No5 Survey

[BigBadDog]

I have fairly recently become the proud owner of a Fazakerley No5, it took a while as they do not seem to come up on the market very often and when they do they seem to be pretty expensive, in the UK anyway.

Since owning said rifle I have done a considerable amount of research. I have found that whilst there is masses on the MK 3/3* and plenty on the No4 ‘s there is relatively little about the No5’s, this is understandable considering the small manufacturing run and the very short service life.

In order to try to gain a better insight and to assist present and future scholars I am conducting a survey of No5’s. This type survey has been variously conducted on other Lee Enfield derivatives.
Please shout if it has already been done.

I hope to publish the results in a spread sheet format, all the information being published as 'open access' information, free to all, please bear this in mind if you don't want any information freely available to the public at large.

In order to assist with this survey please can you provide me with the following information.

Manufacturer Faz or BSA
Date of manufacture
Date on barrel ‘Y’ or ‘N’
FTR ‘Y’ or ‘N’
If FTR’d date
Serial number
Serial no on magazine 'Y' or 'N'
Serial no on fore end 'Y' or 'N'
No5 bolt ‘Y’ or ‘N’
Correct 800 yard rear sight
Micrometer or stamped steel rear sight
Export markings ‘Y’ or ‘N’
Bayonet lug 'Y' or 'N'
Steel/alloy flash hider
Butt size
Fore end, (a) rounded metal capped fore end with transverse pin, (b) plain wood, no metalwork, (c) squarer metalwork
Current location e.g UK, USA etc
Anything else that may be of interest

Many thanks for your help and participation in this endeavour.

[mrclark303]

Welcome to the club, I'm sure you've already looked, but I'm amazed this hasn't already been done.

Next time the rifles out of the safe, I'll ping you the requested information.

[BigBadDog]

Looked but can't find anything. But then again I have been accused of man looking many times before.

Many thanks.

[Havenot]

Here you go.....BSA....1945....not sure if date on barrel(don't think so)….No FR/FTR marks or dates I see, but does have some R stamps, and obviously been overhauled a time or two....serial #BH 12xx....yes at least two serial numbers on mag box, none matching.....there was a serial number on forearm however it is not legible....correct hollow knob bolt, non-matching serial no....milled 800 meter/yd micrometer sight....Century small import stamp on barrel....yes normal flash-hider/bayonet lug M47C marked as the carbine's receiver is.....probably a normal or standard length buttstock(never measured it)….plain wood forearm tip(don't think it's been un-capped?)….USA....all the wood is walnut, forearm has several repairs and handguard is glued. buttstock has some un-readable/faint paint letters or numbers on the left side, and a stamped 207 on the right(in the sling groove)

I can't say that No.5 Mk.I carbines are rare in Oklahoma. There was a really nice one at a nearby gunstore a couple years ago and I have seen them at gunshows on occasion in fact I missed one at a small OKC gunshow a few years back(cheap!). Mine came from a gunshow years back when there was a bunch imported.

[BigBadDog]

Many thanks.
Currently several advertised here in UK, one without bayonet lug at £900 or about $1178.
Recently spoke to a guy who deactivates firearms, he deactivated his last batch of 100 No5's, in nearly cried. Don't understand when deacts retail at considerably less than the real thing, such is life.

[GeeRam]

Many thanks.
Currently several advertised here in UK, one without bayonet lug at £900 or about $1178.
Recently spoke to a guy who deactivates firearms, he deactivated his last batch of 100 No5's, in nearly cried. Don't understand when deacts retail at considerably less than the real thing, such is life.

£900-1000 seem to be about the going rate for them now.
I paid £850 for mine, and that was 3 years ago. One of our club members paid £1100 for his '44 dated one about 2 years ago, but it had a mint, tight barrel.

I'm guessing you might be referring to World Wide Arms? I was at the big Militaria Fair at Stoneleigh a few months ago, and saw a row of 6 x de-act No.5's on their stand
3 of them looked a bit ropey, but the others looked quite OK, and it of course does depend on the state of the barrels. I hate to think of decent tight gauging barreled No.5's being cut n welded

[Havenot]

I believe I paid $245 for mine with sling and possible/probable reproduction RFI bayonet(could be a legit Indian refurb bayonet). The one I missed was priced at $175...I eye-balled it put it back went around the tiny gunshow and came back 10 minutes later and it was gone! The JC at the gunstore was priced like $750 and was very nice. It set on the shelf for a couple years before it disappeared. These all for serviceable shooters. No real market for deactivated armaments in Oklahoma.

I should add that I bought my JC in the early mid 1990's and the price was about average then. The gunstore price was a couple years ago and for the condition of the carbine I thought $750 a good price(a really fresh looking No.5!)

[GeeRam]

No real market for deactivated armaments in Oklahoma.

There's a surprise

[Havenot]

If a /45 on the bottom of the barrel is a date then my BSA has a dated barrel...it is a BSA/M47C marked barrel.

[army1882]

Hey BBD, here are the particulars for my No5 Mk1:
Manufacturer: Fazakerly
Date of Manufacture: 12/45
Date on Barrel: N
FTR'd: N
SN: T7026
SN on magazine: Has a serial number but not the matching one with the action and bolt
SN on fore end: N
No5 Bolt: Y
Correct 800y rear sight: Y
Micrometer or Stamped: Micrometer
Export Markings: Y England on left butt socket
Bayonet Lug: Y
Steel/Alloy Flash Hider: Steel
Butt Size: I think Short, length of pull is about 12.5"
Forend shape: Plain wood, rounded, no metal cap
Current Location: Canada
Suncorite finish on metal parts. Has the standard commercial British proof marks stamped on the barrel

Good luck with your quest.