No.5 MKI restoration

[mrclark303]

I'm going to pitch in and say Indonesian markings....

[Singer B]

Plenty of No 5's out there. Most will probably need a a couple parts replaced. Building one from scratch will probably cost you more and you end up with a mix master rifle with no real collector value. You still may end up with fake/replica parts in your gun since there are so many out there. Good luck with your project!

[BVZ24]

I de sporterized an m47c BSA jungle carbine about 2 years ago. The BSA has a lower production than the Faz. Mine was in much better shape than yours, matching bolt and action, and an unsanded butt stock. The forestock, on the other hand, was cut, sanded and polyurethane coated. I ended up stripping it and using dowels and epoxy to attach a new front end for that stock. I dyed the forestock with a generic reddish brown dye, and went over with tung oil.
Most of the other parts were easy to find at the time. I ebayed a painted top handguard and stripped and refinished. The barrel band is the non hinged type as on the no4.
The handguard retainer is impossible to slip back over the sight/flash hider. You either need to drift the pins out and pull the assembly off, or, what I did, cut the retainer on the bottom and bent it out to go around the barrel. The pressure of the forestock holds the retainer shut. It's not perfect, but the handguard has held so far.
I had a matching bolt so headspace was a non issue, but should be shared with the no4. They both can have a similar appearance as some no4 had lightening cuts in the bolts.
The trigger guard is shared with the no4mk1. MK2 relocates the trigger and does not work.
Reproduction wood sets are available, but in a pinch you can use just about any $20 sporterized no4mk1 set for a close resemblance. It should fit tightly to the action, and may need to be fitted. The special buttplate JC stock will need to be hunted for.
Good luck.

[IanD]

I de sporterized an m47c BSA jungle carbine about 2 years ago. The BSA has a lower production than the Faz. Mine was in much better shape than yours, matching bolt and action, and an unsanded butt stock. The forestock, on the other hand, was cut, sanded and polyurethane coated. I ended up stripping it and using dowels and epoxy to attach a new front end for that stock. I dyed the forestock with a generic reddish brown dye, and went over with tung oil.
Most of the other parts were easy to find at the time. I ebayed a painted top handguard and stripped and refinished. The barrel band is the non hinged type as on the no4.
The handguard retainer is impossible to slip back over the sight/flash hider. You either need to drift the pins out and pull the assembly off, or, what I did, cut the retainer on the bottom and bent it out to go around the barrel. The pressure of the forestock holds the retainer shut. It's not perfect, but the handguard has held so far.
I had a matching bolt so headspace was a non issue, but should be shared with the no4. They both can have a similar appearance as some no4 had lightening cuts in the bolts.
The trigger guard is shared with the no4mk1. MK2 relocates the trigger and does not work.
Reproduction wood sets are available, but in a pinch you can use just about any $20 sporterized no4mk1 set for a close resemblance. It should fit tightly to the action, and may need to be fitted. The special buttplate JC stock will need to be hunted for.
Good luck.

I can testify to new ones being "eccentric" I have one that looks like it was fitted up by a first week apprentice, the metal is awesome, the stocking up, not so much. I don't want to clean the last of the cosmo off it, as I don't intend to shoot it. That might fix the issues, but as I said, no intention of shooting it so it stays as is.

[fjruple]

Why are you building a carbine up from scratch? They're available complete. Yes if you wish a new stock set, we have a group in Canada that make them from walnut new. The guys you're chastising are also an excellent source of parts...

Stock set... https://www.prestigiouswoodstocks.co...29835533385792

Jim-- Thanks for the reference. I don't know how many times, folks have given me bubba No 1 MKIII and No4 MI that needs new furniture. Most of the surplus wood looks like it has been one major war and several bush wars. I like to put new wood on my rebuilds. I don't like passing stuff as "original" what ever that term means given the number of times a rifle has been rebuilt or fixed in service. But new wood breathes new life into an old war horse. These old rifles are some of my favorites to shoot.

[Roger Payne]

I read BV724's pertinent comments & had to smile. I got so fed up of the situation of the flash eliminator being too great a size to remove the hand guard retaining ring that I made a new action wrench that was open at the top so as to permit me to slip it over a barrel with the FE still on it & get the whole barrel out easily enough. I've rebuilt or rebarrelled a fair few No5's over the years & life has got so much easier since I took the time out to make the new wrench. (I have a Parker Hale Service Vice & the standard Enfield action wrench for that is closed, which is fine for No1's & No4's, but not for No5's if the FE is still on the barrel).