Long Branch Jungle Carbine prototype- NOW WITH PICS

[cantom]

The gent I know who just acquired one of these tells me:

There were 10 made
1 is in England
This one has no British proofs
Long Branch barrel
1944 No 4 Mk I* on the sidewall
Brit style flash hider- he said looks the same
serial number refers to the series- not a normal LB number
fluting cuts on receiver similar to British

Hope to have pics of it on Sunday!

I'll do my best.

 

[36 hamon]

when i worked in Clarkson about 15min from LB we used to get all kinds of exCAL workers in the lumberyard one fella was in R+D and he took a JC home with him ..i never saw it but he did give me some in the white unfinished 303 and C1 parts ..the accountant who worked upstairs her father was a foreman at LB she also gave me some unfinished parts

 

[louthepou]

I am salivating.

In terms of rare items, I can say that I know a fellow around here who owns one lightened carbine, the prototype with the one-piece stock, about 40 rifles produced if I recall correctly.

 

[plinker 777]

Oh good g*d...let it go man!

 

[tech551]

I am salivating.

In terms of rare items, I can say that I know a fellow around here who owns one lightened carbine, the prototype with the one-piece stock, about 40 rifles produced if I recall correctly.

If we are thinking of the same guy, he also owns a N0. 1 Mark V!

 

[cantom]

Got plenty of pics of this today!

Bolt handle is curved as on the Lightweight rifle.
Rear sight is LB 1300 yards.
Buttplate and flash hider appear to be British. (not worth gearing up to make 10 pieces)
Wood is the normal gorgeous Canadian walnut.
Receiver was machined and then case hardened I was told.

The forend is not cut for the lockout block, is not low cut, and is not cut for the British bolt head release.

We compared the machining side by side with a British Jungle Carbine. The lightening cuts and profiles are definitely different. It is not a clone of the Brit rifles.

A gent who was there has seen it disassembled. He is 100% convinced it is totally genuine. He saw the lightening cuts in the forend and on the barrel, very nicely done and obviously not No 4 parts.

s/n is a contract number and is on the receiver and bolt.

What surprised me most- How few people were interested and even looked at it. This was in a very busy gun show.

 

[millwright]

Maybe others saw the stamps on the receiver and thought it was just another " Jungle Carbine" clone I kn ow I would have. Not knowing any better after seeing many home made No 5s

 

[louthepou]

I can certainly understand why 99.9% of watchers would only see a normal No5. Thanks for the pics, Cantom.

So, you're going to drill and tap that and put a NCStar scope on it, or what?

 

[tiriaq]

Thanks for posting these photos.
Do you know if the barrel has the lightning cuts?
You know, my concern would be that if someone wanted to make one, it would turn out to be just about the same.

 

[desporterizer]

I saw it but did not get a chance to look closer. There was also a gent taking pictures of a No4 with a waisted sight protector & an ex serial prefix. Very interesting!

 

[spinecracker]

I'm wondering what happened to the bolt handle?

 

[cantom]

I can certainly understand why 99.9% of watchers would only see a normal No5. Thanks for the pics, Cantom.

So, you're going to drill and tap that and put a NCStar scope on it, or what?

Great idea!!!! Except, I was gonna upgrade the scope to a Leepers...

This item went for long $.... Sadly, not to me.

 

[cantom]

Thanks for posting these photos.
Do you know if the barrel has the lightning cuts?
You know, my concern would be that if someone wanted to make one, it would turn out to be just about the same.

Yes, the gent who was there and had seen it all apart said the lightening machining on the barrel was tickety boo...very nicely done. And the lightening on the forend did not line up with any cut on a No 4 forend.

 

[cantom]

I saw it but did not get a chance to look closer. There was also a gent taking pictures of a No4 with a waisted sight protector & an ex serial prefix. Very interesting!

That was me...

Got lots of pics of that rifle too...the tenth rifle ever made at Long Branch.

 

[cantom]

I'm wondering what happened to the bolt handle?

http://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=150-No.4-Canadian-Lightweight-Experimental-Rifle

http://www.enfieldrifles.ca/ri18.htm

 

[Vimy Ridge]

Very interesting rifle. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[koldt]

Whoever designed the hockey puck, butt pad on the JC, should have to spend eternity in purgatory, shooting the thing.

BTW, thanx for the photos.

 

[enefgee]

Very, Very nice carbine, the bolt modification is very interesting - I can see it making it easier to work the bolt quickly in rapid fire.

 

[LawrenceN]

I had a chance to buy one many years ago from Military Art & Antiques on Yonge St. At that time, it was $500. The information I got was this: 30 were made as a trial rifle for a proposed special forces para regiment. It was believed that 27 were destroyed, 1 went to the War Museum, and 2 were in private hands. If you want to know if yours is real, see if the War Museum curator will send you pics of theirs or let you see it if you're in Ottawa. I do know that the one I missed on was sold for $1200. back in 1985.

 

[BadgerDog]

Interesting pics.. thanks for posting them...

It appears to me to just be a seriously bubba'd No.4 Mk1*, but perhaps I'm misunderstanding the point of the thread.

Why are the serial numbers filed down on the tang and bolt, then replaced? I assume it means it was a conversion from a previously serial numbered No.4 Mk1*?

Kind of reminds me of the lunchbox specials, salesman's prototypes examples of No.4's that surface from time to time. Is there any provenance or LB historical records on this piece?

I can't find any reference to an official Long Branch No.5 Mk1 Jungle Carbine, or any No.4 Mk1* marked variant ever being produced, although I can find a reference to an experimental one being produced using a 1943 No.4 Mk1* receiver.

According to Skennerton's newest publication The Lee Enfield on page 319 ..

"At least one prototype .303 N0.5 jungle carbine was produced at the Long Branch factory, the illustrated speciman is from the Candian War Museum collection. This example utilised a 1943 vintage No.4 Mk11* receiver with No.5 type barrel, flash eliminator assembly and fore-end. The backsight is s No.4 Mk3, re-graduated to 800 yards, which makes it similar to the British-made No.5 Mk2 sight. The carbine is stocked to within 6.25 in. of the flash hider, similar to the ROF Fazakerley and BSA Shirley-produced No.5 model."

The photograph from Skennerton's book referenced above also appears on page 319 and shows it marked as a 1943 No.4 Mk1*.

I'd like to post the pics for Skennerton, Payne and Laidler to comment on, if that's ok?

It might be turn out to be a new chapter in everyone's Lee Enfield collector books ..

Regards,
Doug