Dirty Bob
Member
First off, I want to thank those here who steered me away from the "creations" of Gibbs Rifle. I decided to take some good advice and try to find a Jungle Carbine, instead.
I went to a local gun show this weekend, looking for an Enfield No. 5 Jungle Carbine. I went through the whole show and found a few examples. All were more than a bit rough looking, and the least expensive was $250. I was feeling disappointment setting in, but then I found a No. 4 Mk I* that had been sporterized. I do not like the idea of sporterizing, but at least this one had been done fairly well, and the gun was, by far, in the best shape of any of the Enfields of any type at the show. They had it marked at $250, but I got it for about $185 ($200, tax included). A few people tried to buy it from me on my way out.
The wood has a smooth oil finish, but it has enough "character" (tiny dings and such) that I won't be afraid to carry it into the field. The metal looks like it was refinished with some sort of black Teflon or something. The bore looked very clean. I believe the battlesight peep has been bored out, because the hole is about 3/16" ! Think ghost ring. It *is* fast to line up. The barrel has been cut down to just over 21", and a ramp front sight installed very cleanly. The stock is cut down to a "sporter" profile and the handguards are gone. The buttstock sling swivel is still there, but a sporter type swivel has been installed on the forearm. The real weird one is the magazine: it's gone, and a "floorplate" has been installed to cover the hole! It was a fairly nice job, but I want the 10-round magazine back!
The rear sight has the flip-up long range sight, with the little squeeze lever on the side for adjustment, similar to the one I've seen on P-17 U.S. "Enfields." Takedown is a bit different than what I expected. There's no bolt catch. The cutout that lets you rotate the bolt lug is just behind the receiver ring.
As far as markings, the serial numbers match (OC44xxx), and on the left side is stamped "S No 4 Mk 1*", above which is stamped "US PROPERTY." The serial number is on the left side of the band that divides the stock halves, and a "B" is stamped about 1/2" below it. No date appears on the gun that I can find. There is an "8" on the left side of the receiver, to the left of the where the model is stamped, and there's a "6" just above the triggerguard on the right side. "England" is stamped on the top part of the receiver, with a tiny crown and what looks like a letter "P."
I'm looking forward to picking up some .303 ammo and trying this beast out! It's quite lively in the hands, and I find I can work the bolt much more quickly and easily than in any of the Mauser-based rifles I've tried, even from the shoulder. I do wish it was still in military configuration, but I'm in hopes it will turn out to be a good shooter. I'll try to provide some pictures soon.
I have a few questions:
Who made this gun? The seller claimed it was U.S.-made by Savage.
Where can I find disassembly instructions?
Any suggestions on converting the magazine back to its original configuration?
Thanks in advance,
Dirty Bob
I went to a local gun show this weekend, looking for an Enfield No. 5 Jungle Carbine. I went through the whole show and found a few examples. All were more than a bit rough looking, and the least expensive was $250. I was feeling disappointment setting in, but then I found a No. 4 Mk I* that had been sporterized. I do not like the idea of sporterizing, but at least this one had been done fairly well, and the gun was, by far, in the best shape of any of the Enfields of any type at the show. They had it marked at $250, but I got it for about $185 ($200, tax included). A few people tried to buy it from me on my way out.
The wood has a smooth oil finish, but it has enough "character" (tiny dings and such) that I won't be afraid to carry it into the field. The metal looks like it was refinished with some sort of black Teflon or something. The bore looked very clean. I believe the battlesight peep has been bored out, because the hole is about 3/16" ! Think ghost ring. It *is* fast to line up. The barrel has been cut down to just over 21", and a ramp front sight installed very cleanly. The stock is cut down to a "sporter" profile and the handguards are gone. The buttstock sling swivel is still there, but a sporter type swivel has been installed on the forearm. The real weird one is the magazine: it's gone, and a "floorplate" has been installed to cover the hole! It was a fairly nice job, but I want the 10-round magazine back!
The rear sight has the flip-up long range sight, with the little squeeze lever on the side for adjustment, similar to the one I've seen on P-17 U.S. "Enfields." Takedown is a bit different than what I expected. There's no bolt catch. The cutout that lets you rotate the bolt lug is just behind the receiver ring.
As far as markings, the serial numbers match (OC44xxx), and on the left side is stamped "S No 4 Mk 1*", above which is stamped "US PROPERTY." The serial number is on the left side of the band that divides the stock halves, and a "B" is stamped about 1/2" below it. No date appears on the gun that I can find. There is an "8" on the left side of the receiver, to the left of the where the model is stamped, and there's a "6" just above the triggerguard on the right side. "England" is stamped on the top part of the receiver, with a tiny crown and what looks like a letter "P."
I'm looking forward to picking up some .303 ammo and trying this beast out! It's quite lively in the hands, and I find I can work the bolt much more quickly and easily than in any of the Mauser-based rifles I've tried, even from the shoulder. I do wish it was still in military configuration, but I'm in hopes it will turn out to be a good shooter. I'll try to provide some pictures soon.
I have a few questions:
Who made this gun? The seller claimed it was U.S.-made by Savage.
Where can I find disassembly instructions?
Any suggestions on converting the magazine back to its original configuration?
Thanks in advance,
Dirty Bob
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