“Britain’s L42A1 was the last and best of the Enfield sniper rifles,” the overview for Britain’s L42A1: King of the Enfield Sniper Rifles begins. “The L42A1 served from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s before being retired, but because of its reliability in dirty, dusty conditions, it was brought out of retirement several times and served alongside more modern rifles all the way into Afghanistan in the early 2000s before being finally retired again.”
The book is the latest in a series of superbly illustrated monographs on historical arms created by Jeff John, writer, photographer, researcher, and the mind behind Art in Arms Press, a website showcasing his books and photography. Bookmark it and set aside some time to spend there.
Before proceeding, disclosure is in order. Jeff was my editor for many years, first at Guns and Ammo, then at Handguns, and for about 15 years at Guns. While I’ll own up to loyalty and friendship being motivators for respecting him, his work elicits my admiration on its own merits.
Because of that, I’ve let AmmoLand readers know about his other authoritative books in articles including:
- Book Explores How War for Independence Revolutionized Firearms Technology
- ‘Weapon of War’ a Subject of Historic Interest and Contemporary Relevance
- ‘FG42’ Profiles Revolutionary, Near-Forgotten Classic in Words and Pictures.
I’d also introduced my WarOnGuns blog readers to John’s Colours of the Queen’s Rangers, an exclusive in words and pictures about the “the oldest known military colours in North America” and the unit that “never lost a battle during the American Revolution until the surrender at Yorktown.”
L42A1 continues along the lines of John’s previous works, uniting history, technology, design, and performance with art – which is, above everything else, what his photographs are.
“These legendarily reliable and accurate rifles were built on arguably the best of all the WW II sniper rifles fielded in the No. 4 Mk I (T) .303 and converted to 7.62x51mm NATO by the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield,” John’s synopsis continues. It continues with how the “L42A1 is intertwined with target shooting and the British Army’s switch to a self-loading rifle,” and includes “information on the difficulties encountered in the Falklands War” that are further “illustrated by period photos from the Imperial War Museum in the UK.”
“Very pretty, very pretty Colonel, but can they fight?” the character Pinkley asks in a hunorous scene from The Dirty Dozen. That’s the first thought that came to mind when reading the title to Chapter 7, “First Shots: These rifles shoot!”
“When I finally pulled the trigger on this one… I shot the best 3-shot group I’ve ever fired with a factory rifle and factory ammunition,” John recalled.
Ten chapters, four appendices, and a resource page for further reading and source credits provide a comprehensive, detailed, and authoritative reference encompassing the technical and the human-interest angles. We learn how at WWII’s end, sniping, deemed passe by some in the Cold War (but kept alive by the Royal Marines), became a priority again. We explore the tie-ins with the L39A1 target rifle and the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle. And we tag along through some action: While acknowledging service in other conflicts, the particular rifle John assessed “was last issued to the Gurkhas and sent with them to the Falkland Islands war.”
Whether you appreciate firearms for reasons of technical interest, design, performance, or historical knowledge, or all of the above, L42A1: King of the Enfield Sniper Rifles hits all targets with engaging and informative narration to guide us through the journey with plenty of interesting side trips along the way. You can get a copy of itfor your library, and all of John’s books) at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and IndieBound.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
