Guns International #: 102826658
Seller's Inventory #: 24070259
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Guns International #: 102826658
Category - Military Rifles - British
- Military Rifles - Non-US
Lee-Enfield No. 5 Mk. 1 .303 British Jungle Carbine, ROF Fazakerley, 4/46
Description: This is one of the most famous bolt-action rifles ever made. The Lee-Enfield served the British empire in one model or another from around the turn-of-the-century to the 1990s. They are still used in certain parts of the world, particularly the Middle East. Despite being surpassed by semi-auto rifles in other countries, the Lee-Enfield is an excellent design with many advantages over other bolt action designs. It’s cock-on-closing feature enabled fast, well-aimed fire. During some of the early battles of World War 1, British troops engaging in massed fire tactics with the Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk. III, convinced attacking German soldiers that their opponents were equipped with machine guns. The rifles generous capacity of 10 rounds allowed British soldiers to perform what was called the “mad minute,” wherein the soldier would fire 20 to 30 aimed rounds in 60 seconds. Indeed, the current world record for aimed, bolt-action was set in 1914 by an instructor in the British Army who placed 38 rounds into a 12-inch-wide target at 300 yards in 1 minute. Imagine having to attempt such a feat today. One important note is that while the No. 4 Mk 1 was first issued in late 1939, it was not officially adopted for use until 1941, and by no means did it immediately replace the older models. Thus, many of the Lee-Enfields used in the early battles of World War 2 in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific were the older No. 1 Mk III and No. 1 Mk III*. It was the latter theater of operation that caused some concern. At a length of over 44 inches, the No. 1 Mk III and No. 4 Mk I were rather too long to handle in the dense jungle foliage (though their Japanese opponents would have had the same difficulties, especially with the Type 38 rifle). With a loaded weight of near 10 lbs., the standard Lee-Enfield, combined with the rest of a British soldier’s kit, would have been fairly difficult to trek long distances through the jungle given the sweltering heat. So, in 1942, work began on creating a carbine version of the No. 4 rifle suitable for use in the jungles of India and Southeast Asia. The final result of this process came in March of 1944 and was designated as the No. 5 Mk I. It featured a shorter barrel with an integral wide-cone flash hider, a unique butt pad, a shorter fore end, and a modified rear sight. The aperture battle sight was calibrated for 300 yards and the ladder aperture sight was calibrated for 200 – 800 yards in 100-yard increments. Lightening cuts were made to the receiver and barrel, which, along the shorter barrel and fore end, helped get the weight down 7 lbs. unloaded. The new “Jungle Carbine”, as it was unofficially named, certainly looked the part, but unfortunately, several aspects of its design combined to make the rifle unsuitable for military use in the long run. The first issue was the so-called “wandering zero”. Essentially the carbine would, after so many rounds, begin shooting to a different point of impact. The most likely culprit was the lightening cuts made to the original No. 4 design. Armorers in Southeast Asia found that simply replacing the No. 5 receiver with that of a No. 4 solved the issue. It should be noted today that modern day collectors of Lee-Enfield rifles do not note any notable issues with a wandering zero. Whether the issue was genuine or just something that afflicted only the earliest production rifles may never be known. However, the other issues that affected the No. 5 carbine a very much real. Unlike modern recoil pads, the No. 5 buttpad noticeably reduced the contact area with the user’s shoulder. Inevitably, this increased the amount of felt recoil in the carbine. Another issue with the butt pad is that the rubber material used was a very poor choice as it had a tendency to harden over time resulting in the pad having the consistency of solid steel. In official recoil tests, the longer No. 4 rifle yielded 10.06 ft-lbf. average free recoil energy, while the No. 5 developed 14.12 ft-lbf. Of the extra 4.06 ft-lbf. of recoil energy, 1.44 ft-lbf. was caused by the addition of the flash hider. Another cause of the increased recoil was the use of identical .303 ammunition in the carbine. In the past, during the single-shot, and early bolt-action era, carbines usually utilized not only different sights, but lighter powder charges as well, to keep the felt recoil down. The powder charges used in the Springfield Trapdoor rifle and its carbine variant are a good illustration of this with 70 grains and 55 grains of powder respectively (both cartridges were still referred to as the .45-70 and both used a 405gr bullet). While using the same .303 ammo saved on logistics, this added to the recoil issues as well as creating a noticeable flash despite the flash hider. Another quirk was that due to the unique flash hider, a unique bayonet had to be designed for the rifle (a must-have in the jungles when facing opponents who love to make bayonet charges). Ultimately, the issues with the No. 5 Mk. I whether real or not, resulted in production being limited to roughly 251,368 in total, with production ending in 1947. Despite its less glamorous history compared to its predecessors, the No. 5 Mk. I is still popular with collectors thanks to its relatively light weight and the fact that ammo for it is relatively easier to find compared to other military rounds, with only the 7.62x54R and the .30-06 being more common. The Jungle Carbine depicted here is in very good condition. It was produced at the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) at Fazakerley in April of 1946. Like the wartime-built Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifles, this finish on the No. 5 Mk. I is visibly more akin to engine paint than bluing. This type of finish was used as it could be applied quickly so that the rifle could leave the factory and be issued, something of critical importance after the debacle at Dunkerque. The metal surfaces retain the majority if not 100 percent of the finish. The wood is in great shape with far less than the amount of wear you’d expect from an issued military rifle. However, it is entirely possible that the stock is was refinished at some point as the serial number on the bottom of the fore end has a slight “wiped” appearance, though the “5130” is still clearly visible. The rifle does not appear to have the usual import markings on the bottom of the barrel. The bore is in great shape with deep rifling, though some minor copper fowling may be present. The rifle should prove to be very accurate provided the shooter does their part. The only sour spot is that one of the previous owners put his name on the bottom of the magazine body and on the bottom of the bolt handle. Please see the pictures. It should be noted that the bottom of the magazine is stamped “W 5130” rather than the “V 5130” found on the bolt and receiver. Price: $850.00 Rifle Caliber: .303 British Manufacturer: ROF Fazakerley Model: No. 5 Mk. I "Jungle Carbine Serial Number: V5130 Barrel Length: 18.75 inches (476.25 mm) actual length, 20.5 inches (520.7 mm) with flash hider. Bore Info: Rifled, 5 grooves, 1:10 inches (1 in 254 mm) LH twist Ejectors: Manual, ejection via bolt operation Condition: Used - Good to Very Good Barrels: Carbon steel Barrel Type: Jungle Carbine barrel with flash hider Action: Lee-Enfield action; cock-on-closing bolt. Triggers: Single trigger Stock: Beech wood Fore End: Beech wood Butt Pad: Rubber pad LOP: 13.75 inches (349.25 mm) Finish: Matte black Weight: 7 lbs. 5.4 oz. Sights: Flip-up aperture rear sight w/ladder, post front, sight radius 22.875 inches (581 mm) Manufacture Date: April 1946 Contact Seller |
Guns International #: 102826658
Seller's Inventory #: 24070259
Guns International #: 102826658
Seller's Inventory #: 24070259