Mint Jungle Carbines in the wrapper?

Had dinner tonite with someone who unwrapped a #5 that came over from Malaysia in the early 80's. Reputable type, and he told the story without being prompted or even asked about it....it just came up in dinner conversation. (dinner with a table full of shooters can be FUN! The girls were talking shotguns, I was talking Enfields.)

Apparently the DID exist. Whether or not they still do is anyone's guess.

NS
 
LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1 said:
The "wandering zero" was never proven. Some think it was thought up by the Brit command to have an excuse to take it out of service in favor of more modern firearms. Some think it was thought up to bash the No.5.
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According to Reynolds there was a push to replace the No4 with the No5 as it was lighter and handier. It has been suggested that with a few million No4 rifles to use up first, the MoD didn't like that idea, and so the story of the wandering zero began...

If they had changed to the No5s, those No4s would have been converted to No5s most likely, so I suspect it was more a case of the No8 SLR and later the EM2 being in the works, so what point in reworking thousands of No4s to No5s when the rifle and cartridge were both 20+ years overdue for replacement?

Of course the .303 was ballistically just fine and still is, but a rimless round was overdue and a lighter one was thought to permit more rounds to be carried etc. etc. -- we won't go there!

Quality varied on British wartime No4s so probably some inferior receivers got converted to No5 spec and spoiled the reputation. As it was, too much metal was taken off the receiver IMO.

There are no reports of wandering zeroes on No4 actions with No5 barrels and stocks...
 
David you may want to investigate this rifle a little more...this is from pg 44 of Skennerton's SAIS on the No5, "Shirley also made 100 prototype MK2 models (BB prefix)". Might be something interesting. Either way you have a example from the first production run of BSA's No5mk1.
 
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r. fallon,

Thanks very much for this info.
I don’t really collect WWII British stuff so my library in this regard is almost non existent.
I will try and find out more about this first production run BSA No.5.Mk.1….you have tweaked my curiosity.

The only two British guns in my collection are shown below.
I do own the book on the Lanchester smg….but nothing on Enfield rifles.

David


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My God Man, a mint No5 AND a mint Lanchester, it's really hard to feel sorry for you and your 'lack' of British firearms.
 
My history with the Jungle Carbine is similar to my experience with a few other firearms I've had. In this case, I've had two which I sold and very shortly thereafter kicked my butt for doing so:redface:. Those first two were purchased from a hardware store in Ladysmith in the mid 60's, for $20.00 each. Although they weren't wrapped they were about as close to 'as new' as you can and get still full of the original grease.

I've just recently acquired another pair, one with the metal forend and one without. They belonged to a shooting buddy of mine and his father, both of whom have recently passed away.

When I started out big game hunting, a Simpon-Sears sporterized 303Br was my first rifle and on Moose, 215gr Dominion;) were the order of the day. As luck woulc have it, for 'trips' down memory lane, I recently picked up some 215gr Woodleigh bullets:D to reload, in addition to some Hornady 174gr RN and a selection of cast bullets I already have.

While admittedly I haven't shot these last two JC's all that much, I haven't noticed any of the 'wandering zero' that's been mentioned in any of the JC's I've had.
 
I have one that I mounted a "no drill" scope mount on with an old Bushnell 4x scope...it will shoot a 1" 3 shot group at 100 yrds. I am quite surprised and pleased with this rifle.
 
For $300 I'm just happy to get one. Every time I see one come up for sale it is gone within minutes or priced so high no one can afford it.
 
I have one that was probably purchased as unissued by its prior owner. There's not a mark on it, and it doesn't look like a refurb of any sort. It seems that at least some unissued examples made it into Canadian retail channels at some point, but how many is unclear.
 
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