An end to an era has arrived for the Canadian Rangers with the replacement of their standard issue Lee Enfield 303 rifles.
The rifle, which was first used by the Canadian Rangers in 1942, has been replaced with the modern C-19 rifle.
Master Bombardier Colin Stephen of the 4th Canadian Ranger Group based in Victoria travelled to Kitimat on the weekend of June 15 to put the Kitimat Rangers through the paces with the new rifle.
“Everyone is excited about the new rifle. The C-19 has been designed to operate in different environments, from the Arctic to the desert,” said Stephen.
The C-19, which will be used by the Rangers, as well as search and rescue units for predator protection, is a shoulder-fired, magazine-fed rifle that fires 308 Winchester rounds. The magazine holds ten rounds and the rifle is effective over 500 metres.
“It’s a very capable rifle,” added Stephen.
