My well used No5 Mk1

[nwptrains]

Here's a few pictures of my No5 rifle serial number F459X that i picked up at a gun show a few years ago. It looks like it had a hard life.

1. The wood is banged up pretty good.
2. Bolt serial number dose not match (5316) also has no3 bolt head.(never shot it or checked headspace.)
3. The serial number on the magazine matches the receiver.
4. You can barely see the original factory markings because it got blued some time in its life.
5. The bore is nice and shinny with no visible pitting.
6. Some very minor pitting on the barrel near the flash hider.
7. It has a * on the receiver ring.
8. No import markings. (US)

From research done on the internet the * and the bluing leads me to believe that this rifle was refinished in India at one point. Can anyone else add its its history?

What would it be worth in its current condition?

Thank You.


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[Paul S.]

I believe 'well used' translates to 'much loved' since a rifle had to be carried and used a lot to become 'well used'.

One of my favourite rifles is an all matching (less the magazine) 1957 FTR FAZ No.4 Mk. 2 with scarred furniture. It cost me all of $100USD.

[Peter Laidler]

India wasn't/isn't into blueing but does the standard post war phosphating and painting. But she IS into plenty of gloss black paint. To be honest with you, that well-used rifle looks EXACTLY like the thousands of similar No5's that used to trundle their way through our huge Base Workshops every month. They'd come in like that and go out looking next to new. So I'd say that it was a good example of a hard worked ex British/Malay/Fiji/ New Zealand/Australian army rifle of the 50's/60's era until the arrival of the L1A1. THat's JUST how they were. Nothing that a week in the Armourers shops couldn't fix.

I'd have a look under the woodwork if I was you. You might find that it's a festering metallurgical nightmare

[Homer]

Im viewing these pictures on my phone so the clarity isn't that good but what is that large spot on the left side of the action? It looks like a ground back weld.

[Peter Laidler]

Nope........, well, yes....... It is a ground back weld, JUST as we did them when we welded up a loose bridge charger guide! The poor quality of the arc weld could have been mine!

[Homer]

Nope........, well, yes....... It is a ground back weld, JUST as we did them when we welded up a loose bridge charger guide! The poor quality of the arc weld could have been mine!

Ha, but it would be strong Peter.

[mtbikerwvu]

Well, my amatuer's opinion is you ought to come see some of my Enfields. As someone told me once on this forum, "It has that been there, done that look." I love them all but respect the ones that saw some action. With all the fakes out there, just to have the real deal is cool.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

"It has that been there, done that look." I love them all but respect the ones that saw some action. With all the fakes out there, just to have the real deal is cool.

Agreed. Were it mine I'd give her a nice drink of BLO and ejoy.

[nwptrains]

I'd have a look under the woodwork if I was you. You might find that it's a festering metallurgical nightmare

I have had the wood off a the metal is in good shape.

Thanks!

---------- Post added at 02:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:29 PM ----------

From another board:

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthre...nality-Opinion (<== hope this link is ok for another board)

Looks like an India rebuild, with the possibility the serial number is also Indian----it should have a letter prefix of some kind, otherwise.
Indicators for India are: 1.RFI marked front sight. 2.The asterisk at the top of the receiver ring. 3.Bluing instead of black paint.
It's a legitimate piece.

My No5 is a lot like this one. Any chance this guy is right that a few No5s went through India at one time?

I have two of the "indicators": Bluing and asterisk on the receiver ring.

Thank You.

[Peter Laidler]

Thousands went to India and presumably still live there! I shot one one the range yesterday afternoon that had just come back from '....... the mountains to the west of Pakistan'. It was beaten up and shot out and had India written all over it. Gauging would have been OK if we'd had .087" no-go headspace gauges and .310" GO bore gauges