The Mk I* Magazine Lee-Enfield and the 1895 Boer Mauser: Firepower Compared

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[@coenvanwyk1]

Additionally, my grandfather told of his brothers' account of Magersfontein. They told how the men with Martini Henry's were placed on the crest of the hill, and the smoke from their black powder cartridges made the 'English' believe that all the Boer forces were there. However, the men with Mausers were told to dig in at the base, so their shots would not plunge into the ground, but would carry through British ranks. They told of their reluctance to fire on 'people wearing dresses' and how the commander of a British unit came so close that, when they opened fire, they could hear him shout: "By God, there they are!" before he was shot down.

[@richardbruce8111]

Oh Coen such a sad tale of bravery so wasted my grandfathers friends went from NZ so many such needless suffering .Today here in NZ many Boer descendants are arriving such a big lift to us but so many do not haven clue of the past (the Kiwi not the newcomers!) Some stalk deer on my place ..so welcome do check "Breaker Morant" video sure its acted but is a good recreation of those times.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Stands to reason that deception was part of the Boer plan...

[@scottyfox6376]

Can you imagine how the modern leftist youth online would deal emotionally to harsh words & actual harmful injuries ? Lol. Hurt feelings would merit "Purple Hearts" im sure.😆

[@johngolding7043]

What a great video!!! Thank you so much. My grandfather fought in the Boer War as a volunteer in the Imperial Yeomanry. I have one of his three medals. He was a sharpshooter according to what my grandmother told me. He was shot through his hat by an opponent Boer. Lucky miss for me! He was horrified to be ordered to burn Boer houses. He became very antiwar when WW1 started, after being told to give up his rifles and pistols for the war effort. He threw all the rifles he had into a lake, but burried his target pistols in a lead box with oil. He was a metallurgist by trade. I would like to share a photo of him with his rifle but do not know how to do it here.

[@stevenjustice2543]

Re tee r44 ruff

[@Boerseun]

As BOER myself, I'm very proud how my forefathers were able to stand their ground against the British army. In terms of numbers and military equipment, we were definitely overpowered. Yet, we gave them battles they never expected.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

A very interesting field of study if one can cut through the considerable dogma and legend on both sides...

[@ronalddunne3413]

Right on, Afrikaaners rule, Drool Britannia!! 🤤 The Empire had to invent the concentration camp and take other actions pre-saging the scorched earth policies of the nazi regime in ww2.

[@anthonybaiocchi3028]

​@@britishmuzzleloadersyou know much about the Dahya or Dahiya doctrine?

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

@@anthonybaiocchi3028 enough, but that is a subject for another Channel.

[@anthonybaiocchi3028]

@@britishmuzzleloaders A throw off of Lord Kitchener's scorched earth policy?? The Boers where subjected to pretty much what the Palestinians are going through now. The British had to resort to a scorched earth policy, and drive all the non combatants into internment camps. Where 300 000 died of dysentery, and other curable diseases. 90% being children. Sound familiar?

[@marcgardiner6278]

Also the Boers(and perhaps later on, the British) tended to pile up their ammo next to them when firing from fixed positions during the conventional phase of the war, negating having to fiddle about for ammo in your bandolier. To quote Winston Churchill in his book "London to Ladysmith via Pretoria" after he climbed up Inniskilling/Hart's Hill after the battle to inspect the Boer positions, Pg 456, "The trench was dug deep in the ground, and, unlike our trenches, there was scarcely any parapet. A few great stones had been laid in front, but evidently the Boer believed in getting well into the ground. The bottom was knee deep in cartridge cases, and every few yards there was an enormous heap of Mauser ammunition, thousands of rounds, all fastened neatly, five at a time, in clips. "

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Prepositioned ammunition is a common and well practiced technique for defensive fighting all round the world, for sure.

[@DNchap1417]

Now I know why the Brits decided to introduce charger loading.

[@benrobertson7855]

Great stuff,never too long! My ancestor was in the first exp force from nz. To S.A . Lied about his age... went to Egypt in ww1 mounted rifles,had to eat his horse,in the first 4 to land in Gallipoli and one of the last 5 to leave, then off to France.. Remember him as having been gassed and shell shocked, he said eating his horse was the worst thing he ever did , when he drank his tea it was with a straw and most of it rattled into the sorcer..he got to keep the Armstrong Sidney car he drove as protection for the royal visit and I always smile at the memory of him driving flat out straight through town with me, with both gold plated intercators out and the horn never stopped apart from changing gears, straight through every intersection... And every one stopped and waved, many even got out and bowed ,no shit..uncle Pete was kindly regarded.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing.

[@adrianh332]

My grandfather was in Egypt and Palestine during WWI with the Staffordshire yeomanry he never had to eat his horse but he did have to shoot it once the war ended, it simply wasn't economical to transport it home.

[@grantfitz2047]

Excellent, I have missed your excellent productions sir. Hope all is well in Canada.

[@TheWayOfTheWind]

With regards to gun laws, not really as of late.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I get to them when as I can.... cheers!

[@grantfitz2047]

@@britishmuzzleloaders well keep up the great work!

[@aaronwilkinson8963]

Trudeau will be coming for his rifles

[@TheWayOfTheWind]

@@aaronwilkinson8963 Put a restraining order on trudeau and see how he likes it being banned from guns for life without an appeals process.

[@Treblaine]

At a similar time another Anglophone nation had a confrontation with "the dreaded mauser" in the Spanish American war, which seemed to do a lot to cement the Mauser's legendary status. But perhaps what's important about these accounts is not the stripper clip loading but that these armies had just spent so much time fighting enemies who they completely outmatched in firepower and the significance of the Mauser is that it was anywhere close to parity let alone superior. This was firepower the British and US forces were used to dishing out... not being on the receiving end. I may be wrong but this was their first time coming under fire from any sort of magazine fed smokeless powder rifle. The smokeless powder alone allowed much more rapid fire from massed troops as there's no muzzle smoke blinding them.

[@jic1]

I don't think that's true for the US Army: at the time of the Spanish-American war, they were transitioning to the Krag after decades of Trapdoors, and a considerable proportion of their troops were still using the latter. Historically speaking, the idea that they were used to having a huge individual firepower advantage over their enemies doesn't really hold water. Even the tribes and bandits they spent most of the late 19th century fighting often had repeating rifles.

[@Treblaine]

@@jic1 It wasn't so much what firearms the US/UK infantry had but what their opponents DIDN'T have. There wasn't much of a distinction in what they had as the British had ALSO just transitioned from a single shot black powder rifle at about the same time and most of their combat experience had been against who barely had any firearms at all. Sure, there had been defeats like Isandlwana and Little Big Horn, but generally the combat experience was pouring on fire to massive numbers of charging infantry. PS: The Martini-Henry is better than the Trapdoor but it's still a low velocity single loading rifle with black powder smoke obscuring view after each shot. The lever action was great but as Paul Harrell put it "is it enough of a difference to make a difference? You be the judge".

[@jic1]

@@Treblaine As I said, my comment was limited to the US Army, and as I also said The US Army had already faced opponents who hade more firepower at the individual level. Yes, the army usually had greater firepower overall because they usually outnumbered their opponents, but I think my point still stands.

[@Treblaine]

​@@jic1 Both the Spanish American War for the US and the Second Boer War for the UK was the first time they'd encountered any magazine smokeless rifles, with or without clip reloading. That's the common theme, their alarm at how fire could be coming from so far away that they couldn't see the enemy and couldn't rely on the smoke of black powder and the sheer volume of fire that was landing anywhere close. Those are far more qualities of how it's smokeless rifles and there's lot of them. Prior accounts of war was all about just pouring on fire against far worse armed opponents.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Musketry issues were identified coming out of the Pathan Revolt in 1897 on the NW Frontier... Long story, but no meaningful change occurred in the doctrine as a result. It takes time for a huge global organization to affect that kind of change... Much like in SA, changes were made locally as solutions to tactical problems were sought and applied.

[@paulwooster3590]

Another riveting rendition of a snapshot in time, well researched and with great practical insights as well ,as always. Great presentation.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@sirfox950]

He is even whistling historically accurate tunes in the intro! You sir, are the best.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Good spot!

[@yorkshirejoinery2869]

Lovely job Rob, very surprising findings! Just goes to show modern ideas bleeding into the past can distort our views quite completely! Well done!

[@mcsmash4905]

i wish more people would realise how different the times were back then

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Quite right!

[@ryanthomas1485]

It's always a good day when britishmuzzleloaders uploads. And when you're early to it. Keep up the great work!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@geetskeet5411]

"With God and the Mauser" Neat Reference, britishmuzzleloaders

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@eagle_and_the_dragon]

I do so love the continued effort you put into your edutainment. The apparel is always fantastic, and I've never seen so much of Canada's bountiful landscape.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@coenvanwyk1]

Fascinating article. My grandfather, who was a boy of ten during the war, always referred to the "lemetfords" and told us many times how, as a boy out to collect sheep, was chased by an English cavalry group, and how the bullets came hissing by is ears, until his horse stumbled and threw him. He remained on the ground and the cavalry thundered by to the homestead where they captured his father and older briohers, telling them that they had seen a man on horseback, and had killed him, not realising that it was a boy.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

What a story.

[@OEFvet0311]

How like the Brits (of the time) to open fire on unarmed children.

[@gunslinger1911a1]

I'd love to see you handle the "Musketry" of the the American Springfield M1898 Krag Rifle. It also, in a similar time frame, faced off against the Mauser rifle and was similarly not designed for the true use of a bolt action in the burgeoning modern era.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Americanmuzzleloaders will cover that, I'm sure... 😀

[@janhenning9664]

Thank you. Very well done. My grandfather had to hand in his Mauser beginning of second world war. Then he got issued a Lee Enfield no4 mk2 with a peep sight. He used this for competitive shooting. (I hope I have this right) He also had one of the older 303 models that you demonstrated in this clip. He called it "die lang kakie"

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers! Thanks for sharing.

[@richardkuhn9130]

Thank You. Being South African with family that had served against each other in that war. This video is interesting. Our house is an old Cape Dutch style house with what was a 'block house' Brit fort built on to the back in 1899 and attacked by Jan Smuts Kommando in 1900. December 2020 The 'cottage' (Fort part) had a devastating fire. Two sections of wall were demolished and rebuilt. The 2 foot thick brick and mortar walls delivered what are most likely Mauser bullets . The builders had a difficult time replicating the walls. If you re visit this topic please mention the concentration camps. Thank You.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very intriguing! Thank you for sharing!

[@chrishewitt4220]

Great to see Rob! I haven't seen a vid in a while! Wonderful setup at the beginning. Love your sense of humour. My mother's maternal Grandfather was a 2nd Boer War and WWI veteran of the Gordons. He had both the Queen's and King's Africa medal.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@elanman608]

A thought full well presented piece, thanks for all the effort this must have taken to produce. What always seems to me to be forgotten when discussing British tactics is that initially the British force was outnumbered by at least 3 to 2 if not 2 to 1 and fighting on the Boer's ground who were well aware of British garrisons and lines of advance into the Boer heartlands.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

All kinds of aspects that come into play, for sure.

[@janrobertbos]

...are you serious?...500000 brits against 50000 boers?...

[@elanman608]

@@janrobertbos You are right it ultimately took a force of over half a million to defeat a Boer force of 50thousand at it's maximum. However when General Buller initially advanced to relive the sieges he had a total force of 13000 which he divided into 3 columns of around 3 to 4000 each to relieve Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberly which were being Besieged by a total Boer force of between 30 and 40 thousand men in the field. All things being equal each column would face around 10 thousand opposing forces. It would not be until much later in the war that Britain commanded a 10 to one advantage. The early phases of the war we characterised by the Boer generals ability to bring overwhelming firepower to bear on smaller British units by utilising knowledge of the land and superior field craft, The British thoroughly underestimated the Boers and paid a high price until they could inevitably bring superior numbers to bear.

[@BobyourUncle]

Fantastic content as always! I actually have a photo of my grandfather hunting kudu with a Mauser sporter that looks identical to the bottom rifle near the beginning of the video. This was a really interesting deep dive. Thanks and greetings from Johannesburg :)

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice!

[@Nick-bp7jf]

Hi, I am a first time viewer of your videos. The time and effort you spent on this video shows through. Absolute quality. You have a new subscriber. After the Boer War, the Brits - i am one - promoted civilian shooting clubs. This was to ensure a pool of already experienced marksman to call upon in the event of war. Indeed, it was only as late as the 1980s that charitable status was removed from gun clubs. They were given charitable status as gun clubs were deemed necessary for 'defence of the realm' .

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you are enjoying the channel! Cheers!

[@asphaltmemories4597]

Another excellent dissertation from such a storied conflict. It really is amazing how close these rifles actually were to one another.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

To a degree,....

[@Lomi311]

When you can’t speak to the people who were there, it’s easy to forget that how they fought mattered more than with what they fought.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Yes.

[@zackbarrow1927]

One only sees monuments and gravesites of women and children and family property confiscated and lost forever. In my case every one dead on the homestead except my 11 year old grandfather and 3 employees. Family of 11 and a workforce of 25. All dead on the battlefield and what followed when it became a dirty war. In the end only 4 people survived. So we will never forget.

[@timcomerford4675]

Great comparison, love your work, thanks for your time and effort.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@anselmdanker9519]

Outstanding and in depth analysis. Thank you for this.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

Brilliant!!! Excellent presentation as always bud, cheers!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@aidenbaker8376]

I cannot fathom the amount of time and quality of this content very well done

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

It took a while, not gonna lie.

[@loonboy4905]

Absolutely delightful video, excellent work.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!

[@cgerlach1883]

A perfect start to a long weekend , thank you again sir .

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@berettasp]

Brilliant video Rob loved every min of it. The effort you put into your videos is amazing.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you kindly.

[@billymillz1367]

Another excellent video by the Dapper one. Great job Rob! Building great historical context for many generations to follow

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@albion1962]

Fascinating video, answered many questions, thanks for posting.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@misiekmisuek4421]

I hope than you're well. Great to see you back. Awesome content like always

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@pczTV]

Absolutely brilliant! So many “urban myths” busted. To be honest, I had assumed the mausers shot spitzers… what a shock to learn that both rifles shot round nose. And the sight offset on the British rifles! I did not know that. This is what is so awesome about your channel! A few comments: ultimately, I still give the marksman advantage to the Boers. If you have live off what you shoot… and need it for protection against the indigenous folks … and have to pay for the rounds yourself … I’m sorry, but I believe you will be a better marksman than the average tommy. Also, the fact that the British ultimately triumphed is more a function of the first application of concentration camps and the direct attack on non-combatants (the families of the boer commando). Not a good look for England. Finally, weight of numbers when casualties (both friendly and civilian) aren’t an issue can ultimately play a large part in any victory. I am so jealous, by the way. Your Mauser is such a great artifact! Amazing! Thank you so much for the analysis! You have truly changed the existing narrative about the conflict!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@PoorMan972]

Excellent video! My only quibble, based upon my readings into the British Army from Boer War II to World War I, is that there was no effective rifle training until the post-Boer war Committee got going. The Brits had unrealistic drills with minimal ammo allotted with results being what you would expect. along with their antiquated volley fire tactics and such. Everyone acknowledges that at the beginning of the Great War the British infantry were the best shots in Europe if not the world, drawing upon an identical pool of recruits.

[@turbogerbil2935]

Not really so. Accurate rifle shooting was a core of British military training since 1852. The effective use over longer ranges of earlier generation of black powder rifles - P53 and MH - was critically dependent upon the soldiers ability to estimate range and set the sights accordingly, due to the extreme ballistic curve of the bullet and the resulting sharp reduction in hit zones with range. The small arms school was set up in Hythe in 1852, and the outcome of their "train the trainers" programme was evident in the Army's shooting performance in the Crimean War, where rifle fire was used effectively out to 900 or so yards. By sharp contrast, the two sides in the US civil war, using the same rifles and ammunition, but without the relevant musketry training, were confined to effective rifle fire engagements of less than 200 yards.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Not at all... The Boer War sparked changes, for sure, but as mentioned in the video, Musktery was an important subject of training.

[@jacksonthompson7099]

@@turbogerbil2935 oh heck no I would not wanna be only 200 yards from my enemy in the Civil War that be a very big nope from me. That's practically a death sentence without superiority in fire power of rifled muzzleloaders and artillary.

[@richardarcher7177]

@@britishmuzzleloaders I do remember reading that in both boer wars battalions transferred from India tended to perform much better in firefights with the Boers in both wars - probably because during their stints on the Northwest Frontier they came up against opponents whose marksmanship rivalled that of the Boers and which the standards of army training with emphasis on volley firing were inadequate - not everyone went to Hythe. I've alro read that when the Boers first engaged Australian, Canadian and New Zealanders as well as British South Africans they found that Colonial/Dominion marksmanship was on a whole different level to troops straight out from Britain (ditto their horsemanship) and required a marked increase in respect.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

@@richardarcher7177 While Colonial/Dominon troops came with their own set of tropes and legends, the India piece seems to be valid. If the 1897 Revolt was bigger and involved more of the Army (say, as the Mutiny did) there might have been more sweeping changes as a result... Vis a vis the Boer War where the "whole Army" was involved. This created the conditions to shift the centre of doctrinal gravity which resulted in huge reform and a definite culture change after the War.

[@padi5star]

Congratulations!!! A very informative, well presented and enjoyable. Thanks for your good work.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@michaelamos4651]

Outstanding video as usual. So much hard work must be involved in these productions. Thankyou

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very kind.

[@geddycurrent1174]

Very impressive, I am glad I kept watching. I have learnt a lot about the origins and thought behind the later SMLE.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@ogilkes1]

Its difficult to improve on the exceptional work already done but this one has! What a great analysis.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you kindly!

[@nickgood8166]

Clip load tip. After pushing cartridges down with thumb into the magazine, do not pick empty clip out with fingers. Rather, keep thumb against the top cartridge, slide thumb to rear contacting clip with side of thumb, and just flick up sharply, ejecting the empty clip from the charger guide using friction. This is a fair bit faster and more elegant. I learnt this in the UK cadets in the early 70s on 303 No4 rifles. Oh and bonus pronunciation tip. I've lived in South Africa since 1992, 'veldt' is pronounced 'felt'. Vs are pronounced with an F sound. Extra bonus, Ws are pronounced with a V sound!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Sure thing!

[@nickgood8166]

@@britishmuzzleloaders Another advantage with this side of thumb friction empty clip ejection technique, is that you don't have to look at the action and clip during this bit. You can keep your eyes down range.

[@RabbitusMaximus]

Thanks Rob - another excellent video for us historical shooters ❤️

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@1.forestrunner]

Amazing work by Rob! I was glued to the screen. The Boer Wars are a very interesting topic, Rob did an outstanding job picturing the military part of the conflicts and not the political side of it.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

THanks!

[@tarektechmarine8209]

There's a political side?

[@richardbruce8111]

VERY good work I have used both these rifles & this is spot on!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@johnfisk811]

First class coverage of the potentials of the rifles of my grandfather’s service in South Africa. I have read some comments by pre South African War civilian hunters working in South Africa, that the average Boer was not remarkably accurate at longer ranges. The early difference was more in the tactics employed by both sides than their weapons and the lessons learned by the British improved their tactics at all levels. It was the war which made the section equivalent level the minimum unit and handled through junior NCOs to the plan of the officers at company and battalion level. The mention of the Yeomanry should be taken (as you indeed intend) as mounted infantry and not cavalry. I heartily agree with your conclusion that there was little difference in the effectiveness of either side’s small arms.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Great post, John. Agreed.

[@charlesjhemphilliii4792]

You never fail to deliver and educational as well as a entertaining video. BRAVO 👏 SIR!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@andybelcher1767]

Hi Rob, another superb deep dive into popular misconceptions and thoughtful insights into why and how history played out the way that it did, along with the consequences of those findings. This may have been a snapshot in time but your analyses also document the future world view in how mindset, strategy and tactics evolved from that of previous experience. It is well said that armies always start out fighting the last war but end up fighting the next.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Indeed! Cheers!

[@joemorganeatmyshortschannel]

Awesome show and I love the beginning 😂

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@stefanfrank4043]

Like this authentic videos of yours! Great comparison this time! Thanks & greetings👍

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@dcspooky6903]

Keep discovering your amazing videos! They just keep coming.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@johnmarston9999]

Thats a good boer outfit. Nice touch with the Akubra as well from that past video. it looks good on you I' hope I see more of that hat in the future.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

THat's the plan, though in a different guise...

[@johnmarston9999]

@@britishmuzzleloaders Thats amazing. I own a slouch personally It was passed down didnt have the Puggaree. And its Korean war era they just dont make the puggarees like that anymore so I've been trying to figure out how they made it so I can try replicating one at home. But I'll be glad to see the next video which has that lovey KFF In it.

[@maverickpaladin4155]

I think you're looking at a combination in difference of familiarity and only 15 rounds. You likely have far more time on the Lee Enfield than the overwhelming majority of the empire's soldiers of that time, especially given that most had only seen the advent of the Lee Enfield rifle some 8 or so years prior. The standard Boer was likely far more familiar with his Mauser than was the Brit with his Lee Enfield. Also, that Mauser at the time of the Boer Wars would've almost certainly been in far better overall condition. The same issue is often overlooked by those who delight in denigrating milsurp rifles like the Mosin, Austrian straight pull, Carcano, and others when using them today, roughly a century after their original manufacture date.

[@ClayinSWVA]

I think that might be in play. He probably has fired more rounds thru an Enfield than most of the Color Sergeants of the day. Plus, the Brits had a larger supply train to guard as well so it may have not been always front line troops defending the baggage trains.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

What are you basing your assumptions on British soldiers on? As for the Mauser, it's in very good shape.

[@maverickpaladin4155]

@@britishmuzzleloaders were the soldiers of the era and in that region volunteer or conscript? Professional or pedestrian? Foreign or domestic? How proficient were these colonial troops with their rifles? Were they as intimately familiar with their tools, kit, etc, as were the Boers? The Boers were defending what they saw as their homeland. That gave them an advantage. They knew the terrain and, while not professional soldiers, were very good guerrilla fighters - another advantage. As with the Finns v the Russians in the Winter War, the Boers were outnumbered, underequipped, and lacked the logistics and supply of a professional army, but they were bushmen defending their homeland. I'm not an "expert" on the topic, but from what I've come to understand, they were left alone there until someone discovered gold and I believe diamonds, at which point the British government became keenly interested in the area. Feel free to fill in blanks. All I'm saying is the Boers had more to fight for, and they were of the area and very familiar with it.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

@@maverickpaladin4155 The entire British Army was volunteer and the Regulars were most certainly professional. As with any large Army, expanding to meet the requirements of the conflict, there were troops with various levels of training. Some moreso and some less-so. Would a Volunteer battalion mobilized for foreign service and manning it's 100 miles of block house line be made up of troops who were trained at same level as one of the Regular battalions who marched and manoeuvred with Roberts' column on the way to Pretoria?... probably not. This is discussed in the video.

[@PunchCatcher]

Rob that was fantastic. Well researched, informative, well delivered and with the wit we've come to expect from British Muzzleloaders,

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@WelshAl]

I absolutely loved this film, it was as professional a documentary as I have seen. I have been to Spion Kop, and thought hard about the who and how. I would happily take this film back with me next time I go. Excellent work

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Spion Kop is a fantastic place to visit.. wish I had spent more time there.

[@celiacresswell6909]

That was superb - how often do you see on legacy tv a doc delivered by an expert in his field and exploring in depth? Hurrah from U.K.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@Oscar-ds2vb]

Farmers(boers) gain independence. Proceeds to find gold. good old greedy crown invades. :D

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Ooops... except for the fact that the Boers invaded....

[@blanktm228]

Informative and in a way relaxing. Thank you.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AnvilAirsoftTV]

Fantastic presentation. Every time I had a question you answered it the next section :)

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers

[@lmyrski8385]

My Boer Mauser, which is a documented New Zealand trophy rifle, is an OVS rifle with a serial about 1,000 off from yours, but it too has the turned down bolt. It looked like your timing was off on the Mauser because you took longer to aim and you lost a lot of time manually extracting the chargers, instead of letting the bolt eject them when you ram it forward. It generally does not harm the charger or the weapon. You should allow the same time to aim. Also, there's no need to baby a Mauser bolt. Bolt manipulation/gripping cost you time. You'd be faster if you did not grip the Mauser bolt but rather slapped it open and closed with your palm. Practice and you'll see. You clearly also have more experience on the enfield and therefore have some bias, intentional or not. A man will always be quicker with the rifle he has more experience with...unless it is a truly horrible or outdated design. Perhaps you should have put the Enfields on the shelf and worked up your proficiency on the Mauser until you felt comfortable with the bolt, sights, and chargers. I have both rifles, the Mauser is quicker over the long run. A longer sustained fire as would occur in combat would bear that out. The Mauser is also more sturdy. I have had a lot more repairs and breakages on my Enfields than on my Mausers, and I have a rather sizeable collection of each. Everything from stocks cracking, buttstocks coming loose, magazines and elevators being deformed resulting in feed issues, springs wearing out, to extractors breaking. I honestly cannot think of a single repair I have done on a Mauser in 35 years. There's a reason that nobody who wasn't part of the British Empire (India, Australia, and Canada) copied the Enfield. The United States was much more aligned with Britain, yet it opted to make a knock off Mauser (M1903). The Enfield is a decent rifle, but not the wonder weapon people from Britain and countries of the former empire make it out to be. Heck, even the British were looking to dump it in 1914, but the war changed that.

[@DefunctYompelvert]

I mean the Canadians didn’t adopt the Mauser and opted to go for a whole new design. The Americans were obsessed with a high velocity .30 cal that only the Mauser action could handle. If it wasn’t for that I think redesigning the Krag to a charger loading rifle with box magazine, shorter barrel, 7mm proprietary cartridge would be a better idea. The P13 was not really a true Mauser either, and like the Americans the British followed suit trying to adopt an overpowered cartridge that required that action strength. Mauser rifles were popular for large conscript armies because (like you said) they were strong & didn’t have a lot to go wrong, the first to have clip loading and Everyone wanted german stuff in the late 19th century. I think any army would be better off with a lee or Krag action paired with charger loading, basically

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Sure thing.

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

I think your disregard of battle-field velocity to possibly be a mistake. Whereas this factor may be true for the British, who were more greatly coordinated in groups and various formations under direction from above command, the Boers' were perhaps more independently choosing advantageous positions of attack based on individual preference. This may have meant that an attack could have started earlier from the Boer position, with greater likelyhood of being on target from a greater distance. Thus incurring more success.

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

As I continued watching I see that you encompassed these arguments. Thanks.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

ASsmentioned, technically an advantage, but such a small one that in reality it would have made very little difference.

[@314299]

Interesting and well presented content, as usual!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@simonsaorsa]

Simply excellent, as ever! Thank you.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@jsalaska2854]

Boer Reenactor here! Transvaal police and Pretoria Kommando

[@vvr881]

Dagse Kamerad. Hys die Vierkleur van die Transvaal Republiek 🤣👋

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

HI there!

[@user-kt8yp5ho2y]

Personally, Boer Mauser is far supreme to the Lee Enfield except the magazine capacity.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Sure.

[@user-kt8yp5ho2y]

@@britishmuzzleloaders Yes it is.

[@HaNsWiDjAjA]

@@user-kt8yp5ho2y Slightly superior velocity and ballistic, though that was of little advantage in the real world. Accuracy about the same as shown by Rob already. Ammunition is slightly lighter, I guess thats an advantage. What else then?

[@laredoshannon3541]

British muzzleloaders is one of the best channels on youtube. quality and quantity at the same time

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@tommygun6028]

Thank You my Friend for so much of details about this rifle !!!!! Great Channel !!!!!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very kind.

[@danieconradie2611]

I can recommend reading "Commando" by Deneys Reitz, which is basically the authors' diary of the war from the Boer side. It really highlights the problems caused by lack of discipline and organisation on the boer side, further worsened by die Boers unwillingness to take tactical advantage of their successes early in the war

[@vincetytler6175]

Thanks for the suggestion, I am going to check that out

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Refreshing.

[@MrPh30]

173 or 175 7mm bullet is still some of the best to find and popular many places. Bell used ex millitary 173 German Fmj for 800 of his elephants, the rest with larger bores and heavier ammo.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Intertesting.

[@workshopblackbird]

Can’t believe that it’s taken so long to discover this channel. Absolutely terrific content

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very kind! Welcome!

[@williamvorkosigan5151]

Superb as always. Thank you.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Most welcome!

[@herbertgearing1702]

I believe you hit the nail on the head in the introduction of the adversaries. The British military was using 200 rounds a year on practice and were issued several different rifles during the conflict, and the Boers were using their own rifles every day for survival and they were often involved in competitive shooting matches. Gun culture breeds great marksmen and responsible citizens.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

The types of rifles the British had is immaterial, they were all functionally identical. Not every Boer was using his rifle every day.... Lot's of legend and myth in there... part of the culture?... yes,.... Did every Boer spend his day shooting, absolutely not.

[@herbertgearing1702]

@@britishmuzzleloaders I simply meant that becoming familiar with your particular rifle and its quirks is a key to precision shooting especially when the sights it comes equipped with are prone to be a little off. I've owned several older rifles that are not exactly sighted in correctly, but they are off the same every time so you learn to adjust your aim. If the army replacement is good or not is irrelevant, it's not the one I'm used to.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

@@herbertgearing1702 Agreed. the peculiarities of one's rifle was a subject of musketry training in the British Army too. After all, a large part of the program involved application-type practices.. where you needed to hit the bull to score well..

[@kalliste23]

Actually, you should have single loaded the first 5 rounds into the Lee then switched to 10 from the mag. Either that or shot 15 single loaded rounds. It should be obvious why.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Sure.

[@gd88467]

@@britishmuzzleloaders It would be interesting to see. As you stated many times that the magazine was held in reserve. You could place a hypothetical of you coming into contact with a boer contingent and your officer orders 5 round independent. Then seeing the situation change could order the use of the magazine. I think that would be a plausible scenario. To see the difference and how SOP of doctrine at the time would affect rate of fire.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

@@gd88467 Sure thing. There would be many combinations that could be used... the point of that segment was simple in the extreme... to compare the time it took to fire 15 rounds....

[@user-wo2iw3kt8o]

Hi from Pennsylvania buddy Jeff. I have been watching and love your channel. I had to get my no4 mk1 out of the safe. And wiped that sweet lady down. And patch through the bore. The serial is 39017. Pf 1943. All parts are the same. I bought it in Alaska over 30 years ago. Its filled my freezer alot with moose,deer,caribou. And now living in Pennsylvania. Gets my deer quite often. . The best battle rifle ever. God bless so interesting channel.😊😊

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice!

[@thevelointhevale1132]

My Great Grandfather served as an 18yr old Rifleman with 3rd Battalion, ( 60th ) King's Royal Rifle Corps, during the 2nd Anglo Boer War from 1899-03 - he was a career soldier who served 15 years with the British Army ending his service in 1915 in France with 1st Battalion KRRC - due to wounds. As a Rifleman he would have trained, served and been issued with all variations of the Long Lee Metford/Enfield through to the SMLE in 1915. Having medal Clasps ( Including the King's South Africa Medal ) for his service in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal - and with some access to the Unit Diaries of the K.R.R.C and their movement during that time - the war was largely over by mid to late 1900 and the 3rd Battalion were then tasked with long range patrols, building block houses and guarding sections of the Railways. By mid 1900 the Boers had given up on Conventional Warfare and turned to Guerilla hit and run tactics which gradually did very little good once Kitchener began to employ his scorched earth policy. Units such as the Bushveld Carbineers and other Mounted Infantry units were increasingly deployed by the British Army and the K.R.R.C to counter the mobility of the Boer Guerilla's ... my Grandfather's Service Records also showing that he was trained as Mounted Infantry at Winchester Rifle Depot.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Great story!

[@thevelointhevale1132]

​@@britishmuzzleloaders I should add ... the 3/60th KRRC ( My Grandfathers Batt ) captured Twin Peaks at Spion Kop and drove the Boers off the Mountain - they were part of Lyttletons 4th Brigade which also consisted of the 2nd Scottish Rifles, 1st Rifle Brigade and 1st Durham Light Infantry. The 3/60th King's Royal Rifles were ordered to support the initial attack that was in danger of failing due to Boer Artillery range on the peak from across the way. Famously, no sooner than Lyttleton had ordered the 60th to climb the Peaks, he received word that the position was much more heavily defended than at first was expected. "He sent a message after the 3/60th Rifles, ordering them to call off the attack. However, with old scores to settle, the Colonel of the KRRC - Buchannan-Riddel - discretely ignored Lyttleton's message. They marched across the flats, deployed in line and scrambled up the boulder-strewn slopes of the Twin Peaks. A further order was sent, instructing them to desist, but this too was ignored and the 3/60th Rifles drove the weakened Boer Garrison off the Twin Peaks! It was too much for Shalk-Burger, behind the Hills, who ordered the threatened Krupp and Pom-Pom to withdraw. This brilliant stroke was therefore poised to open up the entire Boer Line, but it could not be exploited without support and Lyttleton sent yet another message ordering the 3/60th to withdraw. It arrived shortly after Buchannan-Riddel was fatally wounded and his officers felt it was impossible to ignore orders any longer. Reluctantly they abandoned the Hills retiring back the way they had come. It was dark by the time they reached the drift and the troops lit a bon-fire to guide them back." .... I mention this account to illustrate that British Soldiers as well as Officers were indeed capable of independence and maverick initiative - particularly in the early stages of the more conventional Battles that took place. The 3/60th flew into the midst of a ranged artillery position, fighting up a mountain and took the position against orders. The notion that the British Officer of this period and the Soldier beneath him was a rigid, automaton - rendered incompetent by an unimaginative Military bureaucracy - is apocryphal and glib. This war showcased the difficulties of a Conventional Army coming to grips with fighting an unconventional force who increasingly refused to show itself openly or stand in the field to fight. The British Army were always winning this war ... it was not a matter of if, but when ...

[@ditzydoo4378]

No, No, and No again... now who is the greater Bore here. The Boer, or the stuffy Boar of a sentry?? ok enough Boredom. Now on with the lusty shoot-off. Now show that Boer what fore. Now we come to the end in a virtual tie, but I did not see a wee drop of the creature that was promised... much is the pity. But no matter, lift a dram or two and be well good sir. edit: (sigh) my inability to spell is near legend... 0~o damn it all! I can English... >~

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I see what you are doing here....

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@britishmuzzleloaders I came, I saw, I punned. ^~^ Then had a wonderful time with this installment. Thank you.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

@@ditzydoo4378 Yes you did.

[@themedhunter]

I love you videos. Thanks for the great work!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@jacoklopper4772]

What an exceptional video! I'm of Boer heritage and obviously lean to the Mauser but there is no denying the smooth action of the Lee Enfields. I love Lee rifles and have collected many. But with a bit of fiddling with the mauser action and polishing the action can be just as smoot. Thank you very much for this insightful video Sir!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@18robsmith]

One of your best intro sketches yet 🙂

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@tokencivilian8507]

What a fine vid Sir BM. Well done.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@mrpamcn]

Excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this video.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@christophero55]

Very in depth, thorough. I enjoyed it.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@theblackprince1346]

Congrats on reaching 80k subs Rob onward to the big 100.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Not quite but closing in on it... Thanks!

[@MrRedbeard762]

Very well researched and presented video. This does clear up many misconceptions about the rifles and shooting skills. I wish someone would conduct a similar study on the Krag vs the Mauser during the Spanish American war. A great video, thank you.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I'm sure that Americanmuzzlelaoders will do it at some point.

[@kainhall]

that intro is why we LOVE this channel

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Haha! Very kind if you to say.

[@slowhand1198]

Great examination of the tales that are so often repeated as fact. Thank you!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!

[@corporalpunishment1133]

Another excellent video, you deserve 1 million views for your efforts 👍🇭🇲

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very kind.

[@peepshow090]

You really do put a lot of effort to make these films great Costumes and script always great results

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@99IronDuke]

Another great video Rob.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@DNchap1417]

Robert Enfield… I wonder if your middle name is Lee. You may be a bit Short, but you’ve got a Magazine and you’ve got a Lee Enfield. Your channel brings a SMILE to my face.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice.....

[@johanpotgieter2298]

Wow , great video , well done 👍🏻

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you 👍

[@normanbowstead3616]

This has enhanced my knowledge exponentially. My interest in the Boer war has grown in the last few years and this has been brilliant in adding to my understanding. Many thanks.👍

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you kindly!

[@GermanHockey]

I really enjoyed this video Rob. I definitely would love to see a series of myth busting of the Enfield vs. Mauser arguments of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War. Tactics utilized by the Boers vs. Empire troops especially would be an interesting video.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Kind of what this video explored.... There will be more tactics discussed when I get around to finishing the South Africa Series...

[@GermanHockey]

Exactly, I really liked this video in specific because it debunks the Lee vs. Mauser debate. any tips for making one of those bandoliers? Is there a model to copy one from? Cheers!

[@mr.goatman4024]

Very enjoyable to watch and learn

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers.

[@p.o.ackley1540]

Hi Rob, cool and very interesting video. I´m shooting every military target shooting match with my 7x57 Mauser rifle. My dad was collecting many old guns in his life, sadly, he died in Februar after short heavy illness. I could save a few of his rifles and handguns from the collection. .303 rifle, he sold bevor a few years, but I got a Snider rifle and a Martini carbine. I will honor these. And the other old europeen and US breechloading rifles I got.... I love this old guns.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice! Keeping the old ones going!

[@podmonkey2501]

Excellent video subscribed and I will be sharing this video.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@bc30cal99]

Greetings from the sunny and warm south Okanagan sir. Thanks for another wonderfully researched and presented video. It's a subject I've long wondered about after a lifetime of fooling with various Mauser and Lee Enfield variants - well Pattern 14's too. The "huge advantage" of the Mauser never truly made sense to me.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

All in the correct context....

[@jfm562]

Thank You for making an outstanding video. I learned quite a bit. I've owned a few No. 4 Mk. 1 Enfield's.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrGarwest]

Hello Rob, Thank you for the plug, very much appreciated. Your excellent video of a direct comparison of ‘Enfield versus Mauser’ is a first seen on KZbin, and in our view would be hard to surpass. Your gentle humour introduction is appreciated before launching into the subject. It would have been a nice final touch with the two soldiers sharing a whisky! Your filming technique with the two characters communicating in synchronisation is a work of art. A combination of uniforms and shooting evaluation makes for a authentic recreation. The Anglo-Boer War period is gaining popularity and has been somewhat neglected. Maybe you could create a follow up? We posses both a rifle and carbine with original slings and muzzle protectors. The rifle has stock prominently carved in fractur that has been traced back to the Boer farmer - ’M.F. Botha, Elandsvlei Krugersdorf 1899’ and the map of the farm he hailed from, plus some history. Also we have colour illustrations of Enfield rifles, British and Boer figures. Furthermore, of possible interest in this period, we have an original letter from an officer J. A. Moffat explaining charger loading of the Mauser system with a hand drawn illustration. Along with the aforementioned letter, an ammunition pouch and a Victorian chocolate tin still with its contents. Looking forward to your next historical creation. Best wishes, Guy and Leonard

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks to you both for the use of your art... Such a wonderful alternative to photos! At some point, there will be more analysis of the Musketry and Tactics of the era!

[@TheWirksworthGunroom]

Excellent stuff as ever Rob. If only we had all retained the felt hat!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers Neil!

[@firstconsul7286]

Once again, another excellent video.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@morgs456]

Loved this one Rob Good job

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@richardhillman9745]

Thank you for another great video.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!