Jungle Carbine Restoration

Recce21

Recce21

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I recently bought this 1945 BSA No.5 Mk.1 that I am looking to do some restoration on. The biggest issue is rust and cracked wood. Can anyone give me a hand on what I can do to fix the wood? Or should I just set it aside and buy some reworked No.4 wood of Numrich? Any ideas about the black paint?
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800m Sight
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Bottom Hand Guard
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Top Handguard
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Butt Stock looks shaved down?
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Marstar is getting in new enfield wood set in early 2010...

maybe you are lucky and find what you are looking for...
 
Looks like some parts were painted black and that paint is flaking off ?If it wasn't for that crack in the hand guard, I would say leave it alone as it looks like it was exposed to moist conditions for quite a while as well as being handled alot but looks just fine overall.

I'm no No 5. Mk 1 expert though so I will have to yield to others in this field.
 
"B" is BSA/Shirley manufactured rear sight. All the wood looks like it had a good going over with a coarse rasp. All the metal looks good even thought the paint enamil is flaking. Personally I generally do not refinnish metal on milsurps. Wood is not that hard to find. Before you order from south of the boarder try finding a junked or bubbad #5 that you can steal the wood off of. Other than that try Ebay. The #4 wood conversion kit that Numerich offers has been cut to allow for the receiver lug at the front lower right. The #5 does not have this lug and the forstock is not cut out at this area. RF
 
What surprises me is the LB stamp on the knox. I have never seen that before. It has the proper relief cuts and looks to be original though, interesting.
The black paint looks like "suncorite". I seem to remember someone here mentioning that there is a modern commercial equivalent available. Brian ####, a banner advertiser on Milsurp Knowledge will probably have some.

It would be cheaper to buy a legitimate rifle in decent condition, rather than restore that one.

That LB stamp on the knox really intrigues me, I know that Long Branch Canada experimented with carbines but I didn't think they mass produced barrels for export. Interesting.

Go onto the Milsurp Knowledge site, a banner supporter, post your pics in the lee enfield knowledge section and ask your questions. There are some extremely well informed people over there like Peter Laidler. I'll bet he could tell you if there's something special about the rifle and if it's worth restoring.
 
bearhunter said:
What surprises me is the LB stamp on the knox. I have never seen that before. It has the proper relief cuts and looks to be original though, interesting.
The black paint looks like "suncorite". I seem to remember someone here mentioning that there is a modern commercial equivalent available. Brian ####, a banner advertiser on Milsurp Knowledge will probably have some.

It would be cheaper to buy a legitimate rifle in decent condition, rather than restore that one.

That LB stamp on the knox really intrigues me, I know that Long Branch Canada experimented with carbines but I didn't think they mass produced barrels for export. Interesting.

Go onto the Milsurp Knowledge site, a banner supporter, post your pics in the lee enfield knowledge section and ask your questions. There are some extremely well informed people over there like Peter Laidler. I'll bet he could tell you if there's something special about the rifle and if it's worth restoring.
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My money is on it being a "B"
 
The LB stamp on the knox is infact a poorly struck B for BSA/Shirley. It looks like a LB stamp because it was cocked to the lower left as it was stamped. The LB stamp has both ends of the L extending past the B. RF
 
polaris said:
$185.00 quite costly...

before investing this kind of money; whats the barrel condition and that of all the other parts?
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Bore is in good shape. Lots of rifling left. The metal parts are in good condition but the black paint on the exposed metal is missing/worn. I really want original wood on it. The current wood is broad arrow marked. Considering I got it for a fair price, spending 185 for new wood would not be out of the question. But only for original no.5 wood.
 
Recce21 said:
Bore is in good shape. Lots of rifling left. The metal parts are in good condition but the black paint on the exposed metal is missing/worn. I really want original wood on it. The current wood is broad arrow marked. Considering I got it for a fair price, spending 185 for new wood would not be out of the question. But only for original no.5 wood.
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watch at gunshows for wood, No4 wood converted never looks right.
 
I own a 1944 No.5, and the paint is normal for later war/burmese emergency/korean war rifles/eras. Mine has the underside of the metal parts coated in khaki green armour's paint, I've heard of black painted rifles as well. Don't monkey with the paint, as for the stock, see about a replacement, or, if you really want too, sand and re-finish the stock, use a commercial/carpenter's wood-filler for the cracks. Otherwise, leave it be. From what I see, there are no LB markings on this rifle, but lots of M-47C and I think I spotted a Faz stamp as well. A nice rifle overall, let no one tell you different!
 
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