10 Pattern 1914 – also known as Rifle, Number 3Ĭivilian rifles had on rare occasions been used by marksmen during the English Civil War (1642–51).8.1 The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) – also known as Rifle, Number 1.It was not until the late 19th century that the rifle fully supplanted the musket as the primary weapon of the infantryman. Early rifles were non-standard and frequently used adaptations from components of the Brown Bess, including, locks, stocks and new rifled barrels. ![]() 75 calibre Brown Bess musket in favour of muzzle loading rifles in smaller calibres. A similar tactical preference would be a factor in considerations regarding rifle design in the late 19th century and early 20th century, when rate of fire would be a key design consideration for British bolt action rifles.īeginning in the late 1830s, the superior characteristics of the new rifles caused the British military to phase out the venerable. The use in volley or in mass firing by troops meant that rate of fire took precedence over accuracy. While a musket was largely inaccurate over 80 yards due to a lack of rifling and a generous tolerance to allow for muzzle-loading, it was cheaper to produce and could be loaded quickly. The origins of the modern British military rifle are within its predecessor the Brown Bess musket. ![]() Brown Bess musket - precursor to the early British rifles
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