Enfield No.5 Mk.I Jungle Carbine

I added this to my MILSURPLUS collection this week. It's a British Enfield Jungle Carbine, looks to be pretty much all original except for the magazine that was replaced at some point. It fires British .303 caliber and is commonly known as a shoulder buster despite the molded rubber shoulder pad they put on them. I haven't shot it yet, but they also have a reputation of having a huge muzzle blast despite the flash protector.

The British concept was only to remove the magazine for cleaning so each rifle came with only two and the soldier reloaded from the top using stripper clips - 10 rounds.

Notice how the designation was put on the receiver using an electropen. Wartime mass production at its best. The SN was placed on the left side of the wrist - the "England" is the pre-68 import marking when only the country of manufacture had to be placed on the weapon when it entered the US -, the bolt and on the underside of the stock fore arm. Later production No5s also had the SN marked on the magazine but this one should have had an unmarked one (it has one made for a No4 MkI Longbranch produced Enfield but they are interchangeable).

Many other parts are marked with sub-contracter marks and the ones on this rifle all match with original producers so it is likely to be almots totally as it left the factory.

The .303 round was corrossive and a lot of the Jungle Carbines (and other WWII weapons, too) had severe pitting and frosting in the bore and barrel due to improper cleaning. This one is very nice - just some light frosting but no pitting.

I'm looking forward to firing it!!

 

That's a cool rifle. I have a mk.IV manufactured in1917 that shoots like a dream. I'm a fan of the .303 British caliber.