British Military Rifles - Pattern 1913 Enfield

Pattern 1913 Enfield

The Pattern 1913 Enfield (P13) was an experimental rifle developed by the British Army ordnance department serve as a replacement for the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE). Although a completely different design from the Lee-Enfield, the Pattern 1913 rifle was designed by the Enfield engineers. In 1910, the British War Office considered replacing the SMLE based on its inferior performance compared to the Mauser rifles used by the enemy in the Boer War. The major shortcoming was long range performance and accuracy due to the ballistics of the .303 round, but the bolt system of the SMLE was not believed to have the strength to chamber more potent ammunition. A rimless .276 cartridge, which was comparable to the 7 mm Mauser, was developed.