These guns' serial numbers began with PF prefixes. 5 is better known as the “Jungle Carbine” and was made by ROF Fazakerley and by BSA. Feb 19, 2013 - I was looking at a Lee Enfield no5 Jungle Carbine,but someone put a peep. Ans - All manufacture information, dates and serial numbers are. Lee Enfield No5 – Jungle Carbine July 1945 Calibre.303 Serial No O5150 Price: £695. All Matching Serial Numbers in Very Nice Condition. A genuine British No5 Jungle Carbine dated July 1945, in calibre.303, Serial number O5150. Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine Serial Numbers. 9/25/2019 Rifle No 5 Mk I (aka Lee-Enfield No 5 Mk I, aka Lee-Enfield Jungle Carbine) Type Place of origin United Kingdom Service history In service 1944–Present Used by Commonwealth of Nations Wars British Post-WWII colonial conflicts Numerous others Production history Designer Fazakerley, Designed. Such rifles would have 5-digit serial numbers with either an “E” or an “F” serial number prefix, and the serial number would be stamped on the rear of the bolt handle and on the bottom of the fore-end, as well as on the receiver ring. Neither the nose cap nor.

Over the past several months, Enfield Rifle Research has received dozens of questions about the spate of 'new' and 'rare' Lee-Enfields that have been showing up lately at gun shows and in pawn shops. Many of these are quite handsome rifles with pretty decent workmanship and are probably worth the $125 to $150 that the major firearms distributors ask for them. For the most part, though, they are not recently discovered “unissued” rifles, nor are they long-lost “prototypes” that have suddenly surfaced. The overwhelming majority of these “finds” are recently-made parts guns or replicas or recent aftermarket conversions of standard No. 1, 2A/2A1, or No. 4 rifles.

Navy Arms Company is making and selling a lot of these, and they usually describe them (albeit in the fine print) as 'replicas' or 'constructed of original No. 4 Enfields' or some such. SARCO and SOG (among others) are also marketing these (or similar) rifles for comparable prices, again with fair--or at least technically honest--advertising.

The problem arises when these aftermarket replicas pass through several hands and wind up offered for sale at a gun show or in a pawn shop. Typically, the advertising (such as it was) gets lost, the price gets jacked up, and the seller claims (maybe because he believes it) that the piece really is a long-lost treasure. A lot of people are getting burned by these knock-offs, and an even greater number are just plain confused.

Here’s our take on the various 'bargains' that have been showing up lately.

Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine Serial Numbers

No. 1 Mk III* (Lithgow - 'New')
Often advertised as “collector grade”or “mint - unfired” or “unissued” andselling for $200 and up.

Watch out for these! Quite a few “new Lithgow” rifles have been built just within the last few years from spare parts bought from the Australian government. The parts are new, and the rifles were never issued--but they aren’t Lithgow factory rifles by any stretch of the imagination! They’re recently-built parts guns.

It is possible (though not likely) that some Lithgow-manufactured rifles with late-1945 (or later) dates were kept in storage and subsequently surplused out in unfired or unissued condition. Such rifles would have 5-digit serial numbers with either an “E” or an “F” serial number prefix, and the serial number would be stamped on the rear of the bolt handle and on the bottom of the fore-end, as well as on the receiver ring. Neither the nose cap nor the bottom of the backsight leaf will carry a different serial number on these rifles. Also, legitimate factory rifles will have 1/4-inch square brass or copper recoil plates installed on the fore-ends where the sear boss bears against the wood. These plates will be attached with small brass wood screws.

Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine Serial Numbers List

If you find a “new” Lithgow with a 1943 or 1944 date, be highly suspicious. This was the height of the war, and virtually all rifles manufactured were issued. If you find the receiver marked with a “JJ CO NY NY” import stamp, assume it’s a parts gun unless you have clear evidence to the contrary. (Many “new Lithgow” parts guns appear to have been assembled on receivers imported by John Jovino & Co.) If you find a 4-digit serial number with no prefix letter and an “A” suffix, this is clear evidence that it is not a Lithgow factory rifle. If you find different serial numbers on different parts, this is clear evidence that it is a parts gun. And if the recoil plates are missing, it is not only a parts gun--it could be dangerous to shoot. There’s a possibility that the fore-end will be damaged with as few as 20 or 30 round fired.

No. 1 'Tanker Carbine'
Overall length 39-40 inches; 20-21 inch barrel, with fore-endshortened and nose cap moved back. Also called “No. 1 Shortened and Lightened” rifle or “No. 6 Tanker Carbine” or “No. 6 Shortened and Lightened” rifle.

These are probably either aftermarket modifications or outright fakes. The Australian government did experiment with a shortened and lightened No. 1 rifle, but only a hundred prototypes were made. These have grooved fore-ends, lightening flutes on the barrel knox forms, and extensive lightening cuts on the receivers. Also, the Lithgow factory prototypes all have aperture backsights mounted on the charger bridge and solid handguards. All bear “XP” serial number prefixes.

Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine Conversion

Some unofficial experimenting was done by a number of unit armourers during WWII in an attempt to create a shortened and lightened version of the No. 1 rifle, and it is possible that a few of these early experiments have survived. The barrels were shortened, and the nose caps were reset, but most retained the barrel-mounted tangent sights. These are historically interesting, but they are not “official” Lithgow factory prototypes.

The easiest way to tell a recent replica from a WWII-vintage experimental model is to remove the nose cap. If you find freshly-cut wood, you know what you have! Also, many of the recent fakes have a hex-nut rather than a standard oblong nose cap nut securing the rear nose cap screw, and the fore-end stud and stud spring are missing.

No. 2A “Tanker” Carbine
Overall length 39-1/2 inches, with a 20-1/2 inch barrel. Fore-end shortened and nose cap moved back.

There ain’t no such thing! There never was. This is strictly an aftermarket modification. Such a shortened version of the Ishapore 2A/2A1 rifle was never even considered by the Indian government--never mind adopted--or by anyone else, for that matter.

No. 4 “Tanker” Carbine
Overall length 39-1/2 inches, with a 20-1/2 inch barrel. Fore-end shortened and nose cap moved back.

As above, there ain’t no such thing. Strictly an aftermarket modification.

No. 4 Shortened and Lightened
Overall length 39-42 inches; 20-23 inch barrel, withfore-end shortened and nose cap moved back.

Probably an aftermarket modification. The Canadian government did experiment with a shortened and lightened No. 4 rifle, and a few dozen prototypes were made; however, these have one-piece stocks! Also, the barrels and receivers were lightened with extensive milling. All were conversions of Long Branch rifles only.

If you see a two-piece stock or a receiver than doesn’t have any lightening cuts, you have an aftermarket modification or replica. The British version of the shortened and lightened No. 4 rifle is the No. 5 rifle (see below).

No. 4 “Collector Grade”
Savage or Long Branch, often advertised as “new”or “unissued.”

Watch out. It is possible that a legitimate unissued No. 4 rifle will turn up, but it’s not likely. Most of these “collector grade” rifles were arsenal reconditioned somewhere along the line--but somewhere other than Canada or Great Britain (who marked their reconditioned rifles “R” or “FTR”). Look for black enamel or flat black paint on the metal parts--this is a tip-off that the work was done in Pakistan or in South Africa or in some other country. Original No. 4 rifles have an oil-blackened finish (or possibly a blued finish on 1950 or later Long Branch rifles). Also, look for non-British or non-Canadian ownership or acceptance marks.

We have reports of a number of unissued Long Branch rifles re-imported into Canada from Belgium by Districorp. The story is that CAL sold a bunch of No. 4 rifles to the Belgian government