C
ommonly referred to as the “jungle carbine” this carbine was developed to meet the need in the Far East for a shorter, lighter arm needed because everything needed to fight and survive was carried by the soldier rather than being brought forward by battalion transport, as it might have been in the West. Every ounce mattered.
The No.5 rifle was the same length as the Boer War carbine (39 and a half inches) and weighed 7.15 lbs. rather than 9.06 for the No.4 and 8.65 lbs for the S.M.L.E. The shortened barrel caused muzzle flash which resulted in the No.5 being fitted with a muzzle cone flash hider as per the Bren gun.
The light weight also caused increase recoil, resulting in a rubber recoil pad being fitted to absorb the increased “kick”, a luxury not given to the carbine users in the earlier Boer War!! It was felt that the hard fighting Japanese might not bother too much about a bayonet charge by us when the No. 4 rifle seemed to be equipt with a sharpened screwdriver, (the spike bayonet) so a bowie blade bayonet was developed for the “jungle carbine”.
The No. 5 performed admirably in the role for which it was designed and after the war, was considered for the replacement of the No.4 as the British service arms. However it did have a fault called “wandering zero” after careful adjustment of the sights to ensure a central hit, the rifle would “go off”
All sorts of modification were tried, but none worked and by July, 1947, the No.5 was declared obsolete with some 50,000 being manufactured. As a matter of interest, how many old soldiers can remember constant range tests to zero the rifle, 7.62 mm L.1.A.1., SLR, millions of rounds being fired while combination tools wound up and down foresights and moved left and right the backsight and however careful one was with the thing, test zero later was the same thing again!! The No.5 rifle was withdrawn after 3 years for the same fault the S.L.R. had for 30!!