Production figures for No.5 Rifle

[Mk VII]

The following figures have been consolidated (by me) from various Ministry of Supply statistical summaries in the Public Records Office.



As the preamble to these publications remarks, these figures are 'inspected and delivered into MoS store' based on C.I.S.A.'s records of inspection, and there would be some time lag before rifles were in the hands of troops.
Actual receiver production would run somewhat ahead of this.
A word on the sources: The presentation of the data varied somewhat over time, earlier tables are for the calendar year, and figures are for Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4, later (postwar) tables broke it down by month, and are for the Financial Year (which for the government starts April 1st in Britain). I have presented it all by calendar year.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[breakeyp]

I suspect that the 1848 figures are for 1947 produced and marked rifles that carried over into 1948. I base this on 15 years of searching for a 1948 dated example with no results.

[Peter Laidler]

On a similar front, I found some figures and dates for the 'new' No5 rifle in the archives at work and these documentary figures and dates didn't even remotely correspond with numbered rifles against body dates out there in forumland.

[Colonel Enfield]

On a similar front, I found some figures and dates for the 'new' No5 rifle in the archives at work and these documentary figures and dates didn't even remotely correspond with numbered rifles against body dates out there in forumland.

I was going to say, it seems unlikely there were no Jungle Carbines made between April and December 1946 - in fact, I know that's not true because I've got photos of one with an April 1946 date marking on the action.

[5thBatt]

Final figure is (if i done my maths correctly) is 339,023, the 'official' numbers per Skennerton is 169,807 Faz & 81,329 for BSA for a total of 251,136, the total shown above ending March 1946 is 246,813 or about 4000 short of Ian's total.
I have touched on the No5 production figures on a number of forums but to be honest i might as well have been talking out my ***!
Ian's total for Faz of 169,807 was only up to rifle serial number S8823 to which must be added the rest of S prefix & then T though to Z & AA AB & AC prefixes

[breakeyp]

For what it is worth, Ian listed a No.5 dated October 1947 (based on a rifle I later bought) as from the end run in one of his earlier lee books. A later book was corrected to December 1947 based on a rifle I found. I have been looking for a 1948 with no luck.

[Lance]

I was going to say, it seems unlikely there were no Jungle Carbines made between April and December 1946 - in fact, I know that's not true because I've got photos of one with an April 1946 date marking on the action.

And here is my 9/46

[Littlejohn]

I was going to say, it seems unlikely there were no Jungle Carbines made between April and December 1946 - in fact, I know that's not true because I've got photos of one with an April 1946 date marking on the action.

And here is my 9/46

And a 5/46 ROF (F)

[Ovidio]

Hello sir,

I just found a rifle with a very close serial number and same 9/46 date on it.
It is on sale in Italy and I'm actually thinking about buying it.
It really looks great in the pictures.

Thiene | Armi lunghe | Armiusate.it | Lee Enfield No.5 Mk1, Armi Usate, Armi Nuove, vendita, acquisto

I hope the link works.
It is expensive, but here most arms are.......

[GeeRam]

Interesting that both of those post-April 46 marked No.5 both have the '1947' style metal end cap's on the forends.?
Is that when that was introduced rather than actually in 1947....?

I used to have a Feb 46 dated No.5 that didn't have the metal end, whereas my current Jan 47 dated No.5 obviously does have it.