No5 Mk1 from Old Western Scrounger

[intellivore]

Good afternoon, my fine fellows!

I have just recently, within the past week, obtained from Old Western Scrounger one of their last '#5 Jungle Carbine Grade 2 Rifle' stock. As of this writing there are 5 left. I paid a little over $300.00 for it, shipped, and by the description I was expecting a real project rifle. perhaps a few parts needing replacement, definite carpentry required, possibly a whole new barrel.

Once I got the old girl home from my local FFL dealer, I was AMAZED. I had given it a cursory inspection, and was delighted to see that little to no carpentry was needed, the stock was in decent shape, a bit beaten, a bit worn, a few chips missing, but overall in good shape, the draws looked almost new, to my untrained eye. I proceeded to disassemble the rifle, placing all the metal bits save the barreled receiver, flash-hider and front sight blade, into a bath of denatured alcohol, to dissolve the cosmoline.

While the bits were soaking, I took a crack at the barreled receiver, scrubbing it as clean as possible, uncovering the faint, barely legible markings on the receiver to come out a touch more than the were before, reading, in part; No5Mk1 ROF (F) ???? 6/45 N????. On the wrist I found an interesting mark, wither P M P, F M F, or a variation of those along the left wrist of the stock cup, below the N2XXX serial number. Then I took a good hour with my Hoppes #9 and three different bore brushes, 75 patches and a good long jag, and lo, one cannot look down the barrel without being blinded! The rifling is well defined, very apparent, and very crisp.

Taking the wood, I used some degreasing dishsoap, a scrub brush and gently worked over the stock, pulling out some of the cosmline. Scrubbing the bits and bobs in the denatured alcohol was a breeze, removing all traces of the cosmoline. during the reassembly of the barreled action, everything fit together nice and tight, and the trigger pull feels lighter than my well used No4Mk1/2. The bolt is from a different No5, with an ACXXXX serial. The only piece to not survive the disassembly is the poor rubber recoil pad, which tore along the upper and lower edges despite an application of oil to ease it out of the plate.

All in all, this rifle is a non-matching mutt of a rifle, beautiful in every way, the bolt flies open eagerly, the bore looks to be used, but with alot of life left in her.

Now, my friends, to the tricky bit!
The flash-hider is stamped M47C.
The reciever wrist is stamped N2XXX.
The bolt is stamped ACXXXX.
The FMF/PMP/PMF/FMP mark on the wrist.

I am assuming (evil and wrong, I know!) that during it's life, she got an armorers or factory repair for a damaged flash-hider, hence the Shirley markings. The bolt was a bin-grab. But I cannot find anything on the wrist stamping! Can any of you, most knowledgeable elders, help?

Unfortunately I cannot post any pictures at this time, as I am waiting for my classes to start and the rifle is at home. But I promise to post them as soon as I can!

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