Jungle Carbine Restoration

bgcameron

bgcameron

CGN Regular
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Location
Victoria, BC
So I picked up a slightly sportered No. 5 this weekend at the Lumby gun show. I thought it was a good deal for $90

The good: Excellent condition metal, MINT bore, matching numbers, and a 5-round magazine (scarce, from what i've heard)

The bad: Sporter'd forend, missing butstock and missing flashhider.

I am pretty sure the barrel is uncut. The barrel narrows where the flashhider would be, and there is a different front sight assembly installed.

So, I came across a "No. 4 MKI To No. 5 MKI Jungle Carbine Conversion Kit" from Numrich for about $60. It includes most of the bits i would need, less a stock band and receiver ring. Apparently it uses converted No.4 wood.

My questions are: does anyone have experience with this kit? and how easy is it to pull a sporter sight and remount flash hider assembly?

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a pic of the rifle with a spare buttstock i had
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Just a question, why do folks insist on calling it a "jungle carbine?"
The Brits NEVER did. It is the rifle, No5 Mk1.
The term "jungle carbine" came from the surplus dealers who also gave us the term "assault rifle", which was a STUPID GIFT to the gun grabbers.
 
I was told that the kit from Numrch is to convert a No 4 , and that the flash hider is of a different diameter. this may require a gunsmiths help.
 
Why not put an advert in the EE? Surely someone has the correct bits laying around collecting dust from the "sporterizing" days. As far as the mag is concerned, you'll need a 10 rounder of course - worth about the same as your 5 rounder. (The five rounders are not rare, as they were a common retrofit for the nicer sporters....)
 
John Sukey said:
Just a question, why do folks insist on calling it a "jungle carbine?"
The Brits NEVER did. It is the rifle, No5 Mk1.
The term "jungle carbine" came from the surplus dealers who also gave us the term "assault rifle", which was a STUPID GIFT to the gun grabbers.
Click to expand...

But... But, John... is sounds so... cooooool!!!!

Fashionably-armed-Lou
 
I converted a cut down No4 Mk1* last year with a Numrch kit. At that time they did not have the butt stock, so I only got the forearm, hand guard and flash hider from them. The wood is converted from N04 wood and it required a good deal of work to get it to fit properly. I don't think it turned out too bad, all things considered.

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I always heard that the term "jungle carbine" was coined because the Brits needed a short rifle that would be easier to manipulate in the Pacific Theater. (short carbine would be more handy in the jungles of New Guinea than the longer #1 MK3...)
 
No. The No.5 was developed from the No.4 because the British Army decided they needed a shorter lighter version for airborne troops, primarily in the European theatre of operations.

As it turned out the No. 5 was more widely issued in post-war colonial campaigns in tropical climates and popular in that context, and that is where the misnomer "Jungle Carbine" comes from.
 
UPDATE!

I managed to find a complete wood set with all the additional metal bits, thanks to a fellow CGN'er. I removed the sporter front sight and all I need now to finish this project is a flashhider. Anyone have a No5 flashhider lying around?
 
Update:

I have found a flashhider for this rifle. There is one small cosmetic issue I would like to fix. The flashhider is blued and quite pitted. So much so that it doesnt really match the rifle (excellent shape with suncorite).

Is there any way to fill pits? Is there a special method of soldering them? I would like to clean up the pits and find some alternative to suncorite to finish the flashhider. Any ideas?
 
finloq said:
Is that true John, or are you just "pullin' my lariat?"
Click to expand...

It was, I have heard, for both this reason, and to protect the butt on paradrop, on contacting the ground.

As those of us who have felt it know, taking the recoil from a lighter rifle, and distilling it over the smaller surface area of the No5s butt, certainly makes it feel more like a "recoil concentrator", than a recoil "pad"!

;)
 
bgcameron said:
Is there any way to fill pits? Is there a special method of soldering them? I would like to clean up the pits and find some alternative to suncorite to finish the flashhider. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Not sure about filling the pitting, but I've heard that BBQ paint is pretty good as a stand by to fake suncorite. I used flat black rustoleum spray paint on a couple of my No5s more tarnished bits, and am pretty happy with the results.
 
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