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     These are the existing versions in 1896 of British bolt-action firearms:

• Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle, Mark I

• This is the rifle found in the Space:  1889 rules. Eight round magazine. 

• Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle, Mark I*

• Adopted in 1892. Eight round magazine. Mostly converted from older Mark I rifles.

• Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle Mark II

• Introduced 1892. Ten round magazine.

• Lee-Metford Carbine Mark 1

• Introduced 1894. Six round magazine; cannot mount a bayonet. This is the carbine found anachronistically in the Space:  1889 rules.
  

• Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle Mark II*

• Introduced 1895. Ten round magazine.

• Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle Mark I

• Introduced 1895. Ten round magazine. First examples were converted from Lee-Metford Mark II* rifles.
  

• Lee-Enfield Carbine Mark I

• Adopted 1896. Seven round magazine; cannot mount a bayonet.

• Lee-Speed Rifle

• commercial variants of the Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle Mark I. Built to higher standards. Almost always with ten round magazines.

     Metford rifles are designed to use black powder propellant; Enfield rifles are designed for cordite. Cordite ammunition can safely be fired in Metford rifles, but will erode the barrels fairly quickly (in a few thousand rounds). More importantly for player-characters, cordite ammunition has a much higher muzzle velocity than black powder -- firing cordite ammunition in a Metford weapon, or black powder ammunition in an Enfield weapon, will result in the sights being incorrect at long range.

     Accuracy of weapons firing black powder ammunition will decrease after firing 20 rounds without cleaning. And of course cordite ammunition produces much less smoke when firing.

     Note that British cavalry and artillery units were armed with Martini carbines until 1894, when they gradually converted to Enfield system carbines. In the late 1890s, many Martini single-shot weapons were converted to .303" Metford or Enfield barrels, and issued to cadets, troops in training, colonial troops or the Indian Army.

Game Effects

     The "Bolt Action Rifle (LM)" and "Bolt Action Carbine (LM)" represent all the Lee-Metford bolt-action weapons (with the exception of magazine capacity; also the carbine's magazine capacity is actually six rounds).

     For Lee-Enfield firearms, use the following values: