the Charlton Automatic Rifle, designed by a New Zealander, Philip Charlton in 1941 to act as a substitute for the Bren and Lewis gun light machine guns which were in chronically short supply at the time. During the Second World War, the majority of New Zealand's land forces were deployed in North Africa. When Japan entered the war in 1941, New Zealand found itself lacking the light machine guns that would be required for local defence should Japan choose to invade, and so the New Zealand Government funded the development of self-loading conversions for the Lee–Metford rifle. The end result was the Charlton Automatic Rifle (based on the obsolete MLE), which was issued to Home Guard units in NZ from 1942. Over 1,500 conversions were made, including a handful by the Australian firm Electrolux using Lithgow SMLE Mk III* rifles. The two Charlton designs differed markedly in external appearance (amongst other things, the New Zealand Charlton had a forward pistol grip and bipod, whilst the Australian one did not), but shared the same operating mechanism. Most of the Charlton Automatic Rifles were destroyed in a fire after the Second World War, but a few examples survive in museums and private collections. Users : Still in use with the Atholl Highlanders for ceremonial purposes : 3000 were brought into the country by liberal rebels in 1904. Also in service during the Chaco War : At the beginning of the 20th century, copies were made in local arsenals by Indian gunsmiths. In 1914, 5000 surplus British rifles were bought See also British military rifles M1895 Lee Navy M1885 Remington-Lee References Citations Sources Skennerton, Ian: Small Arms Identification Series No. 7: .303 Magazine Lee-Metford and Magazine Lee-Enfield. Arms & Militaria Press, Gold Coast QLD (Australia), 1997. . External links Early rifles Police weapons Bolt-action rifles of the United Kingdom Victorian-era weapons of the United Kingdom