No.5 Mk.I Lee-Enfield Questions

[Drachenblut]

Hello Everyone,

I have a No.5 Mk.I that has a few unusual features I was hoping people could help me decipher. Firstly, was Ishapore the ONLY factory to do the "cross screw" or was it done to No.5 Enfields sometimes at other factories? Reason I ask is I have a screw through the wood about an inch forward of the front of the reciever and exactly halfway through the bottom stock. It is a clean screwing, and the screw does not even come all the way through to the other side, but you can see where it is just about through, as there is a slight "bulge" in the wood. However, the rifle has no RFI or FTR markings on it, and it is not ENGLAND or commercial marked. The story goes that the soldier who had it, who came to Canada after the war, did it himself as he brought the rifle home with him after either WWII or the Burmese Emergency.
The rifle is a November 1944 ROF made, bolt and reciever matching No.5, however the magazine is painted black, and the follower spring is labelled M/56, what does this mean?
Secondly, the front nosecap, under one of the ears, is labelled M/47C 1946 with a broad-arrow under that. The rear sight is labelled N67 on 3 parts with a large S.M. on the side of the ramp sight slider. This is one of the click-wheel types (unsure what the proper term is). The S.M. marking is on the front blade sight. Serial number of the rifle is C66**(*= digits omitted)

Thank you, any help is well recieved!

Yours,
Drachenblut

 

[JP]

Indian re-furb I had several in stock about 15 years ago. Many time original factory markings were removed during this process. M47 markings are for BSA. Markings on sight are for Singer one of the may parts sub-contrator. M56 also a sub-contrator, but I do not remember which one.

 

[tiriaq]

A screw could have been installed by an armourer to head off a crack.
Does the rear sight go to 800y? If so, it is a carbine sight; if it goes to 1200, it is a rifle sight.
M/56 is a code number for a factory in the Midlands. N67 is Singer, N for north. You will also see S for south.
Forget the story. Incidentally, there was an emergency in Malaya, where No. 5 rifles were issued.
If it is not "England" marked, and does not have British commercial proofs, the rifle was not surplused through the UK.

 

[John Sukey]

M56, Cheney & Son, Willenhall (mag cases, platforms and assy.)
As stated, N67 is Singer manufacturing Co. Ltd. Scotland
Now as for the screw, Peter Laidler stated that this was also done by British armourers on some rifles in Malaya though I am more inclined to believe it was an Indian refurb.

One thing you can be absolutely sure of, it was NOT done by the soldier it was issued to.

 

[Drachenblut]

Thank you for the information. The rifle has it's original green paint under the wood.
Story is forgotten. All the markings are intact on this rifle, there has been no scrubbing at all. Could the screw have been done by an armourer in Malaya? The hole looks like it was actually pre-bored and the screw fitted with care, not just screwed into the wood.
Also, this rifle shoots amazingly well. It has the 800 yrd sight on it and I've shot 8 inch groups on irons at 300 yards with Winchester 180 grain Super X. 3 inch groups at 150 yards on battle sight.