During the Latvian War of Independence, the nationalist forces receiver a fair bit of support form the British, including some 20,000 P14 Enfield rifles. These were great for the Latvian infantry, but the Latvian cavalry wanted something shorter. So in the early 1920s, they ordered 2200-2350 (the numbers are unclear) carbines from BSA. These were assembled using old Lee Metford and Long Lee parts, 21 inch barrels, and modified with charger clip bridges per the British CLLE pattern.
These carbines remained in service until World War Two, as we know that replacement barrels were purchased from Tikkakoski in Finland in the late 1930s – and this example has one of those Tikka barrels installed. During the Soviet occupation of Latvia, the Latvian Army did not fight, and many of these carbines appear to have been put into reserve service with the Red Army (some appearing to have been retrofitted with Mosin-style sling slots). Others disappeared into the forest with anti-Soviet partisans, and very few survived after the war.
Many thanks to viewer Sam for loaning me this exceptionally rare rifle to film for you!
Video on the British CLLE Rifles:
“(…)you can tell that because the
rear sight goes out to 1,900 yards.
The ones that were for the older
ammunition only went to 1,800 yards.(…)”
Wait, does that mean that they used sights with British units? Was not that hindrance for users who were educated either with Imperial Russian system (with arshin equal 711mm, as opposed to yard equal to 914mm) or metric system (compulsory since 1920)?
OFF-TOPIC so ignore if you wish
Recently suppressed M2 machine gun was presented
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/shot-2025-kgm-suppressors-integrally-suppressed-m2-browning-44818597
I am not sure if suppressed heavy machine guns are much useful at 2025 battlefield, nonetheless I am wondering about expected life (number of shots) of said device, especially consider main mode of use of 12,7 mm machine guns is full-auto.
It’s all a tool in the toolkit… Sometimes, you want quiet. Other times, you don’t…
If you’re a nation like Holland, where your ranges are extremely close to civilians, then a suppressed .50 barrel system means you can still train with live ammo. In the US, the range constraints we work under are always tightening on most installations, because of civilian encroachment on the training areas and ranges. Time was, for example, at Fort Lewis? The ranges we used the .50 caliber guns at were right there conveniently located near the central impact area, and nobody cared. After decades of development, what was once rural is now developed, and the town of Dupont has grown up considerably, to the point where the .50 caliber range is right across I-5 from a bunch of civilian retail areas and housing. So… Most of the time, you want to fire .50 caliber weapons, it’s roughly a two hundred mile round trip to Yakima Firing Center. Which puts considerable restrictions on training opportunities that this barrel system would open up.
Tactically, I can think of some uses. I can also think of some situations wherein I would not want to reduce signature… It’s all part of the grand panoply of minor tactics and operational art.
Hell, I would love to have the ability to suppress a lot of the signature on artillery pieces, selectively. I’d also like to be able to dial it up such that it had more psychological impact, as appropriate.
You have to gauge these things: Sometimes, you want loud and terrifying. Other times, you want to as unnoticed as humanly possible.
Using pretty much any MG on an indoor range would be where a suppressor would be a necessity, IMHO. Just to prevent permanent hearing damage to all concerned.
Handguns and shotguns were bad enough even with hearing protection in my experience.
clear ether
eon
Another shout out to Sam for allowing Ian to show what im pretty sure i didnt know even existed.
As for the Russian Army having had no monoethnic units.
They had. Cossacks were recruited on a territorial basis.
Irregular, but kind of essential 🙂
They also have them today in the form of
(mostly dead) North Korean mercenaries.
Always with the negative waves Moriarty.
Korea wise, I remember at least half a decade ago (or even 7,8 years) having a conversation with one mildly irritating but educated computer nerd about north vs. south Korea, where I stipulated that north would not have a problem in conscription that young lads are addicts to computer games (and all other plethora of sissy modern vices), to which he replied: thats not bad, they could better manouver the drones.
I shrugged off the remark as a nerds impotent fantasy, but now looking these drone vids from Ukraine, guess I was soooo wrong. He actually predicted this warfare future now.
There’s an interesting contrast to be seen in personnel policies for the various empires we’ve had, over the millennia. As well, sometimes there’s been a bit of policy schizophrenia within the same empire.
The Brits are one of the more recent examples, and they generally practiced regional recruitment and training, with notable exceptions like the Paras. The Soviets did the exact opposite, continuing the Russian Imperial practice of mixed units, so that nobody would build up a loyalty/treason matrix.
I think there’s something there to be said for the contrast… Usually, if the empire ensures that everyone is well-mixed, they aren’t the nicest people around, and the empire is one that’s forced on everyone involved. The more benign imperial types have localized units with the troops coming from the same regions, at least.
I think there’s a certain amount to be learned about the nature of the empire under examination, with that whole thing. If you’re confident enough in the virtue of your imperial ambitions, then you recruit your Gurkhas, your Marathi, and your Highland Light Infantry formations. If you’re a despotic, negative sort of empire, and lack confidence…? Then, you worry about concentrating too many Latvians or Tuvans in specific units, for fear they’ll get together and turn on you.
Of course the Indian National Army, made up of Indian POW’s, that fought for Japan gave notice that the Empire,s “virtue” was open to some question.
More then a decade ago one of my pen pals said that in Russia lot of caucasoids they, normal citizens hate and detest (types with beards and low forehead and funny prick skin operation), are significantly climbing in numbers in state love apparatus.
You’ve heard of these kind of monkeys in their units in beginning of 2022. love spreading west campaing. But lately no news about ’em.
I don’t think we get good information out of Russia. Or, China.
And, let’s be honest: A lot of that boils down to the fact that all too much of the information we do get is totally alien to our expectations and understandings of how the world should work.
I’ve been watching all the video of actual Russian actions in Ukraine since day one. None of it conforms to any reality I have context for, outside of history books describing things I’ve always taken as a.) incredible, and b.) extremely questionable, so far as credibility might go.
You see the images of all those convoys heading to Kyiv, with zero tactical sense or actions taken at halts. You find all those Russian soldiers wandering around in enemy territory like they’re in the middle of a peacetime admin movement, and then you realize that they’re in combat inside a hostile nation, behaving with less tactical sense than a gaggle of domestic geese. You see the “tactical” movements to contact they keep making on the various fronts, and you marvel at the way they’re just lining up to be killed while moving across open terrain with zero support… I mean, when there’s a tank and a couple of personnel carriers doing a lone “Hey-diddle-diddle, straight down the middle” assault on some treeline, then getting chopped into pieces by drones and indirect? You’re left wondering at the sheer waste and stupidity of the people running things. I’m pretty sure I watched better attacks put in by our OPFOR at the NTC, after having pulled all the leadership out, and leaving it up to junior sergeants and privates to run it all. Certainly, our OPFOR was doing better and more professional Soviet-style attacks than the actual heirs to Soviet glory have been doing…
The whole thing is just… Nuts. Sane people in the position that the Russians have put themselves in would have already said “Yeah, no… You guys are getting replaced. Now.” to their leadership. Instead, they’re doubling-down and promoting the worthless parasites.
Which is clearly insane. What’s going on in Ukraine right now makes the Brusilov Offensive look positively professional and well-run.
There is Russian film footage of “workers militias” being issued P14s straight out of storage crates. P14s also show up in Spanish Civil War photos from where ..?
Sir:
Thanks for identifying a weapon I have owned for decades. Gut said buy it, so I bought it. I thought it was one of the odd things coming out of So Africa.
Mine is made on a non-cyphered BSA&co commercial receiver. It is marked CLLE on the back side w/o date. It has both the original barrel and front sight. It also has the number on the flat of the bolt (4th number on bolt) which does match the receiver / barrel number. Butt is Metford due to brass butt plate screws (all 3).
The gent I bought it from imports stuff from time to time. When he gets something that is not what he thinks it was he sells it, several of my collection came to me this way and are choice items in my collection.
I have been collecting since the early 80’s and have amassed a large collection mainly centering on the Commonwealth Lee Enfield. It has however ‘branched out’ should we say.
I enjoy your videos and look forward to more information in the future.
Thanks again
Ray