Place of origin United Kingdom Wars None | In service late 1940s - present | |
Type Cadet training rifle (Target Shooting) Used by UK British Army as well as Cadets ACF CCF SCC ATC Manufacturer Royal Ordnance Factory Fazakerley & BSA Ltd, Shirley | ||
The Rifle, Number 8 (commonly referred to as the Number 8 Rifle) is a bolt-action .22 calibre version of the Lee–Enfield designed for British Army target shooting. They are simple hand-fed rifles and were originally designed to be used by military marksmen firing in civilian competitions, before being turned over to the cadet forces. Currently, the Number 8 is used by the British cadet services as a basic target rifle. Some examples are in civilian ownership worldwide, especially following the disposal by the New Zealand cadet forces of their Number 8 and Number 9 rifles at auction.
Contents
Sight types
Typically fired at a range of 25 yards, the rearsight can be adjusted to allow fire at 50 and 100 yards. A harmonisation setting is also provided for firing at specially designed targets. The No 8 can also be fitted with two types of sight. The more common leaf sight, allowing adjustment for elevation only, is simpler to use and more robust, but the standard of accuracy that can be achieved with this sight is lower than can be achieved with the Parker Hale PH5D sight, which allows for windage adjustment as well as elevation, in 1/4 minute-of-angle clicks. It is also more delicate than the leaf-sight and not generally found in cadet service. The Parker-Hale 8/53 sight adaptor unit can also be fitted to the leaf rearsight, providing windage adjustment without the removal of the issued sighting system. It screws on through the sight aperture and therefore introduces a large elevation difference, rendering the range markings on the sight useless.
Replacement
In 2014 the replacement contract for the rifle was put out to tender. In 2016 it was announced that a modified version of the Savage Arms FVT had been chosen for this role.