The Lee-Enfield Rifle

Wallaceburg is the home of the first Lee-Enfield Rifle ever made ... the river front echoed the very first test shot of this repeater rifle as it whistled clear across the river and into an oak tree. A plaque now marks this 1878 event and the museum houses this important military artifact.

This world famous forebearer of the modern repeater rifle was invented by James Paris Lee, a native of Hawick, Rouxburgh, Scotland. He was born on August 28, 1804, the son of a skilled jeweller. When the family first immigrated to Canada, they lived in Galt, but later moved to Chatham, where Lee's father opened a jeweller's shop. At age 7, James got a job in this shop and first started to experiment with firearms, and in 1850 James opened his shop. By 1862, he had patented his first rifle -- a single shot, breech loading rifle. The U.S. War Department ordered 1000 of these, but misunderstanding about the calibre led to cancellation of the order. Lee claimed damages to the government, but was forced to close his shop.

It was in 1878, when James made his greatest contribution. He invented a rifle with a box magazine capable of firing 30 shots per minute. The rifle was perfected in Wallaceburg on a site opposite the municipal Building. The gun was tested successfully in Wallaceburg. Bullets were fired from the Lee Brothers Foundry across the Sydenham river into an oak tree hundreds of yards away.

 Ten thousand of these rifles were sold to the U.S. Navy and they also became the standard issue for the British Army for over 60 years. The Patent rights were purchased by England for 50,000 pounds plus 50 cents for each magazine. The rifle was produced in Enfield, England in 1888, thus the "Lee Enfield" name.

The rifle on display is the original prototype and the desk on display was used to store the tools that helped construct the Lee Rifle. A plaque commemorating the rifle was erected on July 2, 1975 in Civic Park.
 

Also In the Lee-Enfield Display:

Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle Mark II, with a magazine capacity of 10 rounds, this was the first volume produced military firearm employing the Lee bolt and magazine, and was used extensively in the Boer War.
Lee-Enfield Rifle Mark I, adapted in 1895, further converted in 1907 to charger loading. The charger loading conversion allowed five cartridges to be inserted into the magazine directly from the top.
Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (S.M.L.E.) No. 1 Mark III Rifle, issued in 1902 with several variations to follow. This was the primary rifle used by the Allied forces from around the world in WWI.
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mark I* Rifle developed in 1939 and was manufactured in Canada by Small Arms Ltd., Long Branch, Ontario at a rate of 25,000 rifles per month. This rifle served the world wide Allied forces in WWII and the Korean War.
Lee-Enfield No. 5 Mark I Jungle Carbine Rifle, produced in 1944 in responce to the need for a lighter more compact gun in the Pacific theatre.
Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mark III* Skeleton Action, produced during both World Wars for instructional use, often utilizing condemned or non-functional rifles.

 

Lee-Enfield Trivia

Used In:

Other Facts: