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In service, the No.5 rifle was not called a ‘jungle carbine’, this was likely marketing by Santa Fe Arms Corporation and other U.S. dealers when they were selling their surplus military stock. The U.S. gun magazine advertisements from the 1950s certainly corroborate this. Nevertheless, it certainly can be classified as a ‘carbine’ and it was designed as a shorter, lighter firearm for jungle fighting at the end of World War 2. So its nickname fits it well.
Prototype and test models in mid-1943 were called ‘Lightened No.4 rifles’, which it was essentially. The British service No.4 rifle action was lightened and the barrel, fore-end and hand-guard shortened, the bolt and some other fittings lightened and then the butt was lightened and fitted with a rubber kick-pad. The lighter weight and short barrel not only increased recoil, but muzzle flash too. So a flash hider was incorporated along with a lug fitting for the new knife bayonet which has a Bowie blade.
The No.5 was carried on its sling in a different fashion to other British service rifles of the time, the butt-plate has a sling bar incorporated in its sheet construction. Like other WW2 short rifles and carbine in European and American service, the butt positions flat against the serviceman’s body in the carry position. There is an exception however, the sling bar locates the sling on the opposite side, so the bolt handle or right hand side bears against the body.
By this time it was mid-1944 and there was an urgent requirement in the Far East for a shorter and lighter rifle. British factories making the Rifle No.4 were ROF (Royal Ordnance Factory) Fazakerley, ROF Maltby and BSA Shirley. Fazakerley was the prime government factory so early models of the new .303 ‘jungle carbines’ were fabricated there first.
One thousand new rifles designated the ‘No.5 Mark I’ were manufactured at Fazakerley in late 1943-early 1944. This first batch has ‘FE’ prefix serial numbers, the production months and years are engraved on the left side of the action body, those noted to date have been between January and March, dated 1/44 and 3/44.
The No.5 action body is typically engraved ‘No.5 Mk I’ on the left side along with the factory ‘ROF(F)’, month and year. A contract was then signed with B.S.A. Shirley so their No.5 rifle production is usually marked ‘M47C’, which was their WW2 manufacturer’s code. No.5 rifle serials have four numbers with one or two letter prefixes, e.g. H4571 or BB8576. Jungle carbines were manufactured by Fazakerley from 1944 and then BSA Shirley in 1945, until later in the 1940s. The latest Fazakerley production date noted has been 12/47 with an AF serial prefix. BSA production used double letter prefixes in BA to BK, BS, CC and DD ranges with years between 1945 and 1948. The No.5 rifles typically have four numbers compared with five of the No.4 series rifles.
Lightened and special parts of the ‘Jungle Carbine’ by milling or shortening are the action body, barrel, trigger guard, bolt body, sear, magazine catch, safety lever, fore-end, hand-guard, upper band, stock bolt and butt. However as production progressed, some standard No.4 parts were applied, such as the sear and magazine catch. Later production bolt handle knobs may be noted without the early style large recess too.
The action body or receiver has lightening cuts in the walls, noticeable on the left side at the rear, and the right side opposite and then at the reinforce lump on the right side under the extractor cut groove. A recess was cut through at the bottom, rear of the body, inside the socket, below the female thread for the stock-bolt.
Lightened or special parts on the No.5 are:-
* Bolt body: Hollowed out circular knob
* Barrel: Shortened & lightened, ‘scoops’ at knox form
* Trigger guard: ‘Waisted’ near the front guard screw
* Sear: Lightened with a recess inside the ‘V’ section
* Safety bolt: Thinner at the serrated round thumbpiece
* Fore-end: Half-length, sporter style. Later style has a metal end cap
* Handguard: Only a shorter lower handguard, with no longitudinal grooves
* Outer band: Slightly larger circumference than a No.4; it is positioned lower
* Butt: Lightening cuts on the outside, back end removed inside
* Buttplate: Sheet steel plate with rubber kickpad insert
* Stock-bolt: ‘Waisted’ at the middle of the shaft, lightening hole in slotted head
* Flash hider: Cone-shape with integral foresight protectors and bayonet lug
* Backsight: Same length as No.4 ladder sight, but graduated to 800 yards
* Mk I model is machined steel, Mk II type is fabricated sheet steel
Some parts, particularly those of the action, are readily interchangeable with the No.4 and may have been retro-fitted later in service; parts such as the bolt body, trigger guard, sear or safety catch may be identical to the No.4. Later production No.5 rifles used some such No.4 parts. Magazines for the No.4 and No.5 rifles are interchangeable although some may be found serial numbered to their parent rifles.
The No.4 ladder sight is ranged to 1,300 yards while most No.4’s have the small dual-range sight. Jungle carbines have an 800 yard folding ladder rearsight, another way to check originality. Two types of 800-yd. backsight may be encountered, the first was a fully machined steel ‘Singer’ type and the later production alternative was folded sheet metal with a release latch for longer ranges on the right side of its leaf. Earlier production has a rounded end to the fore-wood while later on a small steel cap was used, attached by a screw.
Serial numbers were engraved or stamped on the left side of the action body, at the rear of the bolt handle, and subsequently at some ordnance depots, on the underside of the fore-end in a similar style to many No.1 (SMLE) rifles. On original rifles, these should be the same serial; mismatching numbers identify a non-original part.
A small number of paratroop models were produced for tests, with three different styles of detachable butts. The airborne prototypes are illustrated and described in ‘The Lee-Enfield’, pages 240-241. These types are very rare and some fakes are likely today.
Some Indian re-fits appear on the market today. These usually have a darker, oily wood and in some cases, original British manufacture marks are removed as they have been factory refurbished in India or maybe in Pakistan too. Another feature of such rifles is a transverse screw through the fore-end to strengthen them, for use with grenade launchers. Typical Indian ordnance marks are usually noted on these rifles too, especially on the butts.
The ‘hung trigger’ of the No.4 Mk 2 was considered for the No.5 however problems with ‘wandering zero’ with the ‘jungle carbine’, later attributed to uneven removal of metal from each side of the action body, caused the No.5 to be phased out of service. At one time, it was even proposed to become the general issue rifle, replacing the No.4.
Some No.4 rifles have been more recently cut down and had some No.5 parts fitted. As the jungle carbine is worth quite a bit more than a No.4 rifle. Even if the designation on the left of the receiver has been removed, the serial number can indicate its origin as No.5 rifles did not have more than four numbers in the serial. After-market flash hiders and butt plates with rubber kickpads are available, some flash hider assemblies of alloy rather than steel have been noted too.
Australia produced a ‘Jungle Carbine’ version of the No.1 or SMLE rifle, made at Lithgow in late 1944 - early 1945, later designated the Rifle No.6. These have serial number prefixes of ‘XP’ and only a few hundred were made. We will have an article on these Lithgow home-grown models at a later date.
Specifications:-
* Manufacturer: ROF Fazakerley ROF(F); BSA Shirley (M47C)
* Length overall: 39.5 ins. with normal butt
* Length of barrel: 18.7 in. without flash hider, 20.5 in. with flash hider
* Length of bayonet blade: 8.0 in., 12.0 in. overall
* Weight: 7 lb. 1 oz. with empty magazine
* Accessories: Bayonet, scabbard, web sling, oil bottle, pull-through, gauze & flannel.
For reference, nothing beats ‘hard copy’, a good library. Buying a fake or re-build rifle loses more money that would be spent on a book. For the .303 Rifle No.5, the S.A.I.S. #4 - .303 Rifle No.5 Mk I – is ideal with 48 pages of manufacture history, parts and exploded parts drawings. It is inexpensive at $12 too.
Ilustrations courtesy of Ian Skennerton & Ron Hayes
References:
- ‘The Lee-Enfield’ (Skennerton) 2007
- S.A.I.S. #4 - .303 Rifle No.5 Mk I (Skennerton) 2005
- Buyers Guide to Lee-Enfields’ (Skennerton) 2008
© Ian Skennerton 2010
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