1947 No 5 Mk 1 resurrection attempt (parts needed)

[browningautorifle]

I’m actually surprised no one has started making flash hiders

Interesting that you'd mention that. I bought a scrapper that had a good F/H with exactly that intent and sent it to a man owning a full machine facility to find out feasibility. He looked at it and found even if we made dozens to sell as widely as we could, they would cost hundreds each to manufacture. It would have cost enough that no one would have wanted them. And he owned the machines...and was a gun guy too.

[Roger Payne]

That's a universal problem when trying to get these old parts & accessories remade. They were made by very talented men & women, so can be made again, but at a price, & that price is often so high as to make the idea non-viable. I hit exactly the same barrier when trying to get someone to make, say, Aldis Purdey mounts at an affordable price. I have mentioned on here before that what is needed is a retired Rolls Royce (or equivalent) toolmaker with an interest in model engineering so that he has all the kit in his garage or garden shed, & a wife with a love of expensive foreign holidays, or designer handbags, or some such, so that he is keen to earn a little extra money.........that was precisely the relationship I was fortunate enough to have with the late Graham Smith......an eccentric of the old school, but a genius with a lathe, milling machine, shaper, pantograph..........you name a machine & he could make it purr......

[browningautorifle]

That's a universal problem when trying to get these old parts & accessories remade.

Too, I actually suggested it on here to glean some interest and with the various laws at the borders and import problems...would almost make it a case or either selling Canadian only or smuggling under a spurious name to gain entry. Neither would make it worth doing.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I do not know if this would help anyone. CAD file for the No 5 flash hider.
No. 5 Jungle Carbine Enfield Flash Hider CAD File | KommandoPost.com | KPS Militaria Collection
Could the FH not be produced with 3D printing?

The repro is not completely useless. A little added QC would make them at least an acceptable band-aid.

[browningautorifle]

Could the FH not be produced with 3D printing?

Not sure? When I looked into it, the machine shop owner actually suggested casting in two parts and welding together. Even the drawings don't make it cheaper. It's the actual time to set up, do them and then they would have cost a couple hundred each from the shop. That was if I made quantity...and of course even though he was a gun guy, he wasn't really interested in helping me out.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Numrich must get the repros from India/China which as bad as I hate to say it is probably
the only practical route to cost effective production. As few No 5s as were produced minus
the ones that are no longer with us the economics get worse every day.

[Bindi2]

My take on the parts issue is when the cost over takes reality forget it. Restoration with non genuine parts could be called Bubba in reverse or humping. I repaired a 1937 Lithgow to operational status as an armourer/FTR would have using the same parts they would have used. Non genuine parts did not exist.

[WillSarchet]

I don't think it's going to be viable proposition to repop the flash hiders until reproduction No5 barrels become available. And since we have yet to see even No1 and Long Lee barrels appear on the market - good luck with that. Volley dial assemblies, a 15 or 20 round magazine that works, new bolt heads, those are things I could see being able to bring a profit.

[Bindi2]

No1 and No4 barrels are being made and have been for some time.

[browningautorifle]

I don't think it's going to be viable proposition to repop the flash hiders

I think this is the correct thought. India has it by making a cast item that can be made do. I looked into CNC and it was as expensive as buying a lesser condition #5 complete.