
Trigger-hung-from-receiver is the headline Mk 2 change; existing No. 4 Mk I and Mk I* rifles brought up to this standard were redesignated Mk 1/2 and Mk 1/3 respectively. Empty weight ~3.94 kg (8 lb 11 oz); overall length ~44.5 in (1130 mm); barrel 25.2 in (640 mm). Muzzle velocity and energy reflect standard .303 Mk VII ball; striker_fired here denotes the spring-driven striker of the bolt action. Effective and maximum ranges are nominal service figures.
Background
The No. 4 Mk 2 marks the closing chapter of a service-rifle lineage that began with the Lee-Metford in the 1880s. By the time it entered production the .303 cartridge and bolt action were already being eclipsed by the self-loading FN FAL, so many Mk 2s were issued, packed in grease and stored, leaving large numbers of essentially unfired rifles to reach the surplus market decades later as some of the finest-condition Lee-Enfields available.