Enfield No.5 Mk1 'Jungle Carbine' questions

[Drill Sergeant]

Hi,

I own an Enfield 'Jungle Carbine' that is original and not a cut-down. It is dated 5/47. I have 2 questions for those knowledgeable about these weapons:

1) Mine has a metal forend cap versus the plain. When did this change take place?

2) All numbers match including the wood, with the following exceptions. The two unmatched numbers are the magazine & the safety. Question: should the safety match? Is this a replacement part?

Thanks for your help.

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.

[Littlejohn]

This thread had some discussion about No.5 end caps.

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=48771

My 5/46 Fazakerley No.5 has the metal end cap.

Attachment 91023

[Peter Laidler]

The safety was never a matched part. It was a tested part and it either worked properly or it didn't. The part number for the fore-ends remained the same regardless. Whether you got any of the three or so that were available was a bit hit and miss. But towards the end of the 60's when the last were going through the system, they were all plain endedl

[Roger Payne]

I wonder if the safety may be factory marked - say like M47/C & the OP has mistaken it for a serial number???

[mrclark303]

Could well be Roger, some of the wartime factory codes are just like S/N's, wouldn't be the first time they have been mixed up.

[Roger Payne]

Yes, I once bought a No8 that had been put on someone's licence as having the serial number: 'F51' !!

[Drill Sergeant]

This thread had some discussion about No.5 end caps.

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=48771

My 5/46 Fazakerley No.5 has the metal end cap.

Attachment 91023

The reference was very good. Apparently the application of the end cap remains a mystery; especially in the same month and year of production.

---------- Post added at 11:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 AM ----------

The safety was never a matched part. It was a tested part and it either worked properly or it didn't. The part number for the fore-ends remained the same regardless. Whether you got any of the three or so that were available was a bit hit and miss. But towards the end of the 60's when the last were going through the system, they were all plain endedl

The information about the safely makes me smile, as the rest of the rifle (except the magazine) matches. The additional information about the nose cap (along with Littlejohn's reference) proves that not everything may ever be known about these fine little rifles. It's the same for the M1 Carbine. There always seems to be another mystery or anomaly just waiting to be uncovered.

Thanks to all for the great input!

[Peter Laidler]

I can't count the number of Stens with the serial number M/78. The RAF at the big radar station overlooking and guarding the Malacca straits had a rack of about 30 Mk2's that we used to inspect. I would think that most pf them were number M/78!