Lee-Enfield No. 5 Mk. I "Jungle Carbine"

I bought this from a 90 year old retired army colonel. All parts match except for the mag. The bore looks new and this is one of the best that I have seen.
This is a Lee-Enfield No. 5 Mk. I "Jungle Carbine" made in 8/47. I was 2 when it was made. Serial numbers on the stock and bolt match. Most other parts are stamped F 47 including the flash guard.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...e20Right-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Receiver-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Receiver-1.jpg

A very nice looking No.5

Very nice! The Jungle Carbines are a great gun and an important piece of history as well. Have you had a chance to shoot it yet?

Pretty nice!

Nice catch !

That is nice. Saw one at Cabela's today, thought cool! Nope! It was junky, without the flash suppressor, and was $983.00. Easy pass.

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Originally Posted by Colonel Enfield

Very nice! The Jungle Carbines are a great gun and an important piece of history as well. Have you had a chance to shoot it yet?

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I have not shot it yet. I will report back when I do. It may be a few weeks before I can do that.

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Originally Posted by LouisianaJoe

I have not shot it yet. I will report back when I do. It may be a few weeks before I can do that.

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I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun with it! One thing to keep in mind if you're recoil sensitive - the rubber buttplates have generally hardened over the years and some people find the Jungle Carbine's recoil somewhat more noticeable than that of other .303 rifles as a result.

Great find, that is one of the two I am missing to fill out my Enfield collection...............

Nice looking No5, seems like no one has noticed that the mag is from an SMLE.

I just notice it didn't match.

Nice No5. looks a lot cleaner than mine ;-)

From the original post: "All parts match except for the mag." When I researched the gun after I bought it I noticed that.

And that's why I didn't say anything...it might not feed though. Guess you'll see...

un-stamped (Korean era?) mags are not that hard to find.

Very nice indeed, primarily for use in as the name implies but as stated the recoil is a bit stiff and the report a tad loud and do not expect to much out of it for accuracy I am not saying it will be hopeless but the 5's were always known for the wandering zero why it was particular to them perhaps Peter Laidler can explain.
Could be anything really, The 4's and Mk III's were virtually full woods who knows under battle conditions maybe the harmonics were different in the barrels to the No 4/III's as they were in production a reasonable time before the 5 came along, anything is possible but there are those that know more than my 1 brain cell.

But it looks a real treat and a good find.

I rarely shoot at more than 50 yds. If it will shoot minute of beer can, I will be satisfied. As far as recoil, I also have a Mosin-Nagant Model 44 that I have fired and the JC should be close to that. If I need accuracy, I also have a 1941 vintage Lithgow that can give me that. I have enough ammo. I bought 14 48 round boxes of HXP for $15 a box at a pawn shop last year.

I think PL said it was because the barrel was free floating. If I had a No5 I'd try and centre bed it, no4 target rifle style, that's a 2inch long bed centred 5inches from the receiver ring, it would need cork shim above the bedding to clamp the barrel down on the bedding as well. To try it out before actually bedding you could try clamping it with cork shim all around.

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Originally Posted by LouisianaJoe

8><----, I also have a Mosin-Nagant Model 44 8><----

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Yeah I bought one last year (made 1946, but FTR'd at some point). Handy and surprisingly fun and easy to shoot, not great kick either I thought I'd prefer the no4s hand down but actually its a close call.

I'm not sure that any bedding will change the inherent want to just shoot, well....., anywhere when the barrel and body get hot! It is readily apparent during a quick but heavy gun battle or during a long hard run-down, reloads, rundown, reload etc etc. They just do what they do!

I finally got a chance to shoot it. I did not find the recoil that bad. Could be because I weigh more than 300 lbs. I shot it at 50 yds and it shot a 1" group about 6" below point of aim. It did the same for my nephew. When I have more time, I will try flipping up the sights.


I did this for my Eddystone. It shot 5-6" high at 50 yds. It was on with the sights flipped up and set to 200.

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Originally Posted by S-A-M3

Nice looking No5, seems like no one has noticed that the mag is from an SMLE.

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You were first, but not last! ;)

Here's my 1947 brother to yours. I've owned several No5s over the decades but this is the first flat mint one I've come across. I believe it to be unfired since leaving the factory. You're going to love yours.

It seems like quite a few of these late 1947 examples turn up in very nice shape.

One of my favorite. Here is mine, a 1946 with her beautiful Wilkinson Bayonet
Attachment 58914Attachment 58913

It's the wrong scabbard Billy.

yes... and actually Im looking for the right one with its frog

Billy raised an important querie in a PM. And it's this.......... Will an Australian L1A1 scabbard be compatible with his UK made/spec No5 bayonet. Well, yes and no! We used to have pooled Ordnance stockpiles of bayonets, scabbards, rifles etc etc and we soon found that the UK made L1 bayonets had squared fullers (SQF) in the blades but the Australian blades had ROUNDED fullers (RF). OK so far..........

Part of the scabbard spring that retains the bayonet in the scabbard is recessed INWARDS and engages in the fuller. It is this part of the spring, engaged in the fuller that gives the last jerk as you pull the bayonet out of the scabbard. This is the problem......... If this spring is Australian, the fuller retainer part is rounded to correspond to the RF type bayonet. If it's the UK pattern, the fuller retainer part is squared to correspond with the SQF type bayonet.

The problem arose when you put a RF blade into a UK square scabbard. Because the fuller part of the spring, being wide and square won't sit down into the narrow and rounded fuller of the RF bayonet! Result, the spring remains wide apart as bayonet is inserted into scabbard, jambs up internally against the scabbard wall and bayonet won't go into scabbard.

You couldn't have a situation where some blades would fit and others wouldn't so we had to inspect and modify all the bloody scabbard springs to Aust pattern!

To sum-up
SQF bayonet like Billys No5 and your UK made L1A1's WILL fit Australian round fuller shaped spring scabbards AND all UK scabbards of course
RF bayonet blades will only fit Aust scabbards with round fuller shaped spring retainers unless you take scabbard apart and grind retainer bit to suit. And when you've got 250 to look at, it's a pain in the xxxx

So Billy, you can use any scabbard

Just another useless bit of Enfield info

If you can find one around you, that is here in Canada, it probably fit because it's a Canadian FN C1 scabbard. That's what you usually see anywayzzz...at many of the gunshows. You could try Welcome to Collector's Source - Military Collectibles Online - Collector's Source, Military Collectibles Online or Discounted Accessories - Hunting or Marstar Canada - Accessories . They all carry a bit of that sort of thing.

I have a Jungle Carbine 2/45 that I love and it shoots really well. I can hit an iron pig at 200 yds. at a range where I shoot. It does kick quite a bit I put a slip on recoil pad when I shoot it. I could not shoot over 20 rounds with out it. I also have an M1 Carbine and a Mosin M44 the JC is my favorite.

I have a 8/45 built No. 5 MkI Carbine that I love to shoot. Unfortunately, the recoil is like going three rounds with Mohammand Ali, the boxer. I have reloaded my .303 rounds to a light load so the recoil is "tamed" a bit.

Just a side "silly" question on the No. 5 MkI Carbine for my knowledge. Why is the rear sling swivel on the same side as the bolt handle? I would think that rear sling swivel would be on the opposite side as the bolt handle. I am sure there is good explanation. I hope this not a "meaning of life" question.

Cheers

--fjruple

Same reason as they put the lightweight (?) Mk3 Bren sling loop that side.

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Originally Posted by billy67

yes... and actually Im looking for the right one with its frog

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IMA have the sabbard in stock (Or they did) think its advertised as a No 9 scabbard.....

I'd always thought the sling and bar/loop on the butt plate would get all rucked up round your cheek if it was on the opposite side to the bolt handle, 'specialy with the stiff webbing sling.. Perhaps a left handed No5 shooter can confirm.

I don't know anyone that shoots with their sling at parade tightness...it's always loose so it's down.

The sling on a No. 5 can be quite handy if it´s fixed to a swivel in front of the mag.
Having it on the same side as the bolt handle can only have been an officiall requirement. Staff officers don´t have to carry a rifle. But it keeps the men upright and stops them from slouching.

The sling was put on the right side because a shooter was considered to be right handed. I think you can find posts fro Peter Laidler emphasizing this... When the sling is loosened off, the bolt handle doesn't bother you.

The Boer Mauser carbine was issue with the sling on the left. In this arrangement, it is quite easy to bruise your cheek when shooting. But unlike the Jungle Carbine, both the front and rear sling attachments can be taken off and switched, putting the sling on the right. If you look at photos taken of burghers in the field, you'll see that most carbines had their slings moved over to the right.

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Originally Posted by RobD

The Boer Mauser carbine was issue with the sling on the left. In this arrangement, it is quite easy to bruise your cheek when shooting....

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Amazing what experts can design.