Lee Enfield back on the front lines for another tour.

[JerryEAL]

Interesting story from the Ottawa Citizen in Canada. Would love to see the stores.
Canadian Ranges issued Lee Enfield Rifles in pristine condition but no replacements yet | Ottawa Citizen

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[Ridolpho]

Farcical but totally consistent with the tiny budgets allocated to our military. These guys should be armed with any brand new cheap off-the-rack hunting rifle and would be were it not for a small supply of remaining No. 4 rifles to which the govt. probably assigns zero value. If they are in great shape they should be sold in bulk to the top bidder who could then sell them on to collectors. Criminal that they should be used like this and a bit of an insult to the Rangers, if you ask me.

Ridolpho

[JerryEAL]

Exactly. A red hoodie and a 70 year old bolt action.( I would say it is a great bolt action). If the Rangers are our troops then treat them like our troops. Train, pay them and outfit with decent kit. Although when it hits the fan,all I have is Lee Enfields hmmmm. All joking aside it really is bad to call upon someone and have not provided the basics for survival in todays world.

[WarPig1976]

Forgive my ignorance, What are Rangers? Canadian equivalent to Militiamen?

[CODFan]

The Canadian Rangers are a reserve Canadian Forces unit made up of primarily Aboriginal First Nations members.

I believe there are a few thousand that patrol the Northern reaches of Canada.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

This "replacement" project has been "happening" for nearly ten years now.

Way back then, someone in "authority" twigged that there was a whole life-time of activity to be generated by starting a project to replace the No4s in use by the Rangers.

The point the everyone seems to have studiously avoided is that the existing No4s, shabby though they might be now, have survived salt water, ice and minimal care for over fifty years.

Allegedly, the big "impetus" was a shortage of "proper" ammo. In "service" use, that, of course, is Mk7 Ball. One of the "catches" is that the Rangers also use these rifles for "discouraging" Polar Bears, as well as harvesting seals etc. for food and hides.

A Remington 700 or similar would not last six months were it subjected to current treatment in that environment. Even a "stainless / synthetic" rifle has to be "ice-proof" and work first time EVERY time the bolt is cycled and the trigger squeezed. These are NOT "once a year in the woods" rifles, but something that needs to be "soldier-proof" AND "environment-proof". The No4 filled those requirements rather well for a LONG time.

[Alan de Enfield]

This "replacement" project has been "happening" for nearly ten years now.

Way back then, someone in "authority" twigged that there was a whole life-time of activity to be generated by starting a project to replace the No4s in use by the Rangers.

The point the everyone seems to have studiously avoided is that the existing No4s, shabby though they might be now, have survived salt water, ice and minimal care for over fifty years.

Allegedly, the big "impetus" was a shortage of "proper" ammo. In "service" use, that, of course, is Mk7 Ball. One of the "catches" is that the Rangers also use these rifles for "discouraging" Polar Bears, as well as harvesting seals etc. for food and hides.

A Remington 700 or similar would not last six months were it subjected to current treatment in that environment. Even a "stainless / synthetic" rifle has to be "ice-proof" and work first time EVERY time the bolt is cycled and the trigger squeezed. These are NOT "once a year in the woods" rifles, but something that needs to be "soldier-proof" AND "environment-proof". The No4 filled those requirements rather well for a LONG time.

Brisbane is a fair old trek from Canada, but I would suggest that you have pretty clearly identified the key issues - and - the lack of suitable commercial rifles

[Thunderbox]

Its hard to believe that there isn't a commercial "truck rifle" that isn't up to the job. I pretty sure most Scandinavian or Russian hunters above the Arctic Circle do not use Enfields.

I presume this is all to do with procurement rules that rule out most foreign rifles.

[Peter Laidler]

thats a pretty good argument TBox.......... I wonder what the Russians used at Stalingrad. I've heard that it's pretty cold there too. I think that there's a large department in the Canadian Govt somewyhere who's sole task is investigating this very subject. And getting bigger, with a bigger budget every year. Every year it has to answer to....., well......, someone somewhere who answers to a Guidance Committee who is in joint co-operation with a partnership body and.......... and.............

It just perpetuates itself. A bit like the NHS in the UK really. Doesn't really work but keeps zillions working......., well, sort of working!

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Of all the commercial rifles on the North American market, the one closest to the mark is the Ruger "Scout" in .308Win.

Stainless construction, 18" barrel, laminated "weather resistant" stock, aperture sights with TWO optional ways of mounting optics, a "non-user adjustable" and very robust trigger system, Mauser 98-type extractor, takes AI type mag (3, 5 and 10 round), flash-suppressor to reduce ingress of snow etc.

For the "full glossy", see here:

Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle

No, I do not work for Ruger or any of their distributors.

How one of these would fare rattling around in boats, getting drenched with salt water and then frozen, is anyone's guess.

Any of you Alaskans or Arctic Circle Canadians “road-tested” one of these?

Or do you just stick to the tried and true Lee Enfield?............