Lee-Enfield No5 (Jungle carbine) advice

[jmorris]

So, came across this in a pawn shop today. Actually he had two. I'm 80% towards buying this thing but there's no stripper clip with it. Is it absolutely necessary? If so, anyone know of a site for parts?

Thanks

[G26ster]

You can buy them everywhere for dirt. How many do you need
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=B ... IELD+CLIPS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jmorris]

You can buy them everywhere for dirt. How many do you need
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=B ... IELD+CLIPS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I had looked and saw a bunch of these 5 round clips. From my research it appeared the No5 took a ten round clip and I hadn't been able to find any of those. Is that not correct?

[G26ster]

You can buy them everywhere for dirt. How many do you need
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=B ... IELD+CLIPS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I had looked and saw a bunch of these 5 round clips. From my research it appeared the No5 took a ten round clip and I hadn't been able to find any of those. Is that not correct?

If I'm not mistaken, the magazine is ten rounds and takes 2 five round stripper clips to load.

[Chemist45]

You asked for advice, so here goes:
US made or converted "Jungle Carbines" far out number the ones Lee ever made.
Navy arms, for example, sold tons of converted jungle carbines that they made from Lee Enfields.
True Jungle Carbines were made by either the British Small Arms company (BSA) or the Royal Ordnance Factory.
And they never called them Jungle Carbines.
The easiest way to tell if you have a fake is simple: If it says Jungle Carbine anywhere on the gun - it isn't one.
True Jungle carbines were only made by the above companies and have markings on the left hand side of the receiver that say "Rifle No 5 Mk I".

If it doesn't have those two criteria, its a fake. And that's fine as long as you know what you are buying.
Just don't pay collector's prices for a fake.

[G26ster]

Numrich has parts

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Sea ... bine+parts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jmorris]

You asked for advice, so here goes:
US made or converted "Jungle Carbines" far out number the ones Lee ever made.
Navy arms, for example, sold tons of converted jungle carbines that they made from Lee Enfields.
True Jungle Carbines were made by either the British Small Arms company (BSA) or the Royal Ordnance Factory.
And they never called them Jungle Carbines.
The easiest way to tell if you have a fake is simple: If it says Jungle Carbine anywhere on the gun - it isn't one.
True Jungle carbines were only made by the above companies and have markings on the left hand side of the receiver that say "Rifle No 5 Mk I".

If it doesn't have those two criteria, its a fake. And that's fine as long as you know what you are buying.
Just don't pay collector's prices for a fake.

Yep, I'd researched that. Receiver on the one I'm interested in says "No5 MKI 7/45 01702" and it has the armory stamp. Leads me to think right now it's an original. Haven't checked to see if it has matching serial numbers on the other parts.

I also just went back and reread the article I was using for reference and found it said "The detachable magazine has a massive 10 round capacity (double most military rifles of the time) and is fed by five round stripper clips." Guess the 10 stuck in my mind and overrode the five.

So, never mind.

[Bullwhip]

Clips feed the magazine, magazine feeds the gun. Enfields = 10 round magazine, 5 round clips. Brits called em "chargers" cause they charge the magazine.

[olafpfj]

Check the size of the bolt head as well. Its a number stamped on it. If its a 0 or 1 headspace might be an issue. If it has a 2 or ideally a 3 your should be fine. The armory adjusted headspace by using different sized bolt heads sizes 0-3. Size 0-1 (the shorter ones) are very common. Size 2 gets rare and a 3 is made of unobtanium. If you find one for sale it will be $120 and up...IF you find one. I always check enfields i find in gun shops and pawn shops and have found rifles with size 3 bolt heads being sold very cheaply because they have no idea how hard those heads are to find.

I found all this out after i bought my No4 mkI and noticed the nice classic cracks around the case head. I had a size 0 bolt head. I did ultimately find a size 3 but it took months of searching and I finally found some old email address from an ancient blog and took a shot at it. Turned out it was some old codger who used to be some enfield guru and he had one. Wanted where on earth i found him since he had been done with enfieldsfir years but he'd check his oldwork bench. He had me send him my bolt so he could make sure it would fit right. It did and my headspace problem, while still on the ragged edge of passing, was fixed.

Anyway...I have size 2 hanging out in my workbox if anyone needs one.

[Ameer]

My dad has a SMLE and he fire formed the brass and only resizes the neck when he reloads for it. When I was a kid I used to pretend I was hunting elephants like Karamojo Bell.