The magazine is detachable for cleaning and maintenance, not for reloading. Extras weren't issued. The feed lips won't reliably hold the ten rounds in; it'd probably be fine on your range, but not when jumping through the mud. And when these were designed, a detachable mag wasn't any part of the thinking that led to the specs.

Remember, the SMLE was originally designed with a cut-off, with the usual tactics calling for single shots. It's a different mindset than we have now.

Besides, loading from stripper clips is very, very fast once you've practiced.

 

Chargers, or stripper clips as you called them, allow for topping off a magazine and are quite fast.
The full charger is pushed into the magazine and need not be removed. The closing bolt will push it out of the way.

 

2P Steel 6 pretty much covered the answer. The cost of a stripper clip is almost nothing compared to a very expensive magazine and using magazines to ship ammunition would not be practical. Chargers hold the ammunition and protect the primers for transport and are the most practical way to distribute ammunition.
Best
Gus

 

I was just curious (and have been asked by others at the range) why the British went to a 10-round external magazine, but then didn't use multiple mags for reloading. You're right, it's a different mindset than today. It was a time when all the major powers were using chargers and internal magazines.

BTW, I have a MkIII which was manufactured in 1939 by BSA for an Iraqi contract. It actually does have a magazine cut off. I was told that the Iraqis were willing to pay for some of the original MkIII features that were eliminated during WWI due to cost and efficiency.

I've been loading the mag using stripper clips that came with some Greek surplus HXP .303 ammo I got through CMP (it's been sold out for some time now, unfortunately). Your right that you can get to be pretty proficient with a little practice.

Thanks for the input!

 

Another thing to remember is that ten rounds was better capacity than any other country had then.

 

And load them like this (alternating overlap) to prevent rim lock

 

Staggering the rims makes for a more stable package in the charger, but has little or nothing to do with preventing rim lock in the magazine. That is accomplished by a combination of pressure from the follower (platform) spring and the angle of the rear wall of the magazine box. This pushes the rims forward so that the ones on top sit ahead of the ones below.

 

Extra magazines add to the weight you have to carry in the field. Weight is the enemy.

 

Also, SMLE magazines simply weren't designed to be carried around loaded, off the rifle. On early rifles, the magazines were actually attached to the trigger guard by a short length of chain.

 

The first of the 303s.the Lee Metford mk1,was issued with a spare mag.This was discontinued due to cost.No chargers at that time either.The cutoff was considered to be an important safety feature reducing the chance of a round "up the spout",and possible accidental discharge.It was also an important economy feature,preventing wastage of ammo.The British never thought of usage in WW1 terms,war was a means to an end to be pursued as economically as possible.Regards John.

 

Magazine cutoffs reflected doctrine, something of a holdover from the days of muskets, that troops would habitually load and fire one round at a time, on command of their officer. The officer would designate range, targets, and the number of rounds to be fired. The magazine was to be held in reserve until rapid fire was needed.
Not every country went in for magazine cutoffs. A '98 Mauser can only be loaded through the magazine. The French Lebel had a cutoff, as did the U.S. Krag and the '03 Springfield.

 

Think about it. Does changing magazines on a bolt action rifle, even one as speedily cycled as the SMLE make sense ? Semi or full auto yes...single shot not so much.

 

from a period WWI French manual ....

FIRING COMMANDS

APPROVISIONNER ... Load Rifle
If armed with the Fusil d'Infanterie Modèle 1886 "Lebel", open the bolt, place the selector lever to the reward position, load the magazine until it is full (8 rounds), DO NOT place any cartridges in the cartridge carrier lifter or chamber of the rifle. Place the selector lever to the forward position and then close the bolt.
If armed with the both the Fusil de Infanterie Modèle 1907-1915 and Fusil de Infanterie Modèle Modifié 1916, open the bolt, place one full charger into the magazine and push down on the whole charger with the thumb and close the bolt over the top of the charger without chambering a round.

DÉAPPROVISIONNER ... Unload Rifle
If armed with the Fusil d'Infanterie Modèle 1886 "Lebel", open the bolt, place the selector lever to the reward position, push down on the cartridge carrier lifter, unload all 8 cartridges from the magazine, place the selector lever to the forward position and then close the bolt.
If armed with the both the Fusil de Infanterie Modèle 1907-1915 and Fusil de Infanterie Modèle Modifié 1916, open the bolt, push the cartridge release latch to release the charger from the magazine, remove the charger from the weapon and then close the bolt.

CHARGEZ ... Charge Rifle
If armed with the Fusil d'Infanterie Modèle 1886 "Lebel", load the magazine until it is full (8 rounds), place one round in the cartridge carrier lifter and place one final round in the chamber and close the bolt for a total of 10 rounds.
WARNING ... WARNING *Do not do this or you will break the extractor, these are getting to be over 100 years old and the stress on them is not good to do this with them now*
If armed with the both the Fusil de Infanterie Modèle 1907-1915 and Fusil de Infanterie Modèle Modifié 1916 place one full enbloc/packet/charger into the magazine and close the bolt.

DÉCHARGEZ ... Uncharge Rifle
If armed with the Fusil d'Infanterie Modèle 1886 "Lebel", remove the round that is in the chamber, the round in the cartridge carrier lifter and unload the magazine completely until it is empty then close the bolt.
If armed with both the the Fusil de Infanterie Modèle 1907-1915 and Fusil de Infanterie Modèle Modifié 1916, remove the round that is in the chamber and eject the charger from the magazine then close the bolt. Place the loose rounds that are available in the incomplete charger.

Firing Commands:

FEU À VOLONTÉ ... Fire at Will
À (xx) MÈTRES ... at (xx) meters
SUR (xx) ... On certain point, this usually will be the following: la tête (head), la poitrine (chest) and la taille (waist)
COMMENCEZ LE FEU ... Commence Firing

On the first command, load the weapon if necessary.
On the second command, set the sight according to the distance prescribed.
On the third command, look at the point indicated through your rifle sights, keeping the eyes fixed on it.
On the last command, open fire until instructed to cease fire or change to a different firing command.

FEU DE (xx) CARTOUCHES/CHARGEURS ... Fire (xx) prescribed number of rounds or chargers depending on the model of rifle bieng used
À (xx) MÈTRES ... at (xx) meters
SUR (xx) ... On certain point, this usually will be the following: la tête (head), la poitrine (chest) and la taille (waist)
COMMENCEZ LE FEU ... Commence Firing

On the first command, load the weapon if necessary.
On the second command, set the sight according to the distance prescribed.
On the third command, look at the point indicated through your rifle sights, keeping the eyes fixed on it.
On the last command, open fire and continue doing so until the prescribed number of rounds or clips have been fired. Once the prescribed number has been fired, continuing to fire, one shot at a time until ordered to cease fire or change to a different firing command.

FEU À RÉPÉTITION ... Fire by Repetition
À (xx) MÈTRES ... at (xx) meters
SUR (xx) ... On certain point, this usually will be the following: la tête (head), la poitrine (chest) and la taille (waist)
COMMENCEZ LE FEU ... Commence Firing

This firing command is like the above command except that the soldier will fire all of the prescribed number of rounds or chargers depending on the type of rifle being used until the magazine is all expended. In the case of the Fusil d'Infanterie Modèle 1886 "Lebel" this will be a total of 8 to 10 rounds, the Fusil de Infanterie Modèle 1907-1915, 3 rounds and the Fusil de Infanterie Modèle Modifié 1916, 5 rounds.
Once the magazine has been emptied, continuing to fire, loading one shot at a time until ordered to cease fire or change to a different firing command.

FEU PAR SALVES ... Fire by Volley
À (xx) MÈTRES ... at (xx) meters
SUR (xx) ... On certain point, this usually will be la homme (man) as this is done at very long distances of 800 + meters
JOUE ... Aim
COMMENCEZ LE FEU ... Commence Firing

On the first command, load the weapon if necessary.
On the second command, set the sight according to the distance prescribed.
On the third command, look at the point indicated through your rifle sights, keeping the eyes fixed on it.
On the fourth command, aim the weapon and wait until the final command is given to fire.
On the last command, fire the weapon once, reload and then wait for the new command of JOUE. The command to fire again will be FEU.

CESSEZ LE FEU … Cease Fire
When this command is given the soldier repeats the command to his neighbors and then ceases fire.

Note: The above commands that require the adjustment of the sight or the point of aim is only done upon restarting firing or as the officer sees fit to adjust for this. Example: You are firing FEU À VOLONTÉ at 400 meters at the waist and the enemy is closing in at a distance at 250 meters, the officer will command once again FEU À VOLONTÉ, A 250 MÈTRES, SUR LA POITRINE, COMMENCEZ LE FEU

The relative commands regarding the adjustment of the sight and taking note of the indicated point are only done upon restarting fire if it is necessary to change the sight or the point being aimed at. If armed with the Lebel rifle, when the command to "Cease Fire" is given during a "fire by repetition," refill the magazine and, before loading, set the "squared" button back to its forward position. If armed with the Berthier rifle, and if the command to "Cease Fire" is followed by that of DÉCHARGEZ, extract the clip and eject the round that is in the chamber. Place the loose rounds that are available in the incomplete clips.

Above all, fire discipline is stressed for the isolated soldier. In principle, the rifleman fires only in the following circumstances:
When he has received an order to do so;
In self-defense;
As a warning to the men when on sentry or look-out duty.

If a soldier has orders to fire on targets of opportunity when they should appear (especially when on sentry or look-out duty) -- which is generally the case in the trenches -- he must estimate the distance (for more info, see below). Moreover, the rifleman must be governed by the guideline of not firing when:
The target is more than 400 meters distant in the case of an individual man (mounted or unmounted); The target is more than 600 meters distant in the case of a group of at least 4 men.

The point to aim at is the lower edge of the visible portion of the target. If the target is moving across the rifleman's field of vision, aim at the edge toward the direction which the target is moving. If there is a cross-wind, aim at the edge of the target toward the wind. The chances are very small of hitting an individual at more than 250 meters distant moving across the field of view or standing in a strong cross-wind. On account of the flatness of trajectory, there is as much a chance of success at hitting the target at short ranges with the battle sight as with a more exact setting.
The following simple rule applies to firing:
When the target is from 0 to 600 meters away, use the battle sight;
When the target is beyond 600 meters, never fire.

The observance of fire discipline and of the limits of employment of individual fire must be particularly strict when the necessity of not revealing one's presence and of maintaing the element of surprise is paramount. If the isolated rifleman must shoot, it is often advantageous to wait until the target approaches closer before opening fire. Under no circumstances should riflemen open fire on aircraft without orders from an officer.

When Under Attack or When Alarm Has Been Given:
During the daytime, the usual fire for riflemen is FEU À VOLONTÉ ("fire-at-will"). Often, however, FEU PAR SALVES ("volley fire") is also used as it achieves a greater control of fire and has a great effect on both the morale of the enemy and of the men firing. During the night, feu par salves is the rule.

When Attacking an Objective in the Open:
Generally speaking, the riflemen fire as little as possible when engaged in an offensive action, so as to reach the objective as quickly as possible. When firing is done, it is done by a group, ideally by a half-section or section. The half-section or section should fire only for the purpose of protecting the advance of an adjacent formation or to prepare for its own advance. No matter how favorable the opportunities may be, there is no reason for firing if at the same moment advance is possible. It may happen, however, that the advance is impeded by local resistances concentrated at various points (groups of enemy riflemen, machine-guns, etc.). The resistances must be broken as quickly as possible through the effects of group firing, which must be opened without delay.

Special Cases -- Firing on Aircraft:
Soldiers may only open fire on aircraft under the following circumstances:


They are ordered by an officer;
The identity of the aircraft is confirmed as hostile;
There are no friendly troops assembled within a range of 1,000 to 4,000 meters in the direction of the fire.

Detached men or troops who already have an objective to attain (which must not be deviated from) are not permitted to fire on aircraft. If this is not the case and if above requirements have been met, action should be immediately taken, with firing being coordinated by sections.

As the aircraft is flying towards the riflemen, set the sight at 2,400 meters. Face the approaching aircraft and commence firing as soon as it appears at an angle of 45 degrees. Aim straight at it and continue to fire until the aircraft passes vertically overhead. At this point, the riflemen face to the rear toward the departing aircraft and lay down the sights. As the aircraft departs, set the sight at 250 meters, first aiming 10 lengths in advance for approximately 30 seconds. Then aim directly at the aircraft and continue to do so until it reaches an angle of 45 degrees.

The application of these rules assures that the aircraft crosses the cone of fire dispersion once during the approach and twice during the departure. It is useless to fire on an airplane if the spread of its wings are 8 mm, which indicates a distance out of range of rifle fire. It is fire upon landing aircraft.

Estimating Distances:
By Pacing.

One way to estimate the distance to a target or objective is by counting paces. Each man must know how many strides he takes to cover a distance of 100 meters. Error is less likely in counting off strides (i.e. counting each time the left foot strikes the ground) than the single pace. Having counted the number of strides which cover 100 meters (normally, 62), make a mark on a piece of paper or place a pebble in your pocket. Then begin counting strides again. To translate the excess over the last 100 strides into meters, it is only necessary to add half that number to the total.

Example:
6 pebbles 36 strides = 600 36 18 = 654 meters

This method is also used for sketching.

By Sight.

Through personal observation it is understood that the human face is not visible at 400 meters but the arms can still be seen. At 600 meters, files of men can still be distinguished and that at 1,000 meters, a horse can be distinguished from the cart. Such factors as light, background, dust or terrain features can affect such determinations. Therefore, this method is not very certain but can be improved by allowing several good observers to make their estimations and then averaging these.

By Sound.

Sound travels at 333 meters per second (or 1 km in 3 seconds). Each man should learn to reckon time by mental calculation. If in keeping such time, one starts counting as soon as the flash of a gun discharge is seen, the number reached at the moment of the report will be equal to the number of meters to the gun when multiplied by 333.

Example:
4 seconds (between gun flash and gun report) = 1,332 meters

A soldier armed with a Fusil d'Infanterie Modèle 1886 'Lebel' could easily fire 21 rounds in 1 minute 30 seconds and those armed with a Fusil de Infanterie Modèle 1907-1915 could easily fire 26 rounds in 1 minute 10 seconds.

 

I assume that the 21 rounds in 1 minute 30 seconds with a Lebel would have involved emptying the magazine, and loading single rounds thereafter. Taking the time to reload the magazine would seem to cut into the time available.

The rates of fire for both rifles are actually quite doable, about 4 seconds per round with the Lebel, 3 with the 07-15 Berthier. Even with a 3 round charger, not having to handle loose rounds gives the Berthier an edge. They may not have much capacity, but are exceptionally easy to load into the rifle.

 

It does not say in the manual how that rate of fire was accomplished, it just states this rate of fire could be achieved with these firearms.
I know personally that loading the magazine tube is not hard to do once you practice doing it on a regular basis, you learn the trick to loading it rapidly.
I load it by placing the rifle down by the cartridge pouch, pulling out the cartridges out of the pouch and in a swift motion load them into the tube as fast as you can ... sometimes I can get two cartridges in between my fingers and then load them in as rapidly as possible.

Patrick

 

I'm nowhere near as adept when it comes to filling the magazine. A combination of lack of practice and, some arthritis in the fingers!

I've always wondered if, given the lack of chargers, troops armed with the Lebel may have tended to use the cutoff moreso than the British or Americans, especially if under no particular pressure. Say, when on sentry duty in the trenches, with no attack in progress. My impression is that British troops tended to ignore it (it would be deleted from the III*), and U.S. troops only used it during "inspection arms" with the 1903 Springfield (the 1917 had no cutoff.) With charging the Lebel magazine somewhat more "labor intensive", were French troops perhaps more likely to adhere to the manual and hold the magazine in reserve until needed?

 

@1886Lebel/ Monsieur Patrick Hdz:

I sure hope you publish the translations! I'd get a copy!

Tongue-in-cheek, to quote Seattle rapper Sir Mix-a-lot: "Page one says 'open'--page two says 'fill'--page three says 'cock'--page four says 'kill.'"

I suspect that UK soldiers went into battle with ten cartridges in the magazine, but then topped-up or reloaded just five...Unless time permitted otherwise.

 

The original reason for the cutoff.
Rifles to be single loaded against infantry. The cutoff to be opened on case of a cavalry attack

 

Was magazine fire specific to cavalry attack only? My impression is that it would be used in the case of any situation where the officer called for it, including a heavy infantry attack.