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.303 1960 dated RFI Indian No5 Mk1
I had posted this rifle on my website and thought nothing more about it until someone said that India did not produce the No5 Mk1 Jungle Carbine. I did find a mention in "The Lee Enfield" with reference to the "Australian
and Indian" Jungle carbine but this seemed to refer to a program that was later dropped. I have now stripped the rifle completely to make sure it was not a converted No4 and in doing so I have found some additional "weight saving" done to it. The butt has been hollowed out, additional material has been removed from the base of the butt socket, the butt bolt has been drilled right through and even the rear sight battle aperture appears to have been modified. All of the "normal" lightening cuts are there and the rifle is completely matching with a very low serial number of 00233 which make me think this it could have come from a very low production run. Any further information would be gratefully received.
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06-03-2024 10:32 AM
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It is correct that India did not manufacture the No5, and the example you posted is clearly a rifle comprising British parts (BSA flash hider, Singer rear sight etc).
India did however 'get hold of' No5s and did an 'RFI FR Job' on them.
Examples are known but I don't think it was a large number FR'd and they are relativey rare.
Indian also produced Bayonets for the No5.
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
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I'm sure there are folk much better clued up on the No5 than I, but I think it's a UK No5 refurbished & renumbered in India.
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I wonder how much actually lighter it was that another Number 5 rifle?
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It looks like a BSA No5 to me with a Indian work over. The cross screw could be British but the scrubbing is Indian.
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Very little is known about the RFI Factory Repair on the No. 5(yours is the nicest I have seen). Edwards writes that RFI sporadically FR'd the No. 5 between 1952 and 1963 with approximately 10,000 performed. All the examples I have seen have had 1960 dates with serial numbers below 350. There are a lot of No. 5's out there with all the markings removed with the Ishie screw that are also a mystery.
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Over 20 years ago I saw a 1953 RFI-refurbished with the serial number 00157, but it wasn`t possible to take photos.
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