Last updated. 7th June 2015 Many Files & Notes are transferred from our at Our new DVD/CD sets have a specific Serial Nos. Folder in the Research CD.
Go to Copyright © 2000-2015 All rights reserved Ian D. Skennerton SERIAL NUMBERS. Earlier SMLE and previous MLM & MLE rifles & carbines initially had the action body batches allocated a letter, before the serial numbers were stamped (to 9999 in each series). These commenced with no letter, then progressed A thru' Z, often nominated for different contractors, RSAF Enfield, RSAF Sparkbrook, BSA Co., LSA Co., and the peddled scheme during WW1. It is interesting that different rifle and carbine Marks recommenced with the no letter and A-Z series with each new model, so it is possible to find carbines/rifles of different Mark designations with the same serial number.
This is a reason that upon unit issue, serial nos. Were not recorded, rather that rack numbers were assigned and stamped on the butt or butt-plate tang. On some rifles, particularly the SMLE, these unit or rack issue numbers were stamped on the top of the action body as well, e.g.
In Aussie service '3.M.D.' (3rd Military District) '10381' (the Military District or unit rack no.) On MLM, MLE and earlier SMLE rifles, the batch letter will be noted sometimes above or below the serial no. Because the serial number was stamped later in production and stamped on the body and breech bolt too.
Stamped on the nosecap boss, fore-end, underside of the rearsight leaf, &c. Was done at Base Ordnance Depots and by armourers to keep together components original to particular rifles during maintenenace and repair. This also applied, to a certain degree, to No.4 and No.5 rifles, particularly to the fore-end and later extended to the magazine case as well. For the SMLE, we usually find serial nos. Stamped on magazine cases only on Indian issue rifles. Recording of serial numbers for Enfield muskets,.577 Sniders and.450 &.303 Martini rifles & carbines is essential for your own records (insurance, registers, &c.) however the numbers stamped on the butt or even on action bodies are rarely the firearm's serial number.
Rack or issue numbers were stamped on the right side of the butt, or marking disk (.303 arms only), on the butt-plate tang (Sniders & Enfields only) and occasionally on the action body itself, usually atop the receiver ring. While rack or issue numbers help identification, they are not the firearm's serial number.
Until 1st January 1925, the master number of a firearm was that on the barrel rather than the action body. On Sniders and Martinis, the serial number is not visible and removing a fore-end to see the number on the barrel or front inside of the body can damage wood furniture, especially if the securing pin (a la M.H. Mk I & II, M.M. Too) has rust on it. Serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while.303 conversion numbers used the left side. So as to match critical parts, serial number was also stamped under the rear sight leaf (and fore-ends, nosecaps, bolts, of Lee-Enfields too). Star plus serial saraswatichandra full episodes.
You may find serial numbers easily by lifting up the backsight leaf, more convenient than removing the fore-end, IF that leaf is original to the firearm. For.577 Sniders and.450 &.303 Martini rifles & carbines is required for your own records (insurance, registers, &c.) but numbers stamped on the butt or even action bodies are rarely a firearm's serial number. Rack or issue numbers were marked on the right side of the butt, or marking disk (.303 arms only), on the buttplate tang (Sniders & Enfields only) and occasionally on the action body itself, usually atop the receiver ring. While rack or issue numbers help identification, they are not the firearm's serial number. Until 1st January 1925, the master number of a firearm was that on the barrel rather than the action body. On Sniders and Martinis, the serial number is not visible; removing a fore-end to see the number on the barrel or front inside of the body may damage furniture, especially if the securing pin (a la M.H. Mk I & II, M.M.
Too) has rust on it. Serial numbers are found on the inside right, front of the body while.303 conversion numbers used the left side. So as to match critical parts, serial number was also stamped under the rear sight leaf (and fore-ends, nosecaps, bolts, of Lee-Enfields too). You may find serial numbers easily by lifting up the backsight leaf, more convenient than removing the fore-end, IF that leaf is original to the firearm. No.4 and No.5 rifle serial numbers can readily identify manufacturers.
British No.4 rifles have five numbers, usually after one or two letter prefixes. The same letter prefix(es) were used by Maltby, Fazakerley & BSA Shirley, A to Z then AA, AB to AZ, then BA to BZ, CA to CZ &c.
Maltby rifle serial numbers commence with a number '1', Fazakerley with a '2' and Shirley with a '3', e.g. 1xxxx for Maltby, 2xxxx for Fazakerley and for Shirley, 3xxxx, after the letter prefix. Late Shirley numbers then supposedly ran A4000 to A7999 and with PS prefixes at the very end of production. Post-war Fazakerley No.4 rifles had PF letter prefixes. The only exception to the 5-number sequence for No.4 rifles was the initial BSA Shirley production which ran from 0001 to 9999 then went with A to Z prefixes (A0001 to A9999 to the Z prefix) and some early dual letter prefixes (e.g.
AT 0303), but then went over to A30001, &c. So early M47C No.4 rifle numbers could be confused with the Jungle carbine in having four rather than five numbers. Long Branch (Canada) serial numbers incorporate an 'L' in the serial number while US Savage numbers include an 'C' in a similar relative position amongst the numbers. Both of these No.4 rifle series commenced with 0L1 and 0C1 respectively. No.5 Jungle Carbines only have 4 numbers, the Shirley carbines have BB to C? Prefixes, last production was post World War 2.
The Fazakerley jungle carbines ran from FE1 to FE1000 initial production, then with no letter prefix, followed by A1 to A9999 through Z9999. Serial numbers of certain Lee-Enfields can serve as indicators of the model and help with initial authentication. The 'BS' prefix was used for the.22 British No.7 rifles, 'T1' for the.22 No.5 trials small-bore target rifles in 1945 and 'DA' for the.22 No.8 N.Z. Contract rifles by BSA Shirley.
'SKN' was applied to factory sectionized models, an 'XP' prefix was used for Lithgow Shortened & Lightened SMLE and No. 6 jungle carbines, 'X' was used for a small number of Lithgow No.1 rifles with stainless steel barrels and 'FE' was used for early production Fazakerley No. 5 jungle carbines. 1 Mk VI and No.
4 Mk 1 rifles made in the early 1930s have an 'A' prefix to their original serial numbers although many were later upgraded to No. 4 specs and the 'A' became a suffix to indicate the fitting of some non-interchangeable components. 4 rifles, an 'A' suffix was stamped by a repair depot or armourer after the serial number when some parts were found to be non-interchangeable. And of course, with the Canadian No.4 rifles, the letter 'L' precedes the last four numbers as does a 'C' for the Chicopee Falls production Stevens Savage Lend-Lease No.4 rifles and 'J5550' (the drawing number) prefixes the Canadian Lightened No. 4 serial number. After the initial 99,999 rifles, the Lithgow No. 1 (S.M.L.E.) proceeded through 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E' and 'F' prefixes before the last rifle F40580 was manufactured in 1953.
WW2 production ceased with F39580 and the 1,000 rifle run during the Korean War ran from F39581 to F40580. More details on serial numbers will also be found in the new book, 'The Broad Arrow'. The 7.62mm L1A1 series serial number prefixes similarly denote makers. UE is Enfield, UB is BSA, UF is Fazakerley and AD is Lithgow, Australia. 'SAF' was applied by the Lithgow factory to certain export sales and 'SR' for Lithgow sectionized rifles.
South African 7.62mm FAL's were Belgian production metric models, engraved with the South African crest. Indian 7.62mm 1A rifles ran conventional serial number series with a letter prefix. 7.62mm L2A1 prototypes (heavy barrel auto model) from SAF Lithgow had 'X' prefix serial numbers.
AKA Jungle Carbine No5Mk1 being the rifles proper designation, is also well-known as the Jungle Carbine. There were predecessors such as the No4 Mk1 Lightened, as well successors, such as the No5Mk2, Canadian Light rifles as well as an Australian version, the No6MkI and MkI/I.
Unfortunately these rifles may total an entire production of 1500, where as the No5 Mk1 totaled around 250,000 alone. The trials for this type of rifle started in the early summer of 1943. Is was becoming abundantly clear to the British Forces that a light weight rifle was required for jungle fighting with good accuracy of 400 yards. It was also later to be used by British parachute units in the 2nd World War, as it was the ideal sized rifle for that role. During the early stages of the initial trials there was concern that the reduction in barrel length would result in a corresponding increase in muzzle flash.
![Jungle Jungle](https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums/imageproxy.php?url=http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu236/AlleyOop_007/Odds%20and%20Ends/No5Reliefcutsinbarrelshankwtext.jpg)
Fortunatly however the early trials showed the flash hider worked well and overall, the flash from the rifle was none the worse from that of a No4 being used in the same trial. To offset the kick from the reduced weight of the rifle it was fitted with a rubberised butt plate. This along with its famous flash hider became somewhat the iconic pieces of the No5.
The No5 began production in 1944 and they were made either at the Royal Ordinance Factory in Fazakerley, Liverpool, or by the Birmingham Small Arms Company, Shirley. The easiest way to tell which one is to look at the left hand side of the receiver and see what is engraved there.
If it looks along the lines of ROF (F) then Fazakerley, if it has M47C then the rifle was made by Birmingham Small Arms. Indication may also be on the wrist of the rifle. The No5Mk1 was basically a shorter and lighter version of the No4. Besides the obvious differences, that being the shorter barrel length and a flash hider on the No5, there are a few other subtle differences that differentiated them. Yes the woodwork is different! But also the rear sight is only graduated to 800 Yds and the bolt is hollowed out in the bolt handle(however don’t get too hung up on bolts, nice to have matching numbers and a hollow, but it can still be the real deal with a solid handled bolt). But the key to spot a fake or bubba’d rifle is that the real deals have scalloped area where the barrel joins the receiver, there are others areas around the receiver that have been lightened, but remember that knox area! ( I will ask the owner of the rifle for permission to carefully remove the topwood for photos!).
Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine
Unfortunately the No5Mk1 had a reputation for not being able to hold its zero (suffering a term called a “Wandering Zero”). That is, the inability for the rifle after being sighted in and zeroed to a distance, to be able to be fired again some time later and achieving that same point of impact.
Now this may be due to the lightening in and around the receiver, and it does make sence. I myself do not have one of these fine rifles yet, so can’t speak from experience. The No5 Mk1 was produced from 1944 through to 1947 and total numbers were aprox 250,000. 2/3rds the production was from Fazakerley the other 1/3rd BSA Shirley. It was still a.303 calibre bolt-action rifle with a ten round magazine and weighed just over 7 pounds. The woodwork (furniture) was reduced as well and a rubberised butt plate was introduced, further reducing the overall weight.
Due to the flash hider it required a special bayonet, oddly enough called the No5 Mk1! There were later version of the No5Mk1 rifle however these were in very limited numbers.
These being the No5MkII and No6MkI. Images with the kind permission of Paul. Here are some further images of the No5. Of interest note the reduction of wood in the stock, the fact the stock bolt was hollowed out as well. Also the amount of metal that was removed from the receiver area.
You can almost appreciate the so-called wandering zero phenomenon. With more time I will properly label each image. Clicking on an image will bring it up to a larger size, using your arrows buttons left and right will scroll through the images, the ESC key will return you to the page. Hello Folks — Need some advice here.
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I bought a Jungle Carbine a year ago on gunbroker. Apparently the fellow who sold it was just dumping it. Looked great in photos but when I took the rifle apart I found that the firing pin was bent. When I got to the range I found that I could not extract fired shells without tremendous difficulty.
Now I see that the problem with extraction appears to be friction between the bolt and the receiver. I don’t know what the previous owner did with this rifle but it wasn’t good. I have cleaned the chamber and it looks fine. I am looking for a reputable gunsmith who knows these rifles and can help me determine whether this rifle is totally ruined or can be repaired. Thanks for your help. I live on Long Island in New York by the way. I will ship the rifle out for repair if need be.
5 Mk 1 Enfield “Jungle Carbine” Manufacturer: BSA Shirley Condition: NRA Excellent (Modern Gun Standards) Caliber:.303 British Manufactured: 1947 Value: $850-$900 There’s little doubt that, despite its somewhat truncated service life, among shooters and collectors the No. 5 “Jungle Carbine” remains one of the more popular and recognizable models in the Enfield line. Well, it certainly looks and feels handy. Plus, it provided a more glamorous alternative to the, unquestionably one of the more unprepossessing bolt-action battle rifles of the 20th century.
Unfortunately, in the No. 5’s case, beauty was only skin-deep. The end of a long line of illustrious Lee-Enfields, the No. 4 without a doubt more than fulfilled the promise of its forebears. It was a superbly rugged, reliable piece of ordnance. But as good as it was, authorities felt that it could be made better, and in 1943 work began on experiments in that direction.
It was decided that the gun would maintain the time-tested cock-on-closing bolt-action mechanism, and would employ the same basic 10-shot sheet steel magazine as the No. Initial efforts to lighten the gun by altering the No. 4’s stock and barrel proved to be less than satisfactory, so some experimental rifles were fabricated from scratch.
It was found that by trimming a 25.2' barrel to 20½', muzzle flash was greatly increased. This was duly addressed and corrected by the addition of a cone-shaped flash hider. The stock itself was shortened and the handguard reduced so that some 11' of the barrel was now exposed.
Metal was pared down wherever possible, resulting in a rifle that was almost 5' shorter and 2 lbs. Lighter than its 9-lb. As the gun was considerably lighter than the No. 4, recoil became heavier. Accordingly, the butt was equipped with a narrow rubber recoil pad. Other modifications included the addition of a steel nose cap (some guns were made without them), moving the rear sling swivel from the base to the side of the stock, and the adoption of an 8' clip-point bayonet.
A peep-style ladder rear sight with a large-diameter battle aperture, graduated to 800 yds., was mounted atop the rear of the action. Prudently, the.303 British chambering of earlier Enfields was continued. Approved on Dec. 9, 1944, originally called the “Lightened No. 4 Rifle”, the gun’s title was changed to No.
Production was undertaken at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Fazakerly and BSA Shirley. Despite initial approbation from the field, after a while the No. 5 was found to have a dark side—extended shooting showed a dramatic drop-off in accuracy. Put plainly, the rifle had a “wandering zero.” The No. 5 was given a thorough going over and various components eliminated or redesigned—to no avail.
Ultimately the project was halted, officials tendering the excuse that the problem was “inherent in the design.” Years later it was discovered the accuracy drop-off was caused by the action torqueing due to lightening cuts in the back and sides of the receiver. Some 250,000 guns were made before manufacture ceased in 1947. Despite its attenuated life span, the No. Free download lagu boomerang kisah seorang pramuria. 5 did see service in Malaya and Kenya. Recently Gibbs Rifle Co. discovered a quantity of No.
5s and is currently offering them for sale at very fair prices. The rifle shown here, though, is an older import in NRA Excellent condition. It even has a rare matching serial-numbered magazine. As such, it is worth between $850 and $900.
Serial Numbers, Model, Mark and Manufacture Identification Over the years I have received many emails regarding serial numbers. The volume of serial number inquiries has prompted me to fashion this page together and try and explain how best to identify a particular rifles manufacturer. Truth be known about Enfield serial numbers is simply, the serial number was used more for production counting than any other reason. For official references, usually the finished and issued rifle was tracked by its rack number and of course these records have long since been destroyed or lost forever. This is not to say that Enfield serial numbers provide no information or that they are not an interesting subject. For those out there that want to get deeper into the serial number issues I would suggest purchasing either or books.
Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine Parts
What this page will attempt to provide is a basic overview of the serial system and where to find them along with the manufacture markings and barrel date stamp that is common on most Enfields. SMLE rifle manufacturers were given no serial ranges to begin or end production with, so it is possible that two rifles may exist with the same serial number produced at different factories. Some SMLE’s may be found with as little as a 3 digit number and high as a 5 digit number. Once the initial range of numbers was maxed out a letter prefix was added and the numbering began again. Serial Number and Manufacturer Information Locations Seen in the picture above are the places where the serial number and manufacturer can be found. Along with the manufacturers name both the date of manufacture and the type and mark of the rifle is also shown.
SMLE’s will have serial numbers stamped on the bolt, receiver, barrel, nose cap and the underside of the rear sight. They may or may not have the serial stamped into the front part of the fore-end and in the case of the Australian Lithgow’s it may be stamped into the butt as well.
When reference is made to an “all matching” SMLE the serial numbers must all be the same. No4 rifles were given a starting number that may be used to identify manufacturers, but again there was no set serial blocks. British No4 rifles were set up with a 5 digit serial number system with 1XXXX being allotted to Maltby, 2XXXX Fazakerley, 3XXXX BSA Shirley. Yet again, once the sequence of numbers caped out letter prefixes were used to start the sequence over.
In the case of Savage Stevens the serial numbers began with a 0C1 and for Long Branch 0L1, these serials progressed in sequence directly relating the serial number to the number of rifles produced. An example would be: rifle serial number 52C2689 would be the 522,689 th rifle produced by Savage Stevens. No5 rifles (Jungle Carbines) serial numbers consisted of a sequential 4 digit number starting with 0001 running through to 9999, the numbers were preceded by a letter prefix.
When the number sequence reached 9999 the next letter assigned to the factory would be substituted in place of the former. These specific letter prefixes were assigned to ROF Fazakerley and BSA Shirley, the only two manufacturers of the No5 rifle, this ensured that there would be no duplicate serials during the production run of No5’s. The prefixes were assigned as follows: ROF Fazakerley A, B, C, D, E, F, G, L, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T,U, V, W, Y,Y, Z, AA, AB, AC BSA Shirley BB, BD, BE, BF, BG, BH, BJ, BK. Serial Number and Manufacturer Information Locations Seen in the picture above are the normal spots to find the serial number and manufacturers’ information on the No4 and the No5 rifle. Places that will have the serial information is on the bolt, receiver and normally the barrel. They may have the numbers stamped into the front portion of the fore-end and on the bottom of the magazine.
Manufacturers will be noted either on the left side of the receiver or on the left side buttsocket. The mark and type of rifle will be stamped onto the left side receiver wall. Like the SMLE an all matching No4 or No5 will have all the serial numbers matching wherever they are found on a particular rifle. Certain serial number prefixes were reserved for trial rifles and specific rifle types.
These prefixes can be used to authenticate these rifles if found in a gun shop or personal collection. The most common of these were: XP was used for the Shortened and Lightened Australian Lithgow (No6 Jungle Carbine) rifles, A was used for No1 MkVI trail rifles, BS was used on the British No7 small bore rifles, and T1 for the No5 small bore rifles. There are more but again I would suggest reading either Skip Stratton’s or Ian Skennerton’s books on the subject.