POTD: The Beginning of Something Beautiful – The CLLE
Sam.S 01.16.24
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Charger-Loading Lee-Enfield (CLLE) Mark I* was a bolt-action British battle rifle adapted in 1907-1914 from the earlier Magazine Lee-Enfield and Lee-Metford rifles. It was converted to use 10-round charger clips for faster reloading. Besides adding a charger guide, the updates included new adjustable front and rear sights and other parts like the magazine to bring the rifle up to Mk VI ammunition standards. With these modifications, the obsolete Long Lee rifles could serve as secondary weapons in WWI and even into WWII. The CLLE’s use of stripper clips made it faster to reload than previous Lee-Enfields while retaining the fast-cycling bolt action that enabled a high rate of accurate rifle fire. Despite being adapted from dated rifles, the reliable and rapid-firing CLLE remained a viable combat arm through two world wars.
“Manufactured at the turn of the century. Blade front and folding rear sights, with a complete dial/peep type volley sight on the left side of the stock, and “E” (Enfield-pattern rifling) on the chamber. The right side of the socket is marked with the Queen Victoria cipher over “ENFIELD/1899/L.E/I.”, and the left “V.S.M./1909/CLLE/1*”, indicating revision to the charger loading Lee-Enfield standard. Smooth stock with “I./1″ stamped on the right side below a circular War Department stamp and a brass buttplate.”
Lot 2656: Enfield MLE #1 MkI/CLLE 1* Rifle – Enfield Magazine Lee-Enfield No.1 Mark I Bolt Action Rifle. (n.d.-b). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved January 15, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/75/2656/enfield-mle-1-mkiclle-1-rifle.
