Enfield L42A1

History of the Enfield L42A1

The L42A1 is a former British Army sniper rifle, in service from 1970 to 1990. This design is derived from the existing Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 1(T)/No. 4 Mk 1*(T) bolt-action rifles used as snipers during World War II (1939-1945). As the successor to these sturdy and proven but still aging guns, the dedicated L42A1 was needed to replace it.

In subsequent periods, including the Falklands War in 1982 and the Gulf War in 1991, it saw significant combat action. It was eventually replaced by the state-of-the-art Accuracy International L96, which is detailed elsewhere on this site.

Unlike the .303 British, the L42A1 was converted to the newer 7.62x51mm NATO standard rifle cartridge, adopted by the West during the Cold War (1947-1991). Back in the second half of the 1950s, the original base Enfield No. 4 infantry rifle was replaced by the 7.62mm FN FAL barreled rifle, and the British sniper roster needed attention to keep up with the times.

This led to the decision in the 1960s to modify and adopt a modified form of the No. 4, which became the "L42A1", for a specialized sniper role.

These guns were rebuilt by the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield (RSAF) between 1970-1971, with approximately 1,080 of these guns being redistributed after reconstruction. The key to the change is a new, heavy-duty, hammer-forged, free-floating barrel assembly (no part of its length is intended to touch the stock, improving accuracy) with improved internal sliders, new Optical mount ("L1A1" 3.5x performance) and shortened forearm.

The weapon retains a manually operated bolt-action system and is fed from a detachable 10-round magazine. The magazine is mounted in a well in front of the trigger ring. The pistol grip is integrated into the shoulder rest, which incorporates a cheek piece for some comfort. The front end stops near the center of the barrel assembly, the barrel is further forward and is covered by the front iron sight.

Telescopic sights are usually mounted above the receiver.

The L42A1 entered service as early as 1970 and had a good career in 1990 - its last notable service record was in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. The L39A1 was developed as an alternative to target shooting, although it had elements of military thinking and was equipped with Parker-Hale iron sights and shared the same hammer-forged barrel as the L42A1. Issued to police forces for long-range combat, the "Enfield Enforcer" was largely based on the L39A1 rifleman, albeit with a modified stock and Pecar Berlin scope.

The Enfield Envoy was also based on the L39A1, but built to a higher standard for sale to civilian gunners.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes