The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mark III in real life.
The Short Magazine Lee–Enfield Mk III, or simply the SMLE Mk. III, is a British bolt-action rifle. The Mark III was an evolution of the Magazine Lee-Enfield, as the name suggests it was shortened by about 5in or 13cm, and was introduced in 1907. Complexity of manufacture meant that a simplified variant, the SMLE Mk. III*, was introduced in 1915. Firing .303 British from a 10-round internal magazine, it had double the capacity of most other nations' rifles. British infantry wielding the rifle were also known for the "mad minute", an exercise during which they could reach upwards of thirty rounds per minute.
The weapon was very widespread within the Commonwealth nations, being used by Canada, the Raj, and ANZAC as well as Britain itself; many variants were developed, including the No.4 Mk I that appears in Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield V.
Battlefield 1
- This item has a Codex entry: SMLE MKIII
- This item has a Codex entry: Elite SMLE MKIII
— In-game description
The SMLE MKIII is a weapon featured in Battlefield 1 for the Scout kit. Compared to the other sniper rifles, the SMLE has the advantage of having the largest magazine size. Its sweet spot area is in the middle of the pack, at 40-75 meters.
Singleplayer
The SMLE appears as the main bolt action rifle used by British infantry, used without attachments.
The Marksman variant can be picked up from weapon crates in Through Mud and Blood and The Runner.
An Italian sniper can be seen holding the SMLE MKIII Marksman in the opening cutscene in "Avanti Savoia!". In actual gameplay, it is rarely, if ever, seen being used by friendly snipers.
In Nothing is Written, if a level is started without previously playing the level before, an Infantry variant (for the second level) and an Carbine variant (for the third) are used as starter weapons. The SMLE MKIII Carbine variant is also the default weapon in The Runner.
Multiplayer
Four variants of the SMLE MKIII are featured in the game: Infantry, Marksman, Carbine and Lawrence of Arabia.
Infantry
— In-game description
The SMLE MKIII Infantry is the base variant of the weapon. As with other base variants, it regains accuracy over distance due to it lack of attachments. The SMLE MKIII Infantry is used to unlock the Mosin-Nagant M91 Infantry, requiring three headshots in a single round with the SMLE MKIII Infantry as one of its assignments.
Lawrence of Arabia's SMLE is a variant of the weapon exclusive to owners of the Lawrence of Arabia pack. It functions identically to the Infantry variant of the weapon, and features a unique design based on the rifle used by T.E. Lawrence himself.
Marksman
— In-game description
The SMLE MKIII Marksman is equipped with a medium-power scope, a Palm Rest and a Bayonet. It is the default sniper rifle for the Scout class.
Carbine
— In-game description
The SMLE MKIII Carbine has a shorter overall length compared to other versions of the weapon, in addition to a cheekpiece on the stock. It is equipped with a magnified aperture sight, suitable for medium range engagements, as well as a bayonet. It has marginally increased hip-fire accuracy over its longer-range versions. The SMLE MKIII Carbine is used to unlock the Vetterli-Vitali M1870/87 Carbine, requiring 50 kills with the SMLE MKIII Carbine as one of its assignments.
Weapon Skins
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Gallery
Battlefield V
- Main article: Rifle Grenade#Battlefield V
While it has been replaced by the Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk I for most part, the SMLE MKIII still appears in Battlefield V as part of the Grenade Rifle, a gadget used only for firing rifle grenades.
Additionally, unusable SMLE MKIIIs can be seen in the Practice Range.
Trivia
- The "Lawrence of Arabia" variant of the SMLE is based on the actual rifle given to T.E. Lawrence by the Emir Faisal I of Iraq. It was originally a gift given to the Emir by Turkey.[1]
- The cocking piece of the gun originally did not move when firing, and a later patch added the animation in.[2][3]
- During several cutscenes in The Runner, some Ottoman soldiers can be seen using this weapon (such as the Turkish infantryman who critically wounds Frederick Bishop). During WWI, several Ottoman soldiers used captured SMLE rifles, due to their reliability and accuracy.