British Enfield No.5 Mk.I Jungle Carbine .303 British Bolt Action Rifle C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,225
WOA#: WY240117CB037
Make: Royal Ordnance Factory Fazakerley (ROF F)
Model: No. 5 Mk. I ‘Jungle Carbine’
Serial Number: C3244
Year of Manufacture: 1944, October
Caliber: .303 British
Action Type: Bolt action, detachable 10 round magazine
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “No5MKIRCF (F)” and “10/44 C3244”. The rear of the bolt handle is very faintly marked “C3244”. The bolt head guide is marked “3244”. The underside of the forend is marked “C3244”. The left side of the front sight base is marked “M/47C”. The toe of the buttstock is marked “C3244” in a small wood insert. The bottom of the magazine is marked “C 3244” and “3244”. The rear is marked “RC” and “M/56”. As is common on British firearms, there are numerous faint small proof marks throughout. The left ricasso of the bayonet is marked “R.F.I”.
Barrel Length: 19”. There is an integral 1.5” flash hider at the end of the muzzle.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade post dovetailed into a base mounted between two protective ears. The rear sight is an aperture which when flipped up has an adjustable aperture.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two-piece wood stock has a straight grip with finger groove, hinged barrel band with sling loop, right side of buttstock sling well with bar, and a hard rubber buttpad. The buttpad is worn with a small chunk missing from the toe. There are compression marks, scuffs, and scratches throughout the wood. There is a small crack coming off the front of the right side trigger pin. The LOP measures 13.25” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttpad. The stock rates in about Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Oil darkened metal
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is sharp. There is moderate erosion in the bore.
In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 5.5 out of 10.
Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the U.S. used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The U.S. military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950s.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 80% of its metal finish. There are scuffs and scratches throughout the metal surfaces. There is pitting on the left side of the stock collar, one spot is very deep and there is deterioration at the stock line. There is light pitting on the right side of the stock collar. The upper handguard collar has pitting along the front edge and there are two small chips missing. The buttpad base has pitting and some larger scratches. There are areas of oxidation on the barrel band. There is a wear mark on the right side of the stock collar from the bolt handle. There is pitting on both sides of the magazine. The screw heads show light to moderate use. The markings are mostly clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good overall condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle comes with a 10 round detachable magazine in Good condition, a green canvas sling, and an RFI made reproduction No. 5 Mk. I bayonet.
Our Assessment: This is an example of a No.5 Mk. I, also known as the ‘Jungle Carbine’. The No.5 was an attempt by the British military to develop a lighter, carbine length version of the No.4 rifle for jungle and other inhospitable combat conditions where longer range fighting was typically not a concern. Produced from 1944 into the end of 1947, the No.5 saw service most notably during the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War. This is a very early example that was made in October of 1944 at the Royal Ordnance Factory Fazakerley, which was the second month of full production. The stock has light wear, with a very small crack at the front of the right side trigger pin. The metal retains most of its oil darkened finish, though there is a spot of very deep pitting on the left side of the stock collar at the stock line. The bore is in good shape with moderate erosion and it should make for an adequate shooter. The rifle also comes with a green canvas sling and an RFI made reproduction No. 5 Mk. I bayonet. This would fit into any British or Enfield collection. Please see our photos.
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