Lee-Enfield SMLE (SMLE = Short, Magazine, Lee–Enfield)

Silhouette (Visual Identification)

Lee-Enfield SMLE
Category Rifles & Carbines
Operating system Manually operated, rotating bolt
Cartridge
Length 1130 mm
Feeding Box magazine

Rifles manufactured in the USA may have "UNITED STATES PROPERTY” on the left side of the receiver. Some of the Indian-made weapons can be found using 7.62 NATO caliber. The Lee-Enfield family of rifles is the oldest bolt-action rifle design still in official service. Lee-Enfield rifles are used by reserve forces and police forces in many Commonwealth countries, particularly Canada, where they are the main rifle issued to the Canadian Rangers, and India, where the Lee-Enfield is widely issued to reserve military units and police forces. Many Afghan participants in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan were armed with Lee-Enfields (a common rifle in the Middle East and South Asia).

Global distribution map

Weapon prevalence origin Country of origin licensed Licensed production unauthorized Production without a license
X
Scale dependend aggregation of production sites

The Lee-Enfield SMLE is found in 65 countries

This map is a reflection of data on global distribution and production provided primarily by the BwVC. It is not exhaustive. If you would like to add to or amend the data, please click here.


Global distribution list

The data on global distribution and production is provided primarily by the BwVC, but also from national and regional focal points on SALW control; data published by think tanks, international organizations and experts; and/or data provided by individual researchers on SALW. It is not exhaustive. If you would like to add to or amend the data, please click here.

Origin Country of origin
Production Licensed production
Non-Licensed Production Production without a licence
G Government: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is held by Governmental agencies.
N Non-Government: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is held by non-Governmental armed groups.
U Unspecified: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is found in the country, but do not specify whether it is held by Governmental agencies or non-Governmental armed groups.

It is entirely possible to have a combination of tags beside each country. For example, if country X is tagged with a G and a U, it means that at least one source of data identifies Governmental agencies as holders of weapon type Y, and at least one other source confirms the presence of the weapon in country X without specifying who holds it.

Afghanistan (AFG)
N
Australia (AUS)
O
G
N
Bangladesh (BGD)
G
Belgium (BEL)
G
Belize (BLZ)
U
Bermuda (BMU)
G
Botswana (BWA)
U
Canada (CAN)
O
G
N
Egypt (EGY)
U
Eritrea (ERI)
U
Fiji (FJI)
G
France (FRA)
U
Ghana (GHA)
U
Guyana (GUY)
U
Hungary (HUN)
G
Iceland (ISL)
G
India (IND)
O
G
Indonesia (IDN)
G
Iraq (IRQ)
U
Ireland (IRL)
G
Israel (ISR)
G
Italy (ITA)
G
Jamaica (JAM)
G
Jordan (JOR)
U
Kenya (KEN)
U
Lesotho (LSO)
U
Luxembourg (LUX)
G
Malawi (MWI)
G
Malaysia (MYS)
U
Mali (MLI)
U
Malta (MLT)
U
G
Namibia (NAM)
N
Nepal (NPL)
G
N
Netherlands (NLD)
G
New Zealand (NZL)
U
Nigeria (NGA)
G
Norway (NOR)
G
Oman (OMN)
U
Pakistan (PAK)
G
U
Poland (POL)
G
Portugal (PRT)
G
Sierra Leone (SLE)
U
Singapore (SGP)
G
G
Somalia (SOM)
U
South Africa (ZAF)
N
South Sudan (SSD)
U
Sri Lanka (LKA)
U
Sudan (SDN)
U
Swaziland (SWZ)
U
Tanzania (TZA)
U
Thailand (THA)
G
The Gambia (GMB)
U
Tonga (TON)
U
G
Turkey (TUR)
G
Uganda (UGA)
U
U
O
G
N
O
G
N
Yemen (YEM)
U
Zambia (ZMB)
U
Zimbabwe (ZWE)
U

Visual Identification (Silhouette)

Lee-Enfield SMLE (6)