M1917 Enfield

US Rifle, Model of 1917, Caliber 30
M1917 Enfield rifle from the collections of Armémuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
Type	Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1917–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	World War I Banana Wars World War II Korean War Hukbalahap Rebellion Vietnam War (limited)
Production history
Designed	1917
Manufacturer	Winchester Repeating Arms Company, Remington Arms, Eddystone Arsenal
No. built	2,193,429 total
Specifications
Weight	9.187 lb (4.167 kg) (empty)
Length	46.3 in (1,180 mm)
Barrel length	26 in (660 mm)
Cartridge	.30-06 Springfield (7.62×63mm)
Action	Modified Mauser turn bolt
Muzzle velocity	2,800 ft/s (853 m/s) with Cartridge .30 M2 Ball
Effective firing range	600 yd (549 m)
Maximum firing range	5,500 yd (5,029 m) with .30 M1 Ball cartridge
Feed system	6-round magazine, 5-round clip fed reloading

The M1917 Enfield, the "American Enfield", formally named "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" was an American modification and production of the British .303-inch (7.7 mm) P14 rifle (listed in British Service as Rifle No. 3) developed and manufactured during the period 1917–1918. Numerically, it was the main rifle used by the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I. The Danish Slædepatruljen Sirius still use the M1917 as their service weapon.

Before World War I, the British had the Short Magazine Lee–Enfield (SMLE) as their main rifle. Compared to the German Mausers or U.S. 1903 Springfield, the SMLE's .303 rimmed cartridge, originally a black powder cartridge, was ill-suited for feeding in magazine or belt-fed weapons and the SMLE was thought to be less accurate than its competition at longer ranges. The long-range accuracy of German 7×57mm Model 1893 and 1895 Mausers in the hands of Boer marksmen during the Boer War (1899 -1902) made a big impression on the British Army, and a more powerful, modern rifle was desired. Thus, even though improved Lee–Enfield variants (the SMLE) and .303 British Mark VII ammunition with pointed (spitzer) projectiles entered service after the Boer War in 1910, a committee was formed to develop an entirely new design of rifle and cartridge. The starting point was to copy many of the features of the Mauser system. The rifle was developed at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield (arsenal) in the United Kingdom.

This development, named the Pattern 1913 Enfield or P13, included a front locking, dual lug bolt action with Mauser type claw extractor as well as a new, powerful rimless .276 Enfield cartridge. The design carried over a Lee–Enfield type safety at the rear of the action and a bolt that cocked on closing to ease unlocking of the bolt during rapid fire. An advanced design of aperture rearsight and a long sight radius were incorporated to maximize accuracy potential. Ease of manufacture was also an important criterion. However, the onset of World War I came too quickly for the UK to put it into production before the new cartridge could be perfected, as it suffered from overheating in rapid fire and bore fouling.