My first Lee-Enfield

[Forley]

Good article here on the No. 5. With info on how to tell if it's genuine.

I have one, they don't kick that bad; to me it's less than a 12 gauge.

[IEatZ28]

I'm sorry guys!! I've been so tired after work, but here they are! Negative on brake lug but the bolt is hollow





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Bonus round!! Identify this Mauser, no import marks, all matching numbers and the side says berlin.


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[serjm1a1]

I'm sorry guys!! I've been so tired after work, but here they are! Negative on brake lug but the bolt is hollow





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Bonus round!! Identify this Mauser, no import marks, all matching numbers and the side says berlin.


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Very nice! I picked up my my Enfield today

[IEatZ28]

Nice! I can pick mine up whenever with the c&r, but I have to pay it off first

[Forley]

You probably know how to do this already, but when I disassembled for cleaning, I had problems taking off the recoil pad. It has a screw that fits into a rod. It slides downward from the top of the stock to the bottom.

[Wrangler John]

There was considerable criticism of the Lee Enfield No.5 Mk1 "Jungle Carbine" at the time for several design flaws. Chief among the problems encountered was that the lightening cuts on the receiver made the action too flexible so that the carbine wouldn't hold zero. When sighted in, it couldn't be relied upon to shoot to that same point of aim subsequently. This was confirmed by British tests and couldn't be corrected, they concluded the design was basically flawed.

Those features that made the carbine desirable for airborne troops, shorter length and lighter weight, also increased recoil, making the Jungle Carbine more uncomfortable to shoot. This was compensated for by the addition of a rubber recoil pad. However, the design of the recoil pad was also flawed in that the smallish size of the rubber pad actually reduced the area of the butt plate, which increased the recoil force impacting the shoulder. There was a substantially heavier recoil between the No.5 Mk1 and the No.4 variants.

That large flash hider also prevented mounting the No.4 and earlier bayonet, so that the No.5 Mk.1 bayonet was essentially the shorter issue fighting knife adapted for the carbine.

Then who cares? I coveted two carbines when I was young: the No.5 Mk.1 Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine, and the 1894 Carl Gustaf m/94-14 Calvary Carbine. I managed to buy a Lee Enfield No. 4 Mk.1, a big hulking rifle, but never got around to finding either carbine. These were cool rifles to my eyes, and that's all that counted. I did manage to get a hold of a 1903 Springfield from the Rock Island Armory, but the barrel was badly pitted. I managed to find a new, unissued two-grove barrel for it, but even though the receiver was a high number, the front ring cracked through when trying to remove the barrel for replacement. So, it would seem all these antique rifles have some sort of design or manufacturing flaws to render them "interesting" if not perfect. I won't even mention my desire to find a Canadian straight pull Mark II Ross rifle, but them some things are best forgotten.

Enjoy your exploration of history and the lessons that carbine teaches about the rifle and, more importantly, the men who used them in battle.

[Capybara]

Congratulations on your new rifles. If the OP's Enfield is missing the bayo lug, what does that mean Enfield experts? Is it a genuine No 5 MKI? Did someone just grind it off or was it rebuilt out of non-genuine parts? I don't know a lot of Enfields but I know some posters here do.

Here is mine, a 1947 Fazakerly, fairly sure this is genuine, it has the lightening cuts, bolt handle, bayo lug, correct sights. I have had no issues with it holding zero, but I have not shot it a lot, waiting find the time to reload up the PPU brass I have shot with it. Great little guns.

[IEatZ28]

It kinda looks like the lug was removed

[smle-man]

Not all that unusual, seemed to happen in the 50s/60s. I owned a couple in the past that previous owners had either cut the cone and bayonet lug off or just the bayonet lug. Why? Who knows!

I've read that the wandering zero issue was more of an excuse to dump the rifle and put resources towards developing a self loading infantry arm.

Your carbine was surplused out in England as seen by the commercial Birmingham proofs.

[Enfield47]

Nice looking No5. Yours is an authentic No5 rifle with the early wood forend. Mine is a '47 BSA with the later metal cap on the forend. It's a shame about the bayonet out being ground off but it won't affect anything (unless you want to attach a bayonet). You can find replacement flash hiders that have a bayonet lug if you want. Apex gun parts has one but it is in the white and requires fitting, Numrich seems to be sold out.

Not all that unusual, seemed to happen in the 50s/60s. I owned a couple in the past that previous owners had either cut the cone and bayonet lug off or just the bayonet lug. Why? Who knows!

I've read that the wandering zero issue was more of an excuse to dump the rifle and put resources towards developing a self loading infantry arm.

I've read the same info as well about wanting an excuse for a semi/full auto replacement. My No5 is very accurate with HXP surplus ammo, no wandering zero for me. I'm still working on the handloads to be accurate as the surplus.

[Kingair001]

All #4 receivers have flex. It's a built in feature of the kind. In the UK the call it whip. Many top shooters believe the problem is due to no down force on the barrel at the front. I know of two #5's that will shoot into an inch at 200 yards but both were built on #4 receivers 303 and .308. Good luck with your new rifle.

C O N G R A TS !

Nice !

[smle-man]

I bet that the wandering zero was from shooting prone in shirtsleeves on a gravel bedded firing line! My #5s have always shot consistantly. The Brits were on the way to adopting the #5 as the standard rifle post WW2. I have seen pictures of the rifle being used in a series of Army instructional photos showing the post war web gear arrangement and the rifle for squad drill. I imagine more forward thinking minds prevailed to pursue the EM series instead of replacing the #4 with the #5.

The #5 saw action in the far east and Kenya post WW2.

[Bainter1212]

^^^^ +1, I always thought the wandering zero issue was a bunch of BS just based on how well mine shoots. Probably due to flinching, the thing hurts if you aren't used to the recoil.

[watt79]

Bonus round!! Identify this Mauser, no import marks, all matching numbers and the side says berlin.

Is it an 1893 Spanish long rifle? Thought it was an 1895 at first, but I don't see the tab behind the bolt handle.

[IEatZ28]

I have no idea, guy said it's a German mauser that was a bring back. No papers though