Lee Enfield back on the front lines for another tour.

[CINDERS]

Proofs in the design of the weapon and over a great deal of time it is battle proven, abused, kicked, dropped, drowned and whatever else soldiers could do to it the design has proven most hardy and dependable might be ugly to some but I sure as hell know that sand worries a K-98 or any other front locker more than a Lee Enfield. Just like the LLE = Long Live Enfield's

[Eaglelord17]

The Rangers are military but not really. There job is simply to 'patrol' the Arctic. They are not to fight off the Russians or anything and the Lee Enfields they are issued are for self-defence only (mostly from bears and the like). They get paid 12 days of the year weather they work or not and get a free rifle (No. 4. Mk. 1), some free ammo, and a red hoodie.

The Lee Enfield works for them, its is a good rifle which is well made. Interestingly enough the Danish equivalent who work in Greenland are issued Glock 20s and a M1917 Enfield in .30-06.
Most rangers don't even use there Lee Enfields as they tend to prefer the 'magnum' round rifles.

The reason the rifles haven't been replaced yet is due to the lack of bids over a small contact as the company who has the design must provide it to Colt Canada for them to manufacture. This however most companies consider unacceptable as then they are giving away there design secrets for very little gain.

[Peter Laidler]

In purely economic terms, to maintain to serviceable standards, say, 5000 (?) Lee Enfields is peanuts in the great scheme of things.

[Ridolpho]

Exactly Peter. And peanuts is about all the Canadian Forces get these days. You don't even want to know about the status of our navy. The Rangers get the No. 4 purely for financial reasons. And let's put this in context- what the Rangers are defending is the vast Canadian (claimed) Arctic Ocean. The territorial claims are complex given that much of the region is under water and/ or ice and are partially based upon interpretations of extension of geological terrains under the ocean. At stake is, potentially, trillions of dollars in oil and natural gas as well as minerals (check out the location of the Polaris lead-Zinc mine- waaaay up north!) Our main challenger is, of course, Russia, whose military literally dwarves our own. Our icebreaker potential is limited and our all important replacement for the CF-18 is way over budget and being challenged by the opposition parties. Frankly, I think we should give the Rangers whatever they bloody well want.

Ridolpho

[browningautorifle]

Most of your truck proof rifles are in fact a cut down LE. These people aren't soldiers or any shade of them. They aren't paid regularly because they aren't reliable. They don't come when they're supposed to, even though they know they're supposed to be there. You can't be sure who'll be there for training. They have a different agenda. Most of them have the basics of uniforms but many couldn't care less. They use their rifles for seals, bear, caribou, pests, pry-bars, props, support stakes... They're taught care and cleaning yet their rifles degrade annually. One was issued a brand new rifle out of the grease. The next time the patrol Sgt saw it,(within months)he'd used it to straighten his ski on his Ski Doo and utterly destroyed it, bending the barrel and breaking the front wood. Another didn't like the sights so he kicked them off(his words) and put two nails in the top wood... They don't guard a zinc mine up north, you'd have to read up on their history to understand why they were created in WW2 and what their task in now. Just Arctic sovereignty...that's all. Use up the LE and when they're done for...you'll be surprised how quickly the replacement come forward. If you'll recall, a couple years ago there were NO replacement rifles or parts. Suddenly, there are brand new ones. Strange that...don't worry about it...

Eaglelord points out that they all have their own rifles anyway. Usually several within the household.

[flying pig]

Perfect rifle for them, noisy maggot refurbs. 762x54 flies a bit faster and they are cheaper, and tough. Plus plentiful. Give us the remaining No4s and parts!!!

[browningautorifle]

noisy maggot refurbs. 762x54

And that was brought forward a while back also. I'm not sure that wouldn't be the way to go...they sure operate in sh*tty weather...!

[Eaglelord17]

Canada would never adapt the Mosin Nagant period. They want a gun in 7.62x51 mainly for ammo concerns for it is a Nato standard. Also imagine the uproar in the Native community (yes the Natives as they are the majority of the Rangers) if they replaced the Lee Enfield with the Mosin Nagant. I personally would take that as a insult (I have many Mosins and I do love them but they are not as nice as a Lee Enfield). The government also wants a 'modern' bolt action to show they are up with the times (despite bolt action technology having not really changed since the turn of the century).

If they were truly serious about replacing the Lee Enfields they would do a commercial off the shelf type of order instead of trying to have Colt Canada manufacturing it.

[browningautorifle]

Canada would never adapt the Mosin Nagant period.

Agreed...

[Peter Laidler]

Just an obvious question but how do these reservists account for their ammo use - and what happens if they lose a rifle, say, off their kayak into the sea or where do they keep them locked up when not in use? Who checks them..........?