Gunshow LE-JC#5 Newbie 4x Questions

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rzmitch

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Hi all, just came back from a Gunshow and want to buy a #5Mk1 I saw a a good price. A few questions... (1) Do I need some sort of special Milsurp ammo or just .303 British 180g that I can find at Cdn Tire? (2) I've read in the posts here about having a gunsmith check the "headspace" before shooting it?...newbie...what does that mean? (3) Any cleaning intervals you might suggest? (4) Best non-drill/tap scope mount brand if I ever go that way?
Thanks!
RZMitch (Milsurp Convert)
 
A few answers

(1) Regular factory ammo works fine. The Federal Classic 180 grain soft point is a favourite of mine. I find that 180 grain bullets group better than 150 grainers. Milsurp ammo is getting hard to find, but I believe that FMJ ammo is available from Remington/UMC (in the plain yellow boxes).

(2) The "headspace" is the amount of gap or free play between the base of the cartridge and the bolt face when the bolt is closed and the cartridge is pushed all the way into the chamber. Too little headspace and rounds won't chamber when the rifle heats up, or not at all. Too much headspace and you get stretched brass and case head separations. On the Lee Enfield, the headspace is adjusted by swapping the bolt heads, which come in different lengths. A gunsmith can tell you if your rifle is set up properly. This should be done before shooting.

(3) I clean mine after every time I shoot it.

(4) Not sure about scope mounts.

Hope this helps.
 
"...want to buy a #5Mk1..." Learn a bit about how to tell a real No. 5 from a fake. The quickest way to tell is if there is the manufacturer's name, lightening machining on the receiver and what sling swive lis on the butt stock. Canadian Arsenals, for example, didn't make 'em.
Go here for more and better info.
http://www.surplusrifle.com/no5/index.asp
1) Nope, any .303 British ammo will do nicely. You'll likely prefer a lighter bullet(like a 150) though. The felt recoil from a No. 5 is stout due to the lighter weight and that idiotic India rubber butt plate, laughingly called a recoil pad. A lighter bullet will help some.
2) Headspace is a manufacturing tolerance that allows any maker's ammo to be used in any like chambered rifle. If the headspace is excessive, the rifle is not safe to shoot. The absolute worst case scenario is the lugs that keep the bolt closed breaking and the bolt coming back into your head. Far more likely is lots of case head separations leaving most of the case in the chamber(fixing that isn't terribly hard, but it sure is a nuisance), difficulty opening the bolt, blown primers and maybe the gases coming back after a case head separation and blowing out the mag.
Lee-Enfields of all models have a removeable bolt head. You have no idea if the existing bolt head is the original bolt head. The bolt head is changed in conjunction with headspace guages to adjust the headspace. Checking the headspace is not hard to do, but you need a No-Go and a Field guage to do it. They run $25 or $26 US each from Brownell's. One of the local smithies may have the guages and will check it for a nominal fee.
3) After shooting it. Every time.
4) Most of 'em require removing the rear sight. Brownell's sells one made by Cad-Technik that doesn't though. $75US. There's a link on the right side menu on the surplusrifles site. You may find one in one of your local gun shops though. Knew a guy who used a No. 5 for moose hunting for years with no scope.
Slug the bore too. Hammer a cast .30 calibre bullet or a suitably sized soft lead fishing sinker through the barrel and measure it with a micrometer. Lee-Enfield barrels can measure between .311" and .315" and still be considered ok. Larger than .315", the barrel is shot out. (Mind you, that doesn't happen often with a No. 5. Of the 500,000 made between 1943 and 1947, most didn't see much use.)
 
On a Enfield .... Iron sights are the way to go :D just my $0.02

If you can find any, Igman 180grn was pretty nicely priced. When all else fails - pick up a classic lee loader kit ..
 
Owners manual... not so much. Military tended to make you memorize things.

There's this though:
http://www.surplusrifle.com/no5/index.asp

Info on how to completely disassemble, clean, reassemble, etc etc etc etc

Edit - I clean my guns every time I shoot, and prefer iron sights. I hear (but don't know for a fact) that no5's are a little less accurate, so may as well just use them with iron sights and enjoy them in all their glory! (besides, if you can shoot with iron sights, who needs a scope?? - plus, scopes cost you valuable money that could otherwise be spent on ammo!)
 
Head space with Lee Enfields is seldom a problem so don't worry about that just have it checked after you buy it.. If the numbers match and the bore is really bright and sharp then just buy it. I always take a pull through with me to gun shows because so many of these have dark corroded bores and dealers have a tendency to leave them dirty to cover up. I also have a set of headspace guages. I haven't found about 1 in 50 I have checked that was excess headspace and the owner shoots it anyway. Condition....don't buy a dog as there are many good ones for sale out there.
 
One CAVEAT. Brownells headspace gages are SAMMI stndard. NOT British standard. A SAMMI no-go gage can FAIL an otherwise safe rifle. British military no-go gages are .074 Being as you are in Canada. the gunsmith should have the proper military standard no-go gage.
 
+1 on the iron sights, the big aperture (with the ladder folded down) is a 200 yard battle sight - it should be more than adequate for large living things, and pretty fast too.
 
Yup, ian in vic, I shot my first Moose with a mk5 from Hercules sports on Yonge street,paid 19.95 and had to de grease it first. Actually I didn't shoot the moose on yonge street, it was near Terrace Bay Ont. And the battle peep worked fine!!!!!! JITC
 
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