New guy here, greetings to all.
Is anyone aware of Lee Enfield rifle usage by the U.S. armed forces in either WWl or WWll?
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New guy here, greetings to all.
Is anyone aware of Lee Enfield rifle usage by the U.S. armed forces in either WWl or WWll?
IIRC two US divisions used the SMLE in WWI. This has been posted about before and there is a famous photo of US soldiers examining their newly-issued SMLEs, (perhaps staged, perhaps not.)
It was also used stateside for training purposes to free up standard weapons for overseas service; they also saw use by the various State militias along with Mosin-Nagants. State forces may have continued some use in the interwar years and possibly during WWII as well. During WWI they were used by State forces for certain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigstick61
The proof of that would be interesting to see. The SMLE was definitely issued to US troops serving in conjunction with British forces on the Western Front during WW1 but I have never seen any evidence of their use on the homefront then (there were none here) and the Savage made No.4 rifles were shipped out rather quickly during WW2.
Are there any LEs marked with the US ordinance flaming bomb?
None that I've ever seen....none that I've ever been able to read about other than (maybe), those rifles used in 1917...the US used a lot more Moisin-Nagants (for training) than Enfields in the Great War....and none of them were Ordnance marked.Quote:
Originally Posted by ireload2
Do you know if the Moisin-Nagants were ever fired in training?
I suspect they were used only as marching props.
Actually ireload, yes there were Mosins with the flaming bomb US Ordnance mark. When seen it is on the left rear diagonal flat beside the slot where the cocking piece rides. There is an article (somewhere, can't remember where) that illustrates a M91 with the bomb mark and I at one time owned a Finn M27 with the US mark. How that receiver got to Finland I'll never know but it was what it was. Sorry to not have the info handy, I'll see if I can locate the article.Quote:
Originally Posted by ireload2
Edit:
Forgot to mention that the M91 was used by US troops in combat with the Red forces in Russia in 1919. The M91 in US service had an official designation, the “Russian Three-line Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm. (.3 inch)” See the article:
http://mosinnagant.net/USSR/US-Mosin-Nagants.asp
Sorry to take this off topic, if it is inappropriate, moderators please delete.
They were fired, we made ammo for them (Western Cartridge), surplus ammo for the M-N was available from the DCM between the Wars, as were the rifles....the M-N was even an "alternate standard" for DCM "E-I-C Matches" until the Post WW II era.Quote:
Originally Posted by ireload2
His Majesty the King reviewing US troops with Gen. Pershing, armed with Short Lee-Enfields, and .45s too, apparently.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...standard-2.jpg