Spotted a Jungle Carbine Enfield fi someone is interested!?

[Carguy]

I stopped by Riley's in Hookset, NH this afternoon to mill around the "toy store" as I like to do when I can kill some time instead of lunch and am in the area.

Anyways I spotted a really nice Enfield #5 Mk 1 Jungle Carbine in .303 for $395. I looked it over and as best I could figure out it is an original...1947 dated, hollow bolt handle. It does appear that someone lightly sanded the stock but everything else looks good...didn't have a light to check the bore.

I just thought I'd mention it if anyone was in the market. Sounds like a steal to me...if I wasn't saving for something else I'd grab it.

 

[ranger4-7]

Carguy
What do you look for to determine originality? I'm not an Enfield expert, so I've stayed away from the Number 5's because I assumed most were remakes.

 

[TheFaz]

Check out the Enfield forums on Gunboards or something similar for detailed descriptions, but essentially you are looking for the lightening cuts on the side, the aforementioned hollow bolt, and the correct stampings on the left side of the receiver. I don't know of any copies that have all of those features, mostly they just stick a shortened barrel and flash hider on a #4 Mk 1 along with the #5 buttstock and call it good. Hope that helps.

 

[Garys]

Here is a pretty good resource for the Jungle Carbine. http://www.angelfire.com/vt/milsurp/no5.html

The bolt handle hole seems to be the easiest and most commonly faked part on remakes. I'm not an expert, but I have a real Jungle Carbine so I know what a real one looks like.

The real ones have the receiver lightened with a lot of cuts. Some of them are under the furniture, so a detailed inspection is required.

 

[m44]

I have a Santa Fe fake, I got it dirt cheap and its my only enfield. If it helps included is a few pics of mine, which is shot out unfortunately. This is the only gun I own that I have never shot.
A few pics of the gun.

And a marking pic.

And I know you saw the photos before.

 

[theGringo]

I have a Santa Fe fake, I got it dirt cheap and its my only enfield. If it helps included is a few pics of mine, which is shot out unfortunately. This is the only gun I own that I have never shot.

I've got a "sporterized" Santa Fe Jungle Carbine, imported by Golden State Arms, that my Dad bought out of Sears Catalogue in the early '60s. Looks quite similar. I've shot it a few times. The flash hider falls off when the barrel gets hot.

I should fix that some day.

 

[SKS Ray]

The biggest thing you have to watch for when buying a Jungle Carbine (after verifying its an original one of course) is to check for pitting below the wood line.
Often its hard to spot but I know of many cases where people got a "great deal" on one and found severe pitting on the receiver and barrel once they took the stock off.

This is a result of these rifles being stored in humid climates with little or no protection. The average importer/distributor will not mention what they find as far as rust.

Severe pitting can result in an unsafe rifle!

 

[sig shooter]

these links should anwser any questions

http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ri12.htm

http://www.geocities.com/milsurpunderground/jungcarb.html

 

[Carguy]

Also noticed no importer stamp anywhere (maybe under the wood) and the flip-up graduated rear sight was marked out to 800 (meters) and many pieced together versions used #1 sights that were graduated to 1200 (meters) IIRC. My knowledge is from the reading I've done on so many forums. I do have a nice #4 Mk1 but no Jungle Carbine. This is one I would have grabbed, I understand they are a blast to shoot (kicks like an M44).

 

[TheFaz]

Recoil is grossly overstated with these rifles IMO, but then I don't mind shooting my M44 or M38s either. Of course I do most of my shooting standing, from a bench all of them have a bit more bite. With the POF ammo currently available it's still very reasonable to shoot Enfields too. Keep an eye on Gunbroker, you can occasionally find some reasonable #5 specimens there. Also look in unusual locations, I got mine at Kittery Trading Post a few months ago for only $175, and they had a slightly sporterized one (forend cut in half, rest complete, easily restored) for only $125. You never know when the deals will present themselves.