History of WWI Primer 045: British Long Lees (Metford and Enfield) Documentary
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Othais and Mae delve into the story of this WWI classic. Complete with history, function, and live fire demonstration.
C&Rsenal presents its WWI Primer series; covering the firearms of this historic conflict one at a time in honor of the centennial anniversary. Join us every other Tuesday!
Support the Royal Armouries
platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/royal-armouries/PVDR001#.WJ3hxG-LSpo
Additional reading:
The Lee-Enfield: A Century of Lee-Metford & Lee-Enfield Rifles & Carbines
Ian Skennerton
You can now find these and other books through our A-store. When buying through this link we
receive a small commission that goes on to help with production.
astore.amazon.com/candrprimer-20
Original music provided by Melissa Hyman of The Moon and You
www.themoonandyou.com/
Historical music from this episode:
The soldiers of the King
Joseph A. Phillips
Boys in Khaki, Boys in Blue
Frederick J. Wheeler
In collaboration with The Great War
kzread.info
Additional photos thanks to:
Rock Island Auction
Royal Armouries Museum
Ammunition data thanks to DrakeGmbH
kzread.info
Visit us at candrsenal.com
Пікірлер: 485
I'd just like to say a big thank you to Othais, Mae and the crew for having me out. It was a real thrill to be asked to participate in the new clip. Great episode and eagerly looking forward to its continuation in the next instalment.
@jaredkennedy2555
7 жыл бұрын
britishmuzzleloaders As high of quality as we come to expect. was awesome to see the appearance.
@antyrabbytmeow5021
7 жыл бұрын
britishmuzzleloaders I've been a subscriber to your channel for a few months already and I love your drill videos. they're amazing
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
Great! Thank you very much..... Great place this as well, though....
@TwentythreePER
7 жыл бұрын
britishmuzzleloaders Thanks to your videos I know what "controversial marks of ammunition" Othias mentions at 1:07:10.
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
Ahh! a conscientious viewer. Well done! An, of course, that's why you are here at C&Rsenal!...
So, this might be obvious to others, but I just found out so I thought I'd post it here. I recently read an open letter written to the _Times_ in 1879 by a Sergeant Major of the British army. He noted that the introduction of the breech loading Martini-Henry had resulted in such an increase in the rate of fire that the barrel would get very hot, and therefore if a soldier quickly fired more than ten or so rounds, he couldn't hold the rifle around both stock and barrel and was forced to _"allow the wood to rest on his left [hand], pinching it as hard as possible to keep it steady; but as to using his bayonet with any hope of effect, this is out of the question, for a child could almost knock it out of his hand"._ He blamed this for the inefficacy of the bayonets used against the Zulus at Isandlwana, but went on to strongly recommend that military rifles in future should _"have a concaved thin piece of wood"_ fixed above the barrel between the sights to protect the hand from being burned when the bayonet was in use during combat. This advice appears to have been taken on-board with the design of the lee-series rifles which had a much greater rate of fire. It also explains the presence of wooden furniture over the barrel on these guns and others of the period, but not on earlier, slower firing military rifles and muskets.
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
Ooh nice.
@royperkins3851
6 жыл бұрын
lancer D case of a old authority on musketry,British had the same problem after the Boer war alot of so called experts wanted the British army to adopt a mauser action, mausers are great hunting rifles, great target pieces but they aren't equal to the Lee Enfield as a combat arm note the p-14/Enfield 1917,a great target piece But a slow badly balanced gun despite it's use by two world powers it was never the soldiers first choice, hell even Indian soldiers preferred single shot martini Henry's to it!
@kaczynskis5721
5 жыл бұрын
Some British troops wrapped leather hide around the barrel to counter-act it becoming too hot to touch.
@23GreyFox
4 жыл бұрын
@@royperkins3851 If you say so. But still a good joke.
@myparceltape1169
3 жыл бұрын
@@royperkins3851 As a boy I read some of the tales of the Defence of Rorke's Drift. Soldiers allegedly called for wet cotton cloth to wrap around their rifles.
Actually the Poor Royal Navy eventually hung on to the SMLE till about 1969. Reason being we have a lot of ammo, and don't fight with rifles, that's what the Army are for, so don't need to replace them. Except- as my old RN small arms instructor said' The Andrew (Slang for RN) didn't account for people like me using a 1000 roudns a week for private use.'
@17njl01
2 жыл бұрын
gotta do something while you are under way, and random pieces of flotsam make great targets
Technically this video should be renamed Primer 045*
@aussiebloke609
5 жыл бұрын
Add a star for every time they need to redo a take? Or are titles not allowed to be that long? :-D
@norcofreerider604
2 ай бұрын
@@aussiebloke609 Whenever the British made a modification to their small arms, they would either add a Mark number or a star. For example, the No.1 Mk.III* differs from the No.1 Mk.III primarily with the omission of the magazine cutoff and volley sights.
"O *bleep* the French!!!!!" BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was great!
As an English man living in France, I salute your battle cry at 35:14.
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
rofl
@caveymoley
7 жыл бұрын
I wish I could set it as my text notification now...
@kindermord
7 жыл бұрын
C&Rsenal you know. I would buy that as a ring tone.
@MrBioniclefan1
7 жыл бұрын
Now release a video with line being looped over and over.
@americanfederation8039
6 жыл бұрын
caveymoley Without the British the French would have got overrun by the Germans the Germans had numbers France did not have numbers but you British did. I respect your nation I am glad to call you a allie
I love britishmuzzleloaders so much... His delivery is superb, and his breadth of knowledge unmatched. Glad to see an official tie in from him!
@HarryFlashmanVC
Жыл бұрын
King Charles needs to appoint Rob "Keeper of the Imperial Moustache"
@brianj.841
8 ай бұрын
@@HarryFlashmanVC David Fletcher of The Tank Museum would be a contender. ;) (I like to revisit C&Rsenal, it's like seeing an old friend again.)
My Great Grandfather was a RIfleman in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, 3rd Bn (60th Rifles) - joining in 1899 as an 18yr old, serving in the 2nd Anglo Boer war through to 1915 - he carried both the Long Lee and the SMLE during his time of service. As a fellow collector of LE's - I'm sure my Grt Grandfather would approve of this video as well. Cheers!
one of the best parts of this series is all the effort you guys make to capture the full sound of all the weapons firing. Most other gun channels don't or can't do that, and everything ends up sounding virtually identical. This is an amazing work of documenting history (I mean the whole series, not just this episode :P).
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
I appreciate that. We put some thought into the microphones
Love the new version! britishmuzzleloaders is an amazing channel and it tickles me to see you working together though I was confused at first. Love this new version, now I have to watch it all over. Well, I want to anyway.
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
Mae should grow a big mustache.
@panzerabwerkanone
7 жыл бұрын
I thought that was Mae in the intro. The skirt has me confused. She might get a little wax on that upper lip to take care of that little beauty problem area there.
@user-kt8yp5ho2y
7 жыл бұрын
C&Rsenal Please review the fedorov avtomat.
Those legs... that kilt... those socks... that mustache... all we need now is to get Othais in that getup and my life will be complete
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
I mean, I have a kilt...
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
It has begun...
@panzerabwerkanone
7 жыл бұрын
Othais? I thought that was Mae!
@paullytle246
7 жыл бұрын
C&Rsenal do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it
@samiam619
6 жыл бұрын
Othais in a kilt? I’m not 100% sure he has legs! Never seen him stand... Love the videos 😎
35:14 just for those who want to hear one of Othias' best lines ever.
@timschumacher7150
4 жыл бұрын
I'll look like know who
@timschumacher7150
4 жыл бұрын
M mm I you I look I'll I am in likek like him lookout I'll I would Kijiji ki k I'm I
@timschumacher7150
4 жыл бұрын
I ik
@timschumacher7150
4 жыл бұрын
I ki in I looking lo
@mauser2134
4 жыл бұрын
lmao
As a surplus military weapons geek, I must say your videos are fantastich, they bring me much joy. please keep them coming?
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
Every other week
The best sources of information are those you can trust to update themselves when they discover a mistake. You have passed the test with flying colours (yes that is how my people spell colours) thank you for the update and an excuse to watch a great piece of work again.
Who needs TV, with Othais, Mae and the crew doing such a Fing fabulous job of Entertaining, History lesson and research, for these Episodes on WWI Firearms. Great work on production of quality material, which engrosses me most evenings for the past two or three years. Great intro bt Rob of BML. Thanks again,
That dig at the french at 35:14 had me break out in corpsing laughter.
I didn't expect to see britishmuzzleloaders when I opened this video.
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISI,........
@kindermord
7 жыл бұрын
Our chief weapons are surprise, mustaches, the Long Lee Enfield, the Lee Metford, a galaxy of Martini-Henrys, devotion to the Queen (Gawd bless 'er) and...
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
Love it.
@kindermord
7 жыл бұрын
britishmuzzleloaders ...and kilts, Dear Lord, I almost forgot kilts. And a bayonet...with some guts behind it.
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
What about ruthless efficiency? Surely there is room in there for some of that, too?
"I prefer the kind of cocking action where I'm pulling it back into me" -Mae
@freddieellis8449
7 жыл бұрын
caveymoley oooooooh matron!!!!!!! 😂😂😂😂👍🏻
@KageMinowara
4 жыл бұрын
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
@billdyke9745
3 жыл бұрын
For double entendre fans this episode was a peach...
@HarryFlashmanVC
2 жыл бұрын
SNURK SNURK FNARRR FNARRRRR!
What kind of wonderful introduction was that? What a gorgeous uniform!
Very informative! Procurement by committee, it's the British way! Looking forward to the SMLE. Used to fire these as a cadet 13-14 yrs old in the 1970s.
The shots of May firing in this episode (like 57:32) have such a beautiful color palette to them
As a British civil servant this video fills me with pride which I have set out in a 302 page addendum to this comment.
First Remington Lee image I’ve seen, thanks so much I’ve been looking forever
@brianj.841
3 жыл бұрын
First Remington Lee I've heard of! Most excellent research and compiling.
britishmuzzleloaders is one of my most favorite channels. He is passionate about British firearms. I watch every single video of his channel and C&Rsenal's as well. Love to see the cooperation!!
@samiam619
6 жыл бұрын
Louie Lam I guess I’ll have to check them out with all the kudos I see here!
Nice work! Thanks for including the Lee's shortfalls during the Boer war. Very interesting!
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@deanwilliams4365
3 жыл бұрын
very true, just had a thought. the Zulu wars forced a repeater into service, Afghanistan force accuracy and long barrels , the bore war brought it all together
Even after the second viewing 35:08 that is HILARIOUS.
@S7eveThePira7e
3 жыл бұрын
Three years later, I still laugh out loud every time
I thought the re-upload was a mistake, so I'm rather glad that I clicked anyway!
@asii_k
7 жыл бұрын
lazaglider I had thought the same which is why I came here looking (hoping) to find a comment like yours!
@festerallday
7 жыл бұрын
So it's not the same video then?
It's great to see C&Rsenal collaborating with BritishMuzzleLoaders on this!
I have watched this before, which is a testament to the quality of your combined talents, a feature length episode, brilliant, Thank you again Mark 👍
I enjoy these videos immensely. I appreciate you doing all the hard work so I can learn, sitting on my couch, drinking coffee.
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
Thank you, it means a lot to hear.
A very good episode, depth of history and development excellent. Mae as usual outstanding with Othais in conversation. Her usual glee at shooting is apparent, she is insightful of the ergonomics of these weapons.
I love these presentations, format, evaluations. Keep up the good work Othias & Mae!
On rewatching (for, like, the tenth time), I noticed that the bolt is popping slightly open on some of Mae's shots. The Blish Principle strikes again!
Just listening to all the Stories of Lee's childhood makes me giggle with unbridled joy.
THAT WAS THE BEST INTRODUCTION THE FRENCH HAVE EVER GOTTEN I can't stop laughing I sent it to both my partners, I can't 😂🤣
It warms my cockles to see great channels collaborating
A very well done vid! It was long and I had to watch twice but I don't know how else it could have been done. Thanks for the hours you put into it.
Just another wonderful episode! I just love the job you guys do! Rimlock is an ammo-related problem, most of the time. At least today it is. Original Mk VII .303 cartridges had rims which were beveled at the rear so they could slide over the next cartridge instead of locking onto it's rim.
Again, WOW! What a fantastic video! I think I'm finally getting a handle on the British rifle designations. Thanks for the lesson
Love how much effort you guys put into researching and making these and the top-notch production. Hats off to you.
I have my grandfather Lee Metford bayonet as the Royal Montreal Regiment still had the Lee Metford their contribution in the Boar war. So they entered the trenches at Ypres equipped with the Lee Metford as opposed the the other Canadian troops carrying the Ross Rifles. So I had feed back on that from grandfather. Along with stories of fighting alongside indigenous troops like, Francis Pegahmagabow MM, Indian (Sikh, Muslim and Gurkha ) soldiers equipped with Indian (Ishapore) made Lee Enfield rifles. Also Note Francis Pegahmagabow MM who most likely use a Mark I Ross rifle, which he continued to use until severely wounded in the late stages of the war and was evacuated to England for Surgery and recovery then back to Canada.
Excellent accuracy and detail well worth all your effort !!! Really enjoyed it!!
Great episode guys. Best video on the Long Lees I have seen. Very informative. I was so captivated it didn't seem long at all. Love Lee Enfields.
Just superb. Someday old people are gonna look back and say, "I was there when the youtubes finally got good." And that was a touching shout out to your folks, Mae. I imagine they're quite proud of you. Keep up the great work, and don't let the fudds and koobecaf kranks get you down.
52:20 - Really good advice. I was wondering about that myself, thank you.
I own a British 303 and LOVE IT! It is my deer hunting rifle and has never let me down ! GREAT RIFLE !
Mae is freaking awesome. A woman that loves to shoot these old rifles is awesome. Plus the way she messes with Othais was really funny
Wonderful video! I've been looking forward to this one for a while. A Lee-Enfield (the SMLE, mind you, but still) was my very first firearm.
Well done Othais and Mae, very enjoyable and informative.
Ha - love the new intro - and can't wait for new content from both channels!
Just great....I was about to take a nap......Then I got a notification that this video had just been posted. I'll take a nap later.........lol
Awesome presentation, thanks for your hard work.
The problem Mae had with the chargers in the MkI* is because when they are made they are coated with a phosphate coating both inside and out. It has a texture roughly similar to sandpaper and the coefficient of friction is tremendous making it almost impossible to strip 5 rounds at once into the magazine. Experienced Lee Enfield competition shooters will polish the inside of the stripper clips so they slide virtually effortlessly into the magazine. It would be interesting to see an episode detailing the civilian target rifle versions of all the various iterations of the Lee Enfield rifle.
Brilliant old songs. Thank you very much
Wonderfully informative. Thank you for your effort.
this one of your best guys ...well done ... WOOHooo that Giggles of Mae makes it all worth while ....
Did you fill the chargers correctly? "One rim back, one forward, one back, one forward, one back". That allows the rounds to settle into two stacks in the magazine, and usually prevents rim lock.
Really looking for to your next video of the SMLE and hopefully a mention of the lithgow SAF. Keep up the great work!
Great video guys!! I also subscribe to britishmuzzleloaders and it was great to see him on your channel. Can't wait for more of your videos! Proud to be a fellow Carolina citizen.
We now just want Bloke and cap&ball to join in,
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
Look what you've done, you've summoned him. Now he's going to want to talk about Swiss rifles!
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
Well, that and 40 ways to shoot over a highway.... :-)
@britishmuzzleloaders
7 жыл бұрын
Come, come, now.... the mighty Bloke!?.. Titan of Neutral-European, cerebral, mountain shooting?
@pikeywyatt
7 жыл бұрын
And not forgetting Ian and Carl.now you know my Favourite U T sites. THANK's to you ALL.:)
@FireflyActual
7 жыл бұрын
Three of my favourite channels in one comment thread? I must've died and gone to heaven. All I need now is a blessing from Gun Jesus aka Ian from Forgotten Weapons.
We require additional team-ups between you two now.
such a great well connected video! my father & 2 brothers were on Gallipoli (1 is still there he was a champion shot but was downed by a shell before he reached the firing line) some of the NZs were still using the long tom & burns from the barrel were a problem , a guy mentioned this in a home letter & was accused of subversive activity! My dad (South Canterbury Mounted ) said the Long Tom seemed more accurate than the short Mk 111 ,funny thing my brother in law ( WW2 survivor) said same thing ie. a he saw more exceptional shooting with the "old" Tom than later marks. he was a keen shooter before army serviceHe should have known he want through Greace, Western desert & Italy (went with 34...4 returned) He did one hell of a lot of fighting & used every gun he came across
56:30 I remember that song from the ending of Breaker Morant. Great movie! "What rule did you shoot him under?" "I'll tell you what rule we applied sir! We applied Rule 303"
Great video,thanks Stuart.
Mae looks smashing in that dashing smart vest. I appreciate that alot. Haha Great video and history as always. :)
Great episode with fantastic research
Although I'm sad that this video isn't "Primer 045 MkII" or MkI*...
This is such a great sight thanks to indy for mentioning it. and you are right not to bother with high speed ammo wasting. it's only hits that count.
52:19 For myself, the advantage of keeping a gun decocked is that, God forbid, there be rusting of the springs for any reason, it reduces the risk of the rust binding the spring and so making cleaning impossible. Mind, if your spring rusts, you probably will want to replace it if one intends to shoot the gun, but for show pieces where authentic original bits are ideal, it helps some to keep the springs out of tension.
Othias et al. your attention to detail is amazing; It's good to see my money well spent. As to @britishmuzzleloaders, thank you. I now have another channel to sub and a reason to acquire a Martini-Henry. Keep up the good work y'all.
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
We are glad you're helping
Awesome episode, great work!!!!!!!!
Great and informative video. Looking forward to part two.
Othias, Othias....ahhhhh...at 16:15 you mention 1 Sergeant and 3 enlisted men of the "123rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers" and raised the hackles of the land of my fathers. It should be 1st Btn, 23rd Regt of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) for that 1880 date. They must have worked fast because later that year the 1st Btn was sent to India. You do such a fabulous job but I just had to mention rhis. Cymru am blyth!
Just found your channel and am already loving it! your hard work as just gained another subscriber.
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
Nice!
Bigger then Ben Her, epic and great work. Really appreciated.
man, a massive thanks!!!!!! i cant even fathom the amount of work you did for this ep keep it up
Maan, it would be so good to know what's in store next! Too bad we will never guess it, and will have to wait until next episode...
I almost teared up in empathy for your script sufferings.
Great, another channel to immerse myself into. :). Off to go watch to changes. -Jen
Another great episode. I really appreciate the research that goes into the history of the guns, it makes the show. For the watchers, pokey hand or pencil?
I love this show!!
Thanks for taking the trouble to update and clarify the "spare magazine" issue. In addition to going out of your way to keep your content 100% accurate the manner of your update was outstanding. Thanks again to both the C&R team and British muzzle loaders.
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
We get by with a little help from our fiends.
Well researched, well done.
I use this to help get me to sleep. Othis has a calming voice ( drugs aren't working!!)
Outstanding
In the late '60's and into the '90's, I collected Lee-Enfields. This was a time when I could pick up a No4 T w//scope for under $200. Try that today. Anyway, my collection ran from a CL-MLE, to No. 1's (8 ea) No. 2's (2 ea), No. 4's (13 ea) a single N0. 5 and a replica Aussie No. 6.MKI. All with bayonets. Because of this, I consider myself some what knowlegeble about the Lees. I still found your Primer #045 interesting. The only comment I can suggest is that Mae should keep the rifle mounted on her shoulder, instead of dropping it to waist level to operate. I have noticed her doing this in other videos as well.
I think the format of the show is rite-on,, I like the the detailed history and the impression of the rifle from the shooter,, is a huge part of how we can understand it's feel and operation. It's unfair about some comments made with a conceding flavor ,, everyone has their rite to be heard, but sometimes I wonder if they think about it first, or what they really want to address? You all make first rate videos, Thanks.
I find the song in the shooting segment quite lovely.
Needed this
Totally thought I was on the wrong video when I saw britishmuzzleloaders opening.. I had just watched his No1mk3 Video!
In the school Corps at Downside I was trained on the Lee Enfield 303 and Bren guns!
The fact that the British adopted the detachable box magazine rifle only to cripple it with charger loading is a real puzzle as they had the potential for a massive advantage in firepower yet destroyed it by back stepping to a clip loader!
Dear all. Just like to thank you for all the effort you guys have put into this series. The level of detail is simply encyclopedic. I was just wondering, Does any one know why the head of Enfield at the time advised the committe against the rimless version of the .303 cartridge? I can't seem to find it in any of the online historys of the .303. That said, and having watched Marks video on head spacing (Anvil 39), I suspect that worries over maintaining the required production tolerances of both the rifle and the cartridge case may well have contributed to the decision. Given the levels of accuracy and repeatability available in the 1880s ( Gauge Blocks were not invented until 1896) it was probably a valid concern.
Othias's comment about Britian's large budget is somewhat deceptive. Yes, England's own home army was rather small, but England had to also consider it's world wide naval presence as well as military presence in most of Africa, Arabia, and Asia. Seen in that light their military budget was seen as anemic.
Fantastic intro!
WHY will no one tell me why my cat constantly licks his nether regions while watching these videos? What secret cat licking technology do you employ ???!!
@raymondkisner9240
5 жыл бұрын
Your cat is a secret agent! The kitty spy agency better known as CAT cat agency tactics. To keep our world free from dog world control.
Just checking in!:) Semper Fidelis
I say there is some forest Rob-bery going on here! Excellent to see some great channels working together!!
@Candrsenal
7 жыл бұрын
puns, my only weakness
@v22058
7 жыл бұрын
you mean punishment? I'll show myself out...
Yo, big O! Can U please do one on the propellants and cartridges. The weapons ain't everything.
Seeing the original Lee Enfield and hearing "Soldiers of the Queen" reminds me of the ending of "Breaker Morant".