NZART ID No: 354, Arm Type: Rifle, Date of Draft (V1) 4/7/2012, Compiled by Phil Cregeen
Pattern: Enfield P 14 Mk I & I* (No 3 Mk I & Mk I*) Introduced into NZ Service: 1916, Withdrawn: Post WWII
Makers: UK: RSAF Enfield; Vickers Ltd; USA: Winchester Repeating Arms Co, New Haven; Remington Arms/Union Metallic Cartridge Co, Ilion NY; and Remington Arms Co, Eddystone, Pennsylvania.
Details of Arm:
Calibre: .303 British, Rifling: 5 grooves 1:10 in LH Twist, Barrel Length: 26.0 in., OA Length: 46.25 in. (1175 mm),
Action: Bolt with 5 round fixed box magazine. Weight: 9 Lb 6 oz (4.25 Kg),
Sights: blade foresight with protector, fixed aperture and tangent back sight with aperture in slide 200-1650 yds. , long range aperture and dial 1500-2600 yds.
Bayonet: (NZART # 61) Pattern 1913 Mk I LOA 21.9 in. Blade 17.0 in, MRD 15.5 mm, Scabbard 17.9 in.
Markings: Makers Initial on receiver ring and on RHS butt, serial No on receiver ring, NZ Issue marks.
.JPG)
Pat. 14 Mk I (e) made by ERA with “Fat boy” stock
Pat. 14 Mk I (w) made by Winchester
Originally developed at RSAF Enfield as the Pattern 1913 in a new .276 in calibre to replace the SMLE Mk III, a total of 1,251 rifles were manufactured in 1912/13 for troop trials. This new rifle incorporated a Mauser style bolt action, a heavier barrel, an aperture sight with a longer radius and a one piece stock, the .276 cartridge provided a higher muzzle velocity and a flatter trajectory.
Britain’s declaration of war on Germany in 1914 made it impractical to introduce a new cartridge and so it was planned to produce the new rifle in .303 calibre. Vickers Ltd were given an initial contract to manufacture 100,000 rifles and bayonets, however they were unable to meet this order due to other war work and only completed a few samples of the P 14. Instead Britain turned to the USA to manufacture the P 14 as all British rifle factories were engaged in manufacturing SMLEs.
Contracts were placed in April 1915 and manufacture commenced at: Winchester Repeating Arms Co, New Haven, Connecticut; Remington Arms/Union Metallic Cartridge Co, Ilion, NY; and Remington Arms, Eddystone, Pennsylvania. The first rifles were delivered to England in May 1916. The various manufacturers may be identified by the makers initial on the receiver ring and components as follows: Winchester =W, Eddystone= ERA, Remington =RE, butts are stamped IW, IE, IR in a circle. The .303 Pattern 14 Mk I Rifle was approved in LOC 17798 dated 21 June 1916. It should be noted that parts are not readily interchangeable between the different manufacturers. Production figures for 1916 to 1917 are as follows: Winchester-235,448, Eddystone-604,941, Remington-403,126. In 1917 the factories switched to making this rifle in 30-06 for the US Army as the Model 1917 following the US entry into the war.
A number of small changes were introduced in the first year of production the most significant being a lengthening of the bolt front locking lug which resulted in an advance to Mk I* approved in LOC 18151 dated 21 December 1916. Bolts, barrels and receivers are marked with a *. After the long range aperture sight was declared obsolete, they were removed from most rifles when being prepared for service in WWII.
The P 14 was not considered a front line rifle and was generally issued to rear echelon troops and used for training, however it did prove to be an accurate rifle and many were adapted for a sniper role. Winchester rifles were modified to include a fine adjustment screw to the rear sight and these rifles were designate Pattern 1914 Mk I (F) or Mk I*(F). Later a total of 2,001 Winchester Mk I* (F) were set up with telescopic sights and detachable mount by the Periscope Prism Co of London, these sniper rifles were designated Pattern 1914 Mk I* W (T) (LOC 21674 dated 11 April 1918), however they were introduced too late for the 1914-18 war.
In 1926 in line with other rifles the P 14 was re-designate Rifle No3 Mk I*. Between the wars the P14 languished in stores and many were exported to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India and other parts of the Empire. On the outbreak of WW II the P14 rifles were refurbished in UK factories and Mk Is upgraded to MK I*, this also included removing the long range dial and aperture sights, to what was termed the Weedon Repair Standard. They were then issued to reserve and Home Guard units. Some were also fitted with telescopic sights and used as sniper rifles.
New Zealand service
When New Zealand ran short of rifles in WW I troops were sent to Europe unarmed and it is therefore probable that New Zealanders used the P 14 in training once they arrived in Britain and also as snipers on the Western Front.
From observed marking it would appear that New Zealand imported an unknown quantity of P 14s in March 1917, they are listed in New Zealand Army General Orders No 344 of December 1922 which detailed marking of arms for sale, and also in AGO 84/26 of March 1926, which listed their stores value at 4 pounds 4 shillings
.
In the early stages of WW II New Zealand Engineers were armed with P 14 rifles while training in New Zealand, but these were replaced by Lithgow SMLEs before going overseas in 1943. They were also issued to RNZAF and Home Guard in New Zealand.
New Zealand P 14s were sold as surplus in the 1950s and 60s.
Marking
Note: the NZ marking on the butt disk of the ERA rifle corresponds to that used prior to 1918 and it still retains its long range sights, while that on the Winchester rifle corresponds to WW II marking and this rifle has had the long range sight removed, suggesting WW II import to NZ.
NZ Marked P 14 Rifles observed to date:
NZ Marked
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Arm
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NZ Marked
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Maker
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Dated
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Serial No
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Other marks
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Pat 14
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N^Z 14518
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Winchester
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Pat 14
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N^Z 14681
|
ERA
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Pat 14 Mk I
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N^Z 3/17 /256
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ERA
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ERA 110707
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3 HG 121
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Pat 14 Mk I
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N^Z 3/17/773
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ERA
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ERA 171380
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3 HG 101
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Pat 14 Mk I
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N^Z 14936
|
Winchester
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W 26763
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WIG 159
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Pat 14 Mk I* (T)
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N^Z 3/17 /1957
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Winchester
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Pat 14 Mk I* (T)
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N^Z
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Winchester
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W226421
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Acknowledgements: John Osborne, Noel Taylor, Rod Woods, Phil Cregeen
Photographs: Phil Cregeen & John Osborne
Reference: 1. SAIS #10 .303 Pattern 1914 Rifle & Sniper variants by I Skennerton
2. The Pattern 1914 & US Model 1917 rifles by C R Stratton
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