Enfield No 5 Jungle Problems

[cuzinbruce]

Gun is new to me, shot yesterday for the first time. (First time with any Enfield) It is a No 5 Mk1 ROF(F), 1945. Two problems, gun would not eject and the magazine would not stay in place to feed. Only fired a few times with Pakistan surplus. About the ejection, the ejector seems pretty simple. Took the screw out and it seemed OK. Saw something elsewhere about checking the extractor spring. The extractor moved back and forth and was spring loaded, but then I checked a schematic and they showed a U-shaped flat spring and what I saw was a coil spring. So I took the bolt apart tonight and it seems Bubba was there before me working his magic. Tomorrow I am going to order a correct spring. See the pictures.




Now about the magazine, I don't have anything to compare this to and it is the first Enfield I ever shot. The magazine goes in and clicks, but I can pull it out without using the release pretty easily. At the range, if I smacked it into place, loading a couple cartridges would push it down enough that the bolt would pass over the cartridges. If I loaded the cartridges, then smacked the bottom of the magazine, they would feed. Only fired a handful of cartridges since this was a drag. How tight should the magazine be held in place? I am going to tear the whole gun apart tomorrow and see if I find anything else. See if I can adjust the magazine catch and magazine. Thanks for any help. If I missed anything. let me know. I wanted one of these since I was a kid!
Thanks,
Bruce

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Yes, Bubba was definitely at work on the extractor, and a "V" shaped flat spring is correct. As for the magazine, that may turn out to be a spring problem also, the one that forces the locking piece forward against the back of the magazine.

DG

[dnegative]

Genuine or repro magazine?
The extractor springs are a fairly common thing to break.

[john.k]

The #4/#5 magazine is different to the #1 mk III magazine ,and while it fits the hole,the detents are in different places ......less likely,there are also a number of similar magazines going back to 1892 that seem to fit ,but dont.

[dnegative]

Yeah good point;
All the repro magazines are ****; They dont fit or they dont feed.

[cuzinbruce]

Thank you john.k and dnegative, I hadn't thought of that possibility. My first Enfield, the magazine it came with seems to be an original. I don't think it is a repro but I do think it may be for a No 1 Mk 3. Bottom edges are square, not rounded. Only markings are on the back next to the catch. If someone can confirm, I will get started hunting a correct one down. Pictures should make it easy.



If I have the wrong magazine, I guess I can leave the files and hammers alone for awhile.
Thanks,
Bruce

[1Hawkeye]

Yep that's a magazine for a #1 mk 3 not a #5

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Here's the difference.

DG

[Bloodman14]

If the spring and follower will fit, I have two magazine shells (no spring/follower) that I can send you. PM me your address, we'll talk.

[cuzinbruce]

PM sent.

[higgins]

If you're new to Enfields and surplus ammo such as Pakistani and you don't already know to do so, clean the bore ASAP with some solution containing water. Soap and water, Dawn and water, Ballistol and water, Windex, it matters not. The salt left after firing corrosive military ammo must be dissolved and flushed out of the bore or you can be certain it will rust. After you do the water flush, clean normally.

I harp on this when someone's post leads me to believe they may not be familiary with the corrosive milsurp ammo routine. I've just seen too many Enfields, Springfields, Mausers, and even an M700 Remington Classic chambered in 8x57mm that looked great on the outside but had bores that looked like a woodstove flue.

[Moleman-]

The extractor spring in my #4 broke back in the 80's and I ordered one from sarco. So I could still shoot it while waiting on the replacement I took a large paper binder clip and cut off a similar width piece. It worked fine but I eventually replaced it with a correct spring. The last one I bought as a spare for my #5 was from liberty tree collectors.

[cuzinbruce]

Good point, Higgins. My first try with corrosive ammo too. I knew about it, so I used GI bore cleaner, the nasty brown liquid from a green can the day I shot it. Next day I used Ballistol, straight. Then a patch with CLP daily since. I don't see any rust on the patches. The bore was frosted anyway, when I got it. I was more concerned about duds and hangfires with the Pakistan surplus, which is known for such things. But the handful I fired all went bang. I have the parts coming so I will take care of these issues. Then back to the range and see if there is anything else. People were warning me about the recoil and muzzle blast but it didn't seem so bad.

[Gtek]

Suggestion if I may, quick and easy while it's apart. Extractor, lower inboard corner of hook area angle rounded into interior radius and back side rolled into and softened (grind/stone, polish) for transition into rear plane. All of this playing field area is usually about .050" of real estate or less. Load the magazine and move bolt face to contact round, look at angle, depending on firearm, round, individual components, etc., big variable here. Military controlled, Marlin lever, on and on, anything with a mass produced as fast as we can make part can benefit from a little contouring and smoothing IMHO. Hopefully in the end we have a little smoother transition from magazine to chamber and maybe not scar up the tail end of our reloadable brass so much.

[Ragnarok]

That's not the first time I've seen a coil spring in place of the V spring in an Enfield extractor...Maybe an India thing as a friend's RFI rifle had such a rig-up with a tiny roll pin to keep the spring in place. A new v spring fixed his extraction issues

I will add that Pakistani ammo isn't very good....hang-fires and no-fire common...some go BOOM and some go POP....smokey smelly and corrosive too