British Enfield Rifle

[PuertoRican]

Just bought an Enfield Jungle Carbine at an auction. Think it may be broken. With no rounds & no mag in it, to move the bolt all the way forward, I have to pull the trigger back. With the bolt all the forward, there is no tension on the trigger. Nothing happens when its pulled again. Seems to me that the firing pin ought to do something at that point. It seems like its not cocking. Any ideas what's going on? Thanx in advance for any help.

 

[Gene L]

That would be a No 5, if it's organic and not some modified No 1. I don't know what the problem is with this rifle but if you go on Gunboards forum and scroll down to British, you'll get serious collector/gunsmiths to comment on it. Possibly something simple

 

[M1A]

Closing the bolt cocks the trigger.
There is tension closing the bolt.

 

[fiasconva]

Give enfield-rifles.com a try. Lots of great knowledge there.

 

[2152hq]

The sear spring is likely missing/broken.
It's a U shaped spring that also powers the magazine release/latch.
#42 in the schematic

Lee-Enfield No. 5 'Jungle Carbine:' An Exploded View | An Official Journal Of The NRA

If there is no tension on the Magazine latch, then it is definetly the Sear spring.

The sear itself can be jammed in the down/fired position as well. Then the trigger will just slop back and forth if the sear spring is also missing. The trigger should have tension is the sear spring in this case is OK,,but the sear is jammed in the fired position.

Make sure the bolt head is screw all the way into the bolt body. It will screw all the way in and then a partial turn +.
Back it up that partial turn to line up the bolt head w/ the bolt body rail and then insert the bolt assembly back into the rifle.

Safety Asembled and inserted correctly? It's a multi start thread assembly. It will go together/start several ways but only one is correct. If it's assembled incorrectly and placed in the rifle it can block the sear and cocking piece even when the safety arm appears to be in the Fire position.

Just some thoughts.

 

[mauser9]

Hope ya get it goin. Heard those Jungle No.5 rifles are bringing some good money with collectors these days. Like the build quality of those old milsurps.

 

[DWalt]

I have in the distant past owned two .303 Enfields, neither being a #5. I remember that at the time they were common milsurps, they had a reputation for poor accuracy. I don’t have any idea how difficult it is to find replacement parts if needed, but I suspect that they should be available.

 

[PuertoRican]

Problem solved. Just wasn't pushing the bolt forward hard enough. Quit pushing when encountered resistance. Apparently that's what cocks it. Pushing forward without depressing trigger works.

 

[JohnRippert]

Problem solved. Just wasn't pushing the bolt forward hard enough. Quit pushing when encountered resistance. Apparently that's what cocks it. Pushing forward without depressing trigger works.

Was just going to post that Enfields are cock on closing. Wondered if that was the issue. Nice grab. If it still has the original narrow rubber butt pad on it I would recommend a PAST recoil pad for the shoulder when you shoot it. Those particular butt stocks seem to focus the recoil and really pound you good.

 

[SF VET]

SARCO often has parts and reproduction things for the old Enfields. I sourced a new original barrel for my 1915 MIII, to replace my shot out barrel. SF VET

 

[Ameshawki]

Quite possibly the worst kicking firearm I've ever shot.

 

[GypsmJim]

I have in the distant past owned two .303 Enfields, neither being a #5. I remember that at the time they were common milsurps, they had a reputation for poor accuracy. I don’t have any idea how difficult it is to find replacement parts if needed, but I suspect that they should be available.

Parts for #1s and #4s are pretty easy to find. Numrich was a good source in the past. Haven't looked there lately.

Specific #5 parts may be harder since there weren't that many made and not too many survived.

My #1 and #5 shoot pretty good - certainly better than MY accuracy. But have a Long Branch #4 that appeared unfired when I got it and it is simply a tack driver, even with 0.308 bullets.

 

[Dave_n]

Navy Arms produced quite a number of "Pseudo" No 5's by cutting down the barrel and stock fore-end. If the distance from the front sling pivot backwards to the beginning of the barrel is ~8 inches then it is genuine if 10 plus inches it is a phony. In addition only Fazackerly and BSA made No 5s. Dave_n

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In addition only Fazackerly and BSA made No 5s. Dave_n

In Canada, Long Branch, made No5's into the mid 50's.

Ivan

 

[DWalt]

The cock on closing action of the Enfield is disliked by many shooters who are proficient with Mauser 98 and Springfield ‘03-type actions that cock on opening. However, British soldiers were well-trained in rapid manipulation of the Enfield, and they could unleash a hail of bullets very quickly, allegedly as fast as using a semi-auto rifle. Look up the “Mad Minute.”

 

[LVSteve]

In Canada, Long Branch, made No5's into the mid 50's.

Ivan

As far as I know, any Canadian No5 rifles "seen" are vaporware, most being created by bored people with Photoshop.

Canada did produce No4 rifles into the early 1950s. I have one, made in 1950.

The UK produced No4 rifles with dates as late as 1955 for sure, with some odd later date rifles the provenance of which is a mystery.

Britain gave Pakistan a complete No4 Mk2 production line and they turned out about 60k rifle between '61 and '63 IIRC. About 1100 of those made it to the US, most via the Indian Army judging by the extra property marks.

 

[LVSteve]

Quite possibly the worst kicking firearm I've ever shot.

Yes, it is often said that the conical flash hider and narrow hard rubber insert were a bad joke on the soldiers committed by the drawing office.

Another hard kicking milsurp is the Mosin Nagant carbine that comes in several forms, M38, M44, M91/38, M91/59, and the Type 53 (a M44 really) from China.

 

[2152hq]

I just shot a #5 today at the range. A 1946 Faz mfg in quite nice condition. No FTR ever done to it. Very accurate even at 100m. Yes they do kick.

It shot right to POA with some of my reloads from a couple yrs back. Loaded with 180gr bullets and a starting load of a powder I don't remember.
The reloads I made up the nite before were using 123gr AK bullets of .310d and 12gr of RedDot.
Those shot 1 1/2ft high at 50m in the Jungle Carbine.

Those same light loads with the AK bullets shot to POA @ 50m with the sights set at 100yds in a CLLE (Charger Loading Lee Enfield) also brought out for Range Day.
100yds is the lowest rear sight setting.
I was surprised at that targeting.
A bit of windage adj was needed but thanks to remarkably fine adj rear sight on the Long Lee , that was a quick simple task.

The rifle is a BSA mfg for the commercial market. So no date on it.
But made sometime betw 1907 when the SMLE solid one piece Charger Bridge came upon the scene, and 1914 when BSA stopped offering the CLLE (aka Territorial Rifle) as a Commercial rifle to the public in their catalog.

Next week I may try the same light load in a commercial early SMLE,,a MkI*. This is the early SMLE with the sliding charger guide on the bolt head. A design used before the common one piece charger guide. Only used 1904 thru 1906.
The one piece guide came to be in 1907,, what was the MkIII designation.

 

[mtgianni]

Not a #5, but a former member here now deceased was talking to me about a black bear that came at him when he and his wife were dressing out some game. Bruce said "I don't know how fast I was firing, but I did happen to notice I had five pieces of brass in the air at the same time".

A former Canadian soldier, he was very familiar with the "mad minute".

That gun is capable of a very fast rate of fire for a bolt gun if you can afford to practice and feed it in todays' market.

 

[Engine49guy]

Navy Arms produced quite a number of "Pseudo" No 5's by cutting down the barrel and stock fore-end. If the distance from the front sling pivot backwards to the beginning of the barrel is ~8 inches then it is genuine if 10 plus inches it is a phony. In addition only Fazackerly and BSA made No 5s. Dave_n

I have one of those Navy Arms modified to jungle carbine configuration but mine is chambered in .308 Nato which kicks even worse than the .303 .

Btw another way to spot an original No#5 is by its buttplate, the jungle carbines I have seen all had some sort of hard rubber "pad" smaller than the metal plate attached, always seemed to me this would make kick feel worse.

Pss the other iconic rifle that cocks on closing is the Eddystone P-17, P-14 series.