Lee Enfield Jungle Carbines still in use

O

overland

New member
Just returned from a business and pleasure trip to Kenya. Spend a few days at Maasai Mara and noticed when leaving that the three KWS gate guards were all carrying bolt rifles. Looked closer and sure enough they were Enfield Jungle Carbines, all the bluing worn off.
 
I doubt there are pictures.

Not always a wise idea in the more "interesting" places in the world. Would be neat though.

I've read that the Indian Police were still using the No4, but are now upgrading after last year's attack.
 
The Canadian Rangers, part of the Canadian Forces, still use the No. 4 Lee-Enfield. They are a true militia and not regularly organized infantry units at all, although they still fall under Canadian land forces. Their chief function is essentially maintain a Canadian armed presence on the northern frontier of the country, which apparently others have designs on, even in this day and age. However, they have plans to replace the Lee-Enfield because of its age with something in 7.62 NATO.
 
Local shop has a..

R.F.I. #5 with "funnel-type" flash hider, for sale, caliber 7.62NATO.

THe right-side of socket is dated 1966.

Its high on my "to buy" list.
 
jrothWA said:
R.F.I. #5 with "funnel-type" flash hider, for sale, caliber 7.62NATO.

THe right-side of socket is dated 1966.

Its high on my "to buy" list.
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Is it a No1 converted to No5 style? Like this Khyber Pass special.

khyberpass01.jpg
 
Hajji has mosin nagants

We pulled a couple of 91 30s and a sniper version off some iraqis in mosul, they also had enough spam cans to make the bongo truck roll low
 
I've long regretted not buying one of those jungle carbines 50 years ago when they were available mail order for only $25. :mad:
 
Don't be TOO sorry Jim. I intentionally used one to make a Rambo student's eyes water after letting him first shoot a full size Enfield.
 
The Jungle Carbine is one of the few military rifles that would make an excellent hunting arm without any modification. It is light, handy, and the muzzle blast is horrible.

Huge fireballs. :eek:

Apparently the wandering zero is real, I have not fired mine enough to notice.
 
I shot my SMLE III this weekend, only thing that I had with me that kicked more was the M-17 Eddystone... man does that .303 Brit have a snap to it!
 
I never found the muzzle blast or recoil to be excessive when I owned an original Jungle Carbine. I found it to be a very useful, accurate, and easy to shoot firearm.
 
Slamfire said:
Apparently the wandering zero is real, I have not fired mine enough to notice.
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I'm in the myth camp on the wandering zero. There is certainly a difference from cold bore to warm bore shots, but no more than a sporterized No4 that no longer has upward pressure from the end of the forend. Part of this myth is the lightening cuts on the barrel and receiver cause a wandering zero, yet I see no difference in cold bore and warm bore with a short barreled No4 with no barrel preload compared to the No5.
 
I had a No. 5 for many years, bought through the mail, even. I never noticed any particular muzzle blast with it, although I won't deny it has a kick. It is a very lightweight rifle for the cartridge, although Lee-Enfield carbines were in use before the S.M.L.E. was developed. They did not take stripper clips.

I also had a reproduction No. 5 that Gibbs made from a No. 4 rifle. Overall, they did a fair job, although the buttstock wouldn't stay tightened (even bought a long neck screwdriver to keep it tightened. The forearm was quite exact but passable. However, they did a good job with the unusual buttplate and the flashhider. The rear sight was the simplified "L" battlesight, not the adjustable sight which some may have had.
 
I'm in the myth camp on the wandering zero.
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Can't say from personal experience, but one of our forum members, Tikirocker,is a collector and very well versed on SMLEs in general, and he did a nice debunking of the wandering zero in a thread some time back.

Basicall, IIRC, the wandering zero did happen in a few guns, but the story of it being endemic to all the jungle carbines was just an excuse to retire the bolt action so they could move on to the semi battle rifle.

There are probably a greater number of "fakes" out there than actual original jungle carbines, which is bad for a collector, but good if you want a rifle in that configuration, and don't care how it got that way.
 
Airbornemosinman beat me to it. We pulled some of off iraqis as well as a host of nagants old walthers and one time we even found an old 1903 sprinfield in a cache.
 
I've had two jungle carbines over the years; one with a side-mounted Bushnell and one stock. Oddly, the scoped one produced softball sized 100 yard, five shot groups and the stock one would stay on a baseball; both with 180 grain Remington soft-points. The more accurate one had a tad better trigger, which no doubt helped.

They are splendid, slick little bolt action military carbines and a few hours with one will explain why they are still in use.
 
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