Jungle Carbine value

[Boz330]

A good friend is trying to sell some guns and I think he has a jungle carbine. What would be a fair price range for a friend to friend deal. I haven't seen this thing yet so no telling what it might look like and it might be a remake. He described it as having a flared barrel and being 30-06 or 30-30, so I doubt he has ever fired it. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about till he said that he thought that it was called a jungle carbine, then the flared barrel made sense.

Bob

[Hardcast416taylor]

Condition can set the actual money exchange value, as can the cash you can part with. However, a friend to friend deal would probably be $250. Yes, I know they bring more than that at the market place - this is just my .02.Robert

[Char-Gar]

The original SMLE jungle carbines have some collector's value. However many rifles have been modified to resemble they jungle carbine. One has to remove the wood to tell the difference. The original has had some metal removed from the breech end of the barrel near the front of the action to lighten the rifle. You need to do some research and be informed about these rifles, before you try and attatch a value.

[dragonrider]

The very few that I have seen in this area have been selling in the $250.00 range.

[Boz330]

The original SMLE jungle carbines have some collector's value. However many rifles have been modified to resemble they jungle carbine. One has to remove the wood to tell the difference. The original has had some metal removed from the breech end of the barrel near the front of the action to lighten the rifle. You need to do some research and be informed about these rifles, before you try and attatch a value.

I'm somewhat familiar with some of the things to look for but I will bone up again if I can remember where I found the info before. This gives me a place to start though. I haven't bought a gun in so long I'm not sure what they bring. Really don't need another, don't seem to be able to shoot the ones I have now.

Bob

[dualsport]

If it's the real deal in decent shape $250 would be a very good price.

[lead Foot]

They only made them for a few years. They made a lot of lightning cuts to start with, but emitted some over the years. They all had 500yard ladder sights. Hope that ID's better. They go for a $100 to a over $1000 for a unfired one here. They are getting harder to get and soon they will be rear. If it's a real one it would be a good investment.
Lead foot;

[Boz330]

OK I've got the carbine in my hot little hands and it is a Santa Fe Jungle Carbine, IE a fake. It appears that the butt and fore stock is actually off of a No.5 but everything else is wrong. So this brings up another question what would be a fair price, $125 ?????????? I just have a soft spot for 303s,must be a genetic character flaw.

Bob

[Shooter]

One bright spot, a Santa Fe would not have the lighting cuts in the reciever that caused the wandering zero of the originals.
Shoot it.

[Multigunner]

OK I've got the carbine in my hot little hands and it is a Santa Fe Jungle Carbine, IE a fake. It appears that the butt and fore stock is actually off of a No.5 but everything else is wrong. So this brings up another question what would be a fair price, $125 ?????????? I just have a soft spot for 303s,must be a genetic character flaw.

Bob

A Santa Fe in excellent condition might have some collectors value of its own. Not as a milsurp, but as a limited run commercial sporter rifle.
If the rifle looks good and has a bright unworn bore and good headspace its probably worth a good bit more than the 125 you are willing to offer. Even Bubba'ed No.4 rifles usually bring 125 to 175 if the metal is all good and the bore still in very good condition.

[herbert buckland]

A Santa Fe in excellent condition might have some collectors value of its own. Not as a milsurp, but as a limited run commercial sporter rifle.
If the rifle looks good and has a bright unworn bore and good headspace its probably worth a good bit more than the 125 you are willing to offer. Even Bubba'ed No.4 rifles usually bring 125 to 175 if the metal is all good and the bore still in very good condition.

I agree the Santa Fe jungle carbine defintly has colectors value as well as being a great hunting carbine especily when it is fitted with a original No5 back sight,or you can also put a scope on it without any work to the rifle if it one made on the No 4 action

[KCSO]

JUngle carbine now days is real iffy it could be an original WWII enfield or it could me a made up from???? gun. An original would be $450 or so compared to less than 1/2 that for a put together, depending on who did the work and what tey used. I have seen some home made Numerich conversions that took a good 100 dollar gun and decreased the value.

[Multigunner]

JUngle carbine now days is real iffy it could be an original WWII enfield or it could me a made up from???? gun. An original would be $450 or so compared to less than 1/2 that for a put together, depending on who did the work and what tey used. I have seen some home made Numerich conversions that took a good 100 dollar gun and decreased the value.

A friend picked up an incomplete early No.4 for 50 bucks specifically for building a No.5 clone.

Besides missing its bolt the last few inches of the barrel looked like a tracked vehicle had run over it, the muzzle flattened on one side abd deeply scared up.
Cutting that barrel down was no loss , it would have been unsafe to fire in that condition, and the shortened barrel proved remarkably accurate once I obtained a bolt for it.

He cut the barrel to about 21.5" , intending to shorten it further when he could find a proper flash hider. FH are sometimes available these days, still mounted on cut off muzzles from junked No.5, but then none were available.

I mounted a scope for him, using my own designed and hand made mounts.
The fore end, also damaged near the muzzle, was cut and shaped to mimic the no.5 with nose cap made by cutting an original nose cap in half.

After seeing how well the scoped shortened rifle shot he decided not to go any further, since cutting the barrel down further might mess up its outstanding accuracy.
As is the rifle has the same OAL as the No.5, weighs no more than a few ounces more, and with No.4 butt plate it doesn't beat the shoulder up.
The barrel of that No.4 was noticably slimmer in profile than other No.4 barrels I've seen, which was one reason it was so lightweight when finished.

One day I'll trade him out of that rifle, and finish it up as a No.5 clone.

PS
Some No.5 rifles that suffered spreading of the rear receiver walls were stripped and rebuilt using spare No.4 action bodies.
Not sure but I think the carbines came from Malasia and were rebuilt at an armory in Hong Kong.
These would still be on the books as No.5 rifles, and probably have added curiosity value besides retaining collector value.

[WILCO]

http://www.armslist.com/posts/17661

[herbert buckland]

I have a Singapore alterd carbine,it was done by British armourers quite oftern there,the only difrence is a striped No 4 action was used and slight alteration of forstock to fit,otherwise all No 5 parts were yoused,this was not an oficial alteration so rifles that look lick this are genrally considerd fakes even though armours that caried out the work will testerfie otherwise

[Boz330]

This one is rough. It has been sitting in a closet for some time. The rifling looks OK but there is a lot of dust and dirt in it. The stock was refinished on the rifle probably with a brush because the forend pieces were glued together and there was finish on the metal as well as plenty of runs. There is surface rust everywhere and not much of any kind of finish on the metal (except rust). It definitely has potential for clean up and it might look pretty good. My project list is already pretty long though.

Bob

[dromia]

Whats the markings on it that will help tell its origins?

No 5s were never made on SMLE (No1) actions they were made on No4 Mk1 actions with the lightening cuts as previously mentioned.

Originals are getting quiet collectable now.

Some were FTR'd at Ishapore but they were never made there, the removed all the original markings and it has the ubiquitous Ishapore stock screw.

Some were converted to 7.62 Nato for the Malaysian police and others.

They are fine rifles and from my experience the wandering zero story is pure fabrication.

[herbert buckland]

Some of the Santa Fee marked jungle carbines are made up on No 1 actions,not sure weather they were trying to copy the Australian XP carbine or weather they were just making up a handy hunting carbine

[Boz330]

This one is a #4. It is stamped #5 not electropenciled. The barrel is stamped Santa Fe jungle carbine. There are no lightening cuts, hollow bolt, or any of the other typical JC features. There are some markings on the left side but I'm not that familiar with the #4 marks to explain what they are. The extractor spring is broken but that would probably be available at Gun Parts. I still don't know what I should offer the guy. I don't want to take advantage of him but I'm not into donating money either.

Bob

[Tom308]

The rifle isn't original. It has a broken part. You need to get a part and repair the rifle before use. It's rough. $200.00 would be VERY generous. If the repairs will be easy for YOU and YOU can clean it up a bit, It may be worth $150-$175.00. That's not skinning your friend. If you are only trying to help him out with some money, give him all you can afford and call it a gift. I have given a lot of money for junk to help out a friend. It's about giving (helping). You get something back, no matter what. In this case, you get a rifle you can fix and use. Help your friend.