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The C19 rifle is the service rifle of the Canadian Rangers, replacing the Lee-Enfield No.4 rifle. As a bolt-action rifle chambered for .308 Winchester and 7.62x51mm, it is designed to be used in remote areas, particularly against animal predators and for survival hunting.
History and Design
The Canadian Rangers used the Lee-Enfield No.4 rifle for many decades since their founding in 1947. However, the No.4 was a design that mostly originated from before the Second World War. Around the early 2010s, the search began for a new service rifle to replace the No.4 ― one which was lighter, shorter and used a modern cartridge. The rifle also needed to be able to function in subfreezing temperatures.
Around 2015, the Canadian government settled on a design based on the Tikka T3 CTR rifle by SAKO, a Finnish firearm and ammunition manufacturer. The new rifle would eventually feature iron sights, a two-stage trigger (similar in feel to the No.4), a bolt handle and trigger guard suitable for gloved hands, detachable box magazines and a red laminate wood stock with the Canadian Rangers’ crest. The barrel and the rifle action are made of stainless steel, which helps protect the rifle from corrosion. Designated the C19, the Canadian government contracted Colt Canada to manufacture 6,820 rifles in Canada.
The first C19 rifles were presented to the Rangers in August 2018. Rangers previously equipped with the Lee-Enfield No.4 were allowed to keep them as a gift from the Canadian government.
Tikka T3x Arctic
SAKO also manufactures and sells a civilian version of the C19 named the Tikka T3x Arctic. Instead of the C19’s red-coloured stock, the civilian rifle features an orange stock.
