im a big lee enfield fan no.5 mk1 is my pride and joy what do you think

[garrettedwards777]

I was left a no.5 mk1 jungle carbine and a lithgow sht mk111* 1918 (looks nothing like the other ones i have found online dont know why.) from my father that passed 5 months ago the mk1 is cherry a new surplus not sure how old but it cant be more then 20 the lithgow looks like it was made in 1918 its got patch work on the stock where something hit it hard and took a chunk out i was thinking a rock flew up from a bomb going off maybe who knows only the rifle does but what im getting at is the mk1 a good rifle and the 303 cal. is that a good round i have read lots about them and hear there alright but what do real people think is what i want to know. i also have 28 aluminum tipped rounds that say 1941 on them any info on those would be great thank you .

 

[joe817]

I've always thought the L.E. jungle carbine was one of the neatest looking battle rifles to come out of WWII. Wish I would have bought one when I had the chance.

You don't see very many of them around nowdays. Enjoy your possession!

 

[BHP FAN]

I have the 1918 English make [BSA] MKIII and a battle scarred no.4,with part of a rack number still painted on the stock.Looks like it fell off the back of a Bren Gun Carrier in North Africa.My dad refinished the 1918,did a great job...and because it was my dad's and will be my son's I don't care that most of the collector's value vanished when dad refinished it. Milsurp.com has the ammo,and either gun will shoot as well as I do.Near my Mauser in accuracy and style points.in the same league or better than my Moisen Nagants.

 

[.45Guy]

I've always been a big fan of the No. 5, as is my father. Unfortunately I just helped my father part with his No. 5.... Fortunately it was on trade for the Smith 14-3 that has sort of become my carry piece... Funny how these things work out.

 

[kanook]

with all the enfields in the states, you would think that ammo would be at every gunstore. My nana bought my pampy one to hunt with after the war. She would tell me that on opening morning he would get up and fix some tea and leave before sunup. he was always home before lunch with a deer strapped to the car. I don't have his but I do have a couple of them and love taken them out to shoot when I can find ammo. try www.specialinterestarms.com for some neat ideas for conversions.

 

[mp510]

i also have 28 aluminum tipped rounds that say 1941 on them any info on those would be great thank you .

That is cupro-nickel jacketed British service ammunition. I have some ammo from the 1930s with the same projectiles. It used to be common- I also have some Finnish 7.62x54r from 1920s, some old .32 Auto, etc... with similar jackets.

 

[mattlove444]

I have one that has been sitting in the corner of my shop for 25-35 years. It is rusted but the bore and action are clean and greased. Is it safe to shoot? If so, what ammo should I use?

 

[Guvnor]

Id love to get an enfield, such a rich history. Whats the recoil like on the .303? And Is ammo hard to find?

 

[DougW]

Lots of questions. Good surplus .303 is hard to find. The POF is POS with hangfires galore. New ammo is available from Sellier & Beloit, Hot Shot, Remington, Federal, Wolf, and of course, reloads. .303 kicks a bit less than .308 and is a little less powerful than .308, but better than 30-30 or Krag.

The #5 does kick harder than then the #4, #3, or #1. The #5 is a pound lighter than the others, so ecoil is harder.

Any Enfield rifle in fairly good to good condition is safe to shoot normally. Starting load would be the Remington .303, as it is down loaded big time, but will give you a good idea of the capibility of the .303.

 

[Maverick223]

what do you think

P.S. The .303 Brit is a very good round.

 

[kanook]

got the bayonet when I was 10 for about $5. got the rifle when I was 22 for about $100.

 

[Maverick223]

Good looking kit you have there Kanook...I take it, that it has been a while since you were 22, or you got a great deal.

 

[alemonkey]

Id love to get an enfield, such a rich history. Whats the recoil like on the .303? And Is ammo hard to find?

Recoil is very light, in my opinion. It's a fairly heavy gun, and the .303 is a little less powerful than a .308. Ammo availability depends on where you're at. Around here it's easy to find, but in smaller towns you might have a problem. It can be ordered from several places on the internet, though, and you'll save money ordering in bulk.

My Enfield is one of my favorite rifles. Every time I shoot it I get a big smile on my face. As one of the arms that literally saved the free world from the forces of evil, I think it's one of those rifles every gunny should own.

 

[wnycollector]

I have a 1966 Ishapore 2A1 (essentially a no1 mk3 in 308) that is my fav mil surplus rifle. I'm currently in the hunt for a PH5a to put on it since this rifle is a tack driver.

My father-in-law has a no.4 mk1 that he sporterized back in the late 1950's. Luckily he only messed with the stock and drilled and tapped a scope, so bringing it back to mil specs wont be that hard someday. Yep gotta love those enfields.

 

[BCCL]

I have the 1918 English make [BSA] MKIII

I am still kicking myself for selling mine!!!!!

 

[DougW]

OK, Pics:
#5mk1 Faz 8/45 and 46 BSA project

The Savage Sisters

4-Maltby's 1-BSA, and 1-Fazakerly

 

[Guvnor]

Awesome collection!

Whats the going rate for a typical enfield? Are they usually available at gun shows?

 

[alemonkey]

Pretty....I'd love to have a No. 5.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

My 1942 SMLE and matching 1942 Austrailian Bayonet

Bought it 15+ years ago for 100.00

 

[Maverick223]

Nice collection Doug.

OGG, seeing as how it cost you $100 then, and you shot it, and I think I see a scratch, I would give you $90 now because I feel sorry for you. Nice looking rifle.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Those are some great tough good shooting rifles.

 

[DougW]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I am a confirmed Enfieldaholic, and there is no known cure. The pic of the 6 rifles was the largest single purchase of C&R's I ever made. It was kind of cool, and all 6 turned out to be 1943's in very good condition. That was about 4 years ago, and they were $75 each from Century.

The 4 Savages are a fluke, but two were only $69 each, and one is a restoration project of a $100 gun shop buy of a bubba'ed all matching no import marked Savage #4mk1*. There are still deals out there, you just have to look around.

 

[Rubber_Duck]

I love my Jungle Carbine. It feels so good in the hands and the sights are fantastic. I like the shortness and the fast-cycling action and high-capacity magazine. Getting ammo for it is a crapshoot though.

P.S.- I hope I don't catch too much flak because my Jungle Carbine is really a well-done No.4 conversion rather than a true No. 5. But it's certainly in better shape than every No.5 Mk.1 that I've ever seen!

 

[Ignition Override]

Instead of considering playing auction games, I decided to do business with "Joesalter" for an original #5. He has lots of British and other guns and militaria. Pursued an original because there were almost no imitations for sale on the Internet.
Am really satisfied.

Salter's site displays more than several photos for each gun and the descriptions are accurate.
Would people rather wait two days for an e-mail via an auction site (where the few photos of a gun are often in dim light), and watch the clock tick, or pick up the phone and ask one his staff about a gun?
Would like to post a photo but don't know the first step of the complex procedure.

 

[Sunray]

"...is that a good round..." It'll kill any game you care to hunt with no fuss. Check the headspace on both rifles before you shoot either.
"...Recoil is very light...It's a fairly heavy gun..." Um, no. A No. 5 is lighter than a No. 4 that is lighter than a No. 1. Not by much. The narrow butt stock seems to focus the felt recoil. A slip-on recoil pad or a hunting jacket tames the felt recoil well though.
"...28 aluminum tipped..." Most likely reloaded with old Silvertips. What colour are the primers?
"...Joe Salter..." He's a pirate, but his stuff isn't run-of-the-mill. High end collector grade stuff. Far moreso than any auction site.
"...the going rate for a typical Enfield..." Which model? Condition, of course, matters. $250 plus isn't unusual for a full military configuration rifle.
The only thing that's really important is the headspace. The bolt heads come off. The bolt head is used to adjust the headspace. Have the wrong one and the headspace will be bad. Thousands of both models have been assembled out of parts bins with zero QC.
"...Is it safe to shoot?..." No.