By Jorge Slipak
Caliber: 303 (7.7X56mm R)
Caliber: 303 (7.7X56mm R)
Action: Gas
operated bolt
Overall
length: 1132 mm
Barrel
length: 640 mm
Weight: 5
to 5.50 Kg (Estimated)
Feeding: 20
rounds in detachable box magazine
The Howell (Self-loading
rifle)
The Howell
Automatic Rifle, was the british self loading rifle version of the SMLE, actually
they converted an amount (No figures available) of SMLE’s to automatic by
adding a gas piston located at the right side of the barrel, wich worked the
bolt after each shot.
(Similar
works can be seen with the Australian ‘Charlton’ –Infantry Rifle and Light
Machine Gun- and the South African Rieder )
In order to
allow the free movement of the bolt a pistol grip was added next to the trigger
and a face guard was placed in the butt. Finally is noticeable a hand protector
fixed to the pistolgrip, and the presence of a bipode in few models at museums, this conversion was cheap simple and reliable.
The home
guard was issued with the howell during the period 1939/1945 (Estimated)
There are
not to much oficial data but aficionado’s estimations.
We can
asume that the balistic performance was like the SMLE but -Again- there is no
data about the Howell’s sights.
The Howell
was oficially clasified as “Anti-Aircraft Rifle”.
Note: We
don’t know if it was intended as a LMG, (The barrel was the original of the
SMLE and it was not prepared for it) so again we should asume that even
clasified as “Anti-Aircraft Rifle” the Howell was an automatic infantry rifle.
SMLE Blueprints
SMLE Howell Automatic Rifle Blueprints (With Open Bolt)
=======================================================================
(Key words, SMLE, Lee Enfield British army, Semi Automatic, 303
british, Howell Rifle - Blueprints, Diagrams, Pictures, Photos. )
