Enfield L42A1

Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action Military / Police Sniper Rifle

United Kingdom | 1970

"The Enfield L42A1 was the primary sniper rifle of British forces for some two decades before succeeded by the newer Accuracy International L96 series in 1985."

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Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Enfield L42A1. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

2,400 ft
731.5 m | 800.0 yds
Max.Eff.Range

24
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

2,750 ft/sec
838 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Physical
The physical qualities of the Enfield L42A1. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,071 mm
42.17 in
O/A Length

700 mm
27.56 in
Barrel Length

9.70 lb
4.40 kg
Weight

Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action System
Action

7.62x51mm NATO
Caliber(s)

10-round detachable box magazine.
Feed

Adjustable Rear with Fixed Front; Optics Supported.
Sights

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Enfield L42A1 Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action Military / Police Sniper Rifle family line.

L42A1 - Base Series Designation

L39A1 - Parker-Hale sighting iron devices; same barrel assembly as in the L42A1; curved pistol grip handle; chambered for .303 British and its associated magazines.

"Enforcer" - Variant developed for police elements; chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO; Pecar Berlin telescopic sighting device; 767 examples delivered.

"Envoy" - Higher standard external finish; slight revisions to stock.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/05/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The L42A1 is a former sniper rifle of the British Army, in service from 1970 until 1990. The design was born from the existing Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk 1(T)/No.4 Mk 1*(T) bolt-action rifles used in the sniper role during the World War 2 period (1939-1945). Requiring a successor to these sound and proven - yet aging - guns, the dedicated L42A1 was selected in their place. It went on to see considerable combat service in the period following including the Falklands War of 1982 and the Gulf War of 1991. It was eventually succeeded by the all-modern Accuracy International L96 detailed elsewhere on this site.

Unlike the World War 2-era Lee-Enfields, which were chambered in .303 British, the L42A1 shifted to the newer 7.62x51mm NATO standard rifle cartridge adopted by the West during the Cold War (1947-1991). As the original base Enfield No.4 frontline infantry rifles were already being succeeded by the 7.62mm-chambered FN FAL Battle Rifle during the latter part of the 1950s, the British sniper stock required attention to keep up with the times. This led to a decision in the 1960s to modify and adopt a revised form of the No.4 to become the "L42A1" in service for the dedicated sniper role.

The guns were reworked by the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) of Enfield from the period spanning 1970 to 1971 to which 1,080 or so of the guns were redistributed following conversion. Key to the changes were a new, heavy hammer-forged, free-floating barrel assembly (no part of its length was to touch the stock-works, leading to enhanced precision) with revised internal rifling, new optics support (the "L1A1" of 3.5x power), and a shortened forend.

The gun retained the manually-operated bolt-action system and fed from a 10-round detachable box magazine. The magazine was fitted into a well just ahead of the trigger loop. The pistol grip was integrated with the shoulder stock, the latter containing a cheekpiece for some comfort. The forend stopped near the midway point of the barrel assembly, the barrel continuing forward and capped by a forward iron sight. Over the receiver was mounted the telescopic sight in typical fashion.

The L42A1 was introduced into service as soon as 1970 and managed a career into 1990 - its last notable actions being recorded in the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991. The L39A1 was devised as a target-shooting alternative, though for military-minded elements, and carried Parker-Hale iron sights and had the same hammer-forged barrel as the L42A1. The "Enfield Enforcer" was issued to police forces for ranged work and was based highly in the L39A1 target shooter though with revised butt stock and a Pecar Berlin scope. The "Enfield Envoy" was also based in the L39A1 but produced to a higher standard for marketing to civilian shooters.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Enfield L42A1. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Royal Small Arms Factory (Enfield Lock) - UK

[ United Kingdom ]

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Going Further...
The Enfield L42A1 Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action Military / Police Sniper Rifle appears in the following collections:

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