Lee Speed

This article is about the early twentieth century British rifle. For other uses, see Enfield rifle (disambiguation).

Lee-Speed
Type	Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
Wars	Boer War, World War I
Production history
Designer	James Paris Lee
Manufacturer	RSAF Enfield Birmingham Small Arms Company
Specifications
Length	49.5 in (1,260 mm)
Barrel length	30.2 in (770 mm)

Cartridge	.303 British Mk I
Calibre	0.404 in (10.3 mm)
Action	Bolt-action
Rate of fire	24 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity	2,040 ft/s (620 m/s)
Effective firing range	~1 mi (1,800 yd)
Maximum firing range	1 mi (1,800 yd)
Feed system	5 or 10-round magazine
Sights	Sliding leaf rear sights, Fixed-post front sights, "Dial" long-range volley sights

The Lee-Speed rifle was a bolt action rifle based on James Paris Lee's rear-locking bolt system and detachable magazine. Early models were fitted with barrels using the radiused rifling designed by William Ellis Metford.^[1]^[2] while later models used the same square "Enfield" rifling as contemporary British military rifles.

The weapon was a sporting variant of the well known Lee–Metford and Lee–Enfield rifles made for civilian shooters, though often purchased by Army officers who wanted a rifle made to a higher standard of fit and finish than the issued military rifle.

Variants

No.1

Officers pattern, with bayonet mount.

No.2

Officers pattern, without bayonet mount.

No.3

Trade pattern.

References

British Empire Small Arms & Ordnance of the First World War

No. 1
No. 2 Hales Pattern
Nos. 3, 20, 24, 35 Hales rifle grenades
Nos. 5, 23, 36 Mills
No. 6
Nos. 8, 9 Jam Tin
No. 13 Battye
No. 14 Pitcher
No. 15 Ball
No. 16 Oval
No. 17 Opera hat
No. 18
No. 19
No. 21 "Spherical"
No. 22 Newton-Pippin
No. 25 Sangster
No. 27
No. 28 Chemical
No. 29 Gas
No. 31 Day Signal
No. 32 Night Signal
No. 32 "Spherical E"
No. 34 Egg
No. 37
No. 39 Steuart Pattern

Artillery

Tank guns	QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss QF 6 pounder 6 cwt

Infantry guns	1.59-inch Breech-Loading Vickers Q.F. Gun, Mk II ("Vickers-Crayford rocket gun")

Field Artillery	BL 12 pounder 6 cwt QF 12 pounder 8 cwt QF 12 pounder 18 cwt QF 13 pounder BL 15 pounder BLC 15 pounder QF 15 pounder QF 18 pounder QF 4 inch gun Mk III BL 4 inch gun Mk VII QF 4.5 inch Howitzer

Mountain artillery	RML 2.5 inch Mountain Gun BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun BL 2.75-inch Mountain Gun QF 2.95 inch Mountain Gun QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer

Howitzers, medium, and heavy artillery	QF 4.7 inch Gun BL 5 inch Howitzer BL 5.4 inch Howitzer BL 60 pounder gun BLC 6 inch siege gun BL 6 inch Gun Mk VII BL 6 inch Gun Mk XIX BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer BL 6-inch 30 cwt howitzer BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk I - V BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk VI - VIII

Siege artillery	BL 7.5 inch Mk III naval gun BL 9.2-inch howitzer BL 9.2 inch Mk X naval gun BL 12 inch Howitzer BL 12 inch Mk X naval gun BL 15 inch Howitzer

Coastal artillery	QF 4 inch naval gun Mk I – III BL 6 inch Mk VII naval gun BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX–X RML 9 inch

Mortars

Grenade launchers

Smoke and chemical weapons

Railway guns

Anti-aircraft guns

Foreign weapon designs
in British Empire Armies use

British Commonwealth small arms of World War II and Korea

Side-arms	Webley Mk IV & Mk VI Revolvers Enfield No. 2 Mk I Revolver Browning P-35 "High Power" Pistol M1911/M1911A1 pistol Smith & Wesson "Victory" Revolver Welrod

Rifles & submachine guns	SMLE No.1 Mk III* & Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I Pattern 1914 Enfield Lee-Enfield No.5 Mk.I "Jungle Carbine" Ross Rifle Mk.III De Lisle Commando Carbine Sten Lanchester Sterling Austen Kokoda Owen Gun Welgun M1921/M1928/M1 Thompson

Machine-guns & other larger weapons	Besa machine gun Bren Gun Charlton Automatic Rifle Lewis Gun Vickers MG PIAT Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55 in, Boys 29 mm Spigot Mortar "Blacker Bombard" SBML 2inch Mortar Projector, 2½-inch Mk. II "Northover" ML 3-inch Mortar ML 4.2 inch Mortar 3-inch Mk. I OSB Gun "Smith Gun" No.2 "Lifebuoy" Flamethrower

Grenades	British grenades of WWI and WW2 Mills Bomb

Small arms cartridges	.303 British 9mm Parabellum .45 ACP .455 Webley .38/200 .38 Special .50 BMG .55 Boys 15×104 mm Brno

Current UK individual weapons and cartridges

Pistols	L9A1 L106A1 L117A2 L131A1

Assault rifles carbines Designated marksman rifles	L85A2 IW L86A2 LSW L22A2 L129A1 L119A1 HK 417

Sniper rifles	Arctic Warfare Covert L96A1, L118A1 L115A1, L115A3 L121A1 L82A1

Submachine guns	L80A1 (MP5K), L90A1 (MP5K A1) L91A1 (MP5 A2/A3), L92A1 (MP5 SD2/SD3)

Shotguns	L74A1 L128A1

Machine guns	L108A1, L110A1 L7A2 L2A1 (M2HB), L111A1 (M2HB-QCB)

Grenade non-lethal launchers	L17A1/A2 L67A1 L134A1

Rockets	LASM LAW 80 M3 Carl Gustav L2A1 (ILAW) L142A1 (AT4CS HP)

Missiles	MILAN FGM-148 Javelin Starstreak SAM (shoulder launched or 3-shot multiple launcher)

Mortars	L9A1 M6-640 L16A2

Modern cartridges used	5.56×45mm NATO 7.62×51mm NATO 12.7×99mm NATO .338 Lapua 9×19mm Parabellum 12 gauge

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