Value of a No 5 on a No 4 Receiver

[enfield303t]

Probably going to have a opportunity to purchase a No 5 that was rebuilt (I think) on a No 4 receiver and am wondering if it has a greater value than a regular No 5?

Who knows possibly Peter Laidler rebuilt this one? I know, buy the gun not the story...

Information

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[onlycrimson]

I wouldn't think very much. Wasn't someone making a bunch of no.5s on 4 receivers at some point?

[enfield303t]

This one is legit and I know that. Peter mentioned they did some of these and I have no idea as to how many but when they ran out of No 5 receivers started using No 4's.

[Peter Laidler]

The Singapore and Federation of Malaya Police No4 and 5 rifles used to come into us on contract repair and if 25 came in and 4 were scrap, they still got 25 back, made up from war stocks that we held there. But those that went through us were all marked with the BW-S or 2FW-M/date marker on the butt. We would just barrel them up on No4 actions because it was a) a way of completing the job and b) using up stocks and c) keeping their books straight

[enfield303t]

The Singapore and Federation of Malaya Police No4 and 5 rifles used to come into us on contract repair and if 25 came in and 4 were scrap, they still got 25 back, made up from war stocks that we held there. But those that went through us were all marked with the BW-S or 2FW-M/date marker on the butt. We would just barrel them up on No4 actions because it was a) a way of completing the job and b) using up stocks and c) keeping their books straight

Peter, I will look for those markings and any idea how many were done in total? Would you pay a little extra for one?

Thanks

[jmoore]

Who knows possibly Peter Laidler rebuilt this one? I know, buy the gun not the story...

Unless it has the BW-S or 2FW-M markings I'd probably pass altogether unless it's really nice AND cheap, too. Too many done for retail sales as Faux No.5s to take a chance.

[Peter Laidler]

Please don't think that we kept a bunch of No4 and 5 receivers in stock just to re-body needy rifles because we didn't. Receivers to us were deemed to be the 'master component' and NEVER ever issued as a spare part. It was the accountable serially numbered part that featured on the 'controlled stores register'. If the receiver (or BODY in our terminology) was unserviceable for any reason, then the rifle was scrapped - end of story.

On No5 bodies that were bulged (usually at the rear.....) or failed any other criteria at Base workshops they would just get the chop like anything else but where it was for Crown Agents work, for the local Police, Government, armed forces etc etc then, as I said, if 25 rifles or Brens came IN, then regardless of the cost or condition, they got 25 back. So a body change was really academic to us in the workshop.. They got out what they put in and to be honest, a Bren was a Bren was a Bren and a No5 was a No5 was a No5 and so on. Just so long as our Army paperwork was straight, the Crown Office paperwork who paid the bill was straight and the Singapore Police paperwork was straight, that was all that mattered. It wasn't only the local Forces either. The Pacific rim nations from Fiji and Tonga were two I recall that came through

The death penalty was in force for unlawful possession of firearms in Malaya (and maybe Singapore too.....) so we were pretty careful about weapons although 'Tiny' Davidson (called Tiny due to his 6'5" height of course) possessed a Browning that came back from Vietnam but that cost him 28 days in the can at Holdsworthy. Is it still the Army prison?

[villiers]

.308 Win No. 5s were also often based on No. 4 actions.

[Simon P]

were all marked with the BW-S or 2FW-M/date marker on the butt.

Peter, what does the BW-S or 2FW-M abbreviation stand for?

[Peter Laidler]

The B Base W Workshop S Singapore or 2 (and 13) F Field W Workshop M Malaya plus the month/year mark assisted in keeping tabs on the ebb and flow of weapons as they were passed around on active service and a particularly hard life and harsh environment.

A few forumers, including me, have these marks on their No5 rifles. My date is 5/69 Just adds to their history I suppose............