S&T Lee Enfield Rifle No.1 MK.III S.M.L.E Bolt Action Airsoft Rifle

This rifle has caused quite the stir here at Patrol Base, most of us feel like we have waited for this rifle all our lives. Equally at home on the skirmish field carrying out some mad minute action, or at home hanging over the mantlepiece looking like an absolute work of art, the S&T Lee Enfield Rifle No.1 MK.III is without peers. Now you can bin your Mosin, junk your KAR98 and get the old school rifle you really wanted!

Starting at the muzzle, we can see the authentically constructed muzzle cap, which provides both the bayonet mounting apparatus, front sling swivel, and the front sight. The front sight is a squared off blade, protected from damage by wings present on either side. The bayonet lug is present on the bottom of the muzzle cap, and works together with the circular protrusion to provide mounting apparatus for a bayonet in the real firearm. We don't have a real bayonet to test if it fits, but we advise that if you do happen to own one, not to take it skirmishing! At the rearmost point on the muzzle cap, we have the first of the three sling swivels present on the Enfield, positioned on the bottom of the stock for an infantry-style sling. The muzzle cap and all of its parts are constructed from alloy with an antique finish, matching the finish given to real Enfield rifles out of the factory.

Moving rearwards we come to the rifle's handguard and head shield which provide the military look which separates the Rifle No.1 MK.III from sporterized models and more modern bolt action platforms. These parts are constructed from real wood, and have a satin finish, providing an authentic sheen, but not a shine which would potentially give your position away to the enemy team. 

At the rear of the handguard and heat shield, we can see the barrel band, which is constructed from alloy and has a second sling swivel attached to the bottom. This part serves to hold the handguard and heatshield onto the rifle and is a major part of old school rifle "bedding"; a process under which the rifle is fitted into the stock in the optimum position with the perfect tightness to prevent any force from being applied to the barrel and affecting accuracy. To the rear of the barrel band, the head shield continues and meets the rear sight with a nice neat cutout. So much nicer than the cludged on solutions on the Mosin and KAR98k, the sight looks like it was a part of the design from day one, and not just added as an afterthought. Man, we used to make some fantastic rifles! 

The rear sight is constructed from alloy and is a tangent style sight with a fine rear notch for aiming. The sight can be adjusted by pressing the button on the left side of the sight notch and moving it forward or backward to the desired point of adjustment. The sight provides graduations from the 200 yards out to 2000 yards, we suggest you ignore these or maybe divide the range increments by 10 to have an Airsoft appropriate adjustment! The rear sight is also protected with wings, which are constructed from steel to ensure that you cannot damage your sights with an inadvertent bump or scrape. These wings are asymmetrical, so don't worry if it looks like one of them is bent, that is how they are meant to be!

On the right side of the rifle's stock, behind the rear sight we can find the HOP-up adjustment slider, which works similarly to a VSR-10 rifle and can be adjusted back and forth to increase or decrease the backspin applied to your BB. This allows the Enfield to be set up for various weights of BBs to achieve the perfect trajectory. Below the HOP adjuster, we have the fore-stock; the biggest bit of wood on this rifle.

The fore-stock has the same satin-finished real wood as the handguard and heat shield, and has precise cutouts for the stripper clip guide, magazine well, and trigger guard. The magazine well is located right where you expect it and accepts S&T Lee Enfield magazines. These magazines feed in a similar manner to the TM M40 system, so please be careful as BBs may remain in the action after the magazine has been removed. The magazine catch is found within the trigger guard and can be pressed upwards to remove the magazine. The trigger of this S&T rifle perfectly matches the profile of the real Enfield, providing a comfortable curved trigger which cradles your finger perfectly, preventing movement and encouraging a consistent trigger finger position for maximum accuracy.

The receiver of the Lee Enfield Rifle No.1 MK.III is faithful in every way to the real deal, including a stripper clip guide with a considerate cutout to prevent the Tommy's of the past from hurting their fingers whilst loading in a new "charger" (Bri'ish for stripper clip). The front of the receiver includes more markings, subtly engraved as to not distract from the beautiful exterior of this rifle. The markings on the right side read " P 28624", and those on the left show a mock crown proof mark with "G.R" above. It's G.B, for reference S&T, but it still looks great so we don't care!

The bolt of this rifle is very Enfield. The pull is quite tough, but short, allowing the Rifle No.1 MK.III to be fired at a similarly rapid pace to the real thing, whilst mimicking the "cock on closing" feeling of the real rifle. The bolt pull is probably about 2/3 that of a VSR-10, meaning less movement if you are working the bolt from concealment and less likelihood of being spotted by the enemy team. 

A lovely little detail S&T decided to include is the moving "cocking piece" at the rear of the bolt. In the case of the real Lee Enfield, this part can be used to provide "second strike" capability, i.e the ability to re-cock the firing pin to strike a dud cartridge again without having to open the action. In the Airsoft Enfield, this part can be pulled back and locked, and the trigger does release it, but it does nothing at all other than bring a smile to the faces of those with a keen eye for detail!

The trigger guard attaches to the "stock socket" of the Enfield, which is constructed from alloy and has the same antique finish as the rest of the metal parts. Lifting the bolt handle reveals the nearly perfect trademarks, reading "G.R 1918 S.H.T.L.E III" with a crown style proof mark above. Not perfect, but close enough that it gives off the Lee Enfield vibe without potentially being confused for a real rifle. On the left side of the stock socket, we can find the manual safety catch, which can be pulled rearwards to meet the cutout in the stock in order to lock the trigger. This catch has a serrated upper surface to enable it to be easily operated in any weather condition without any risk of slipping. Take note, Mauser!

Finally we have made our way down this very long rifle to reach the stock, which is constructed from real wood, no surprise! The stock features the ever recognisable Enfield shape, with a shelf to support the hand when firing and provide a comfortable gripping surface. The stock is finished with the same satin varnish as the rest of the wood parts, tying the rifle together. 

At the toe of the stock we can find the last of our 3 sling swivels, allowing the rifle to be set up with a replica Lee Enfield sling and carried over the shoulder. The butt plate of this Enfield is constructed from alloy with a brass-like finish, sealing the deal and giving this Enfield authentic looks. Within the butt plate we can find a storage compartment, intended for a cleaning kit in the real rifle but you could probably use it for a cigar or something else a Tommy might carry!

Performance-wise, this Enfield shoots quite hot, topping out around 400 FPS with an average of 395 FPS +/-10% on 0.2g BBs. This gives it some sniper-like performance, meaning you won't be at too much of a disadvantage taking this thing against AEGs, as long as your playstyle is considerate of its limitations as far as the rate of fire is concerned! The Enfield uses VSR-10 pattern inner barrels and VSR-10 pattern HOP-up buckings, meaning if you wanted to stretch the performance of this rifle out with a few choice upgrades you can, with access to some of the best parts for the job on the market today. The internal piston catch is made from steel, as is the cylinder, seeing to two of the main weak points in bolt action Airsoft rifles and guaranteeing many years of trouble-free performance from the Rifle No.1 MK.III.

Features

• Full metal construction with antique finish
• Mock stripper clip guide
• VSR Inner barrel, HOP bucking compatible
• Slider adjustable HOP - No need for disassembly!
• Adjustable Tangent/lad iron sights
• Averages 395 FPS +/- 10%
• It's a Lee Enfield
• Authentic Rifle No.1 MK.III S.M.L.E, AKA Smelly
• Short bolt throw for quick operation
• Dummy cocking piece can be moved and dropped
• Brass-style finish on the butt plate
• Three sling points across the bottom
• Front and rear sight protected with wings
• Substantial but skirmishable weight
• Correctly shaped Lee Enfield trigger
• Real wood stock, forestock and heatshield/handguard
• Objectively better than the Mosin and K98 - Prove me wrong!

Package Includes

• S&T Lee Enfield Rifle No.1 MK.III S.M.L.E Bolt Action Airsoft Rifle
• S&T Lee Enfield Rifle No.1 MK.III S.M.L.E 35 rnd Magazine
• User manual