British Enfield Rifles Volume 2, No. 4 and No. 5 Rifles

by Charles R. Stratton

Since the publication of Volume 1 of "The British Enfield Rifles"series in 1997, collectors have loudly demanded the publication of Volume 2, covering the World War II-era "No. 4 and No. 5 Rifles."

Well, here it is at last. And Charles (Skip) Stratton, has done an outstanding job- again. He presents the No. 4 and No. 5 rifle part-by-part. Every single model, including the sniper rifles, target and match rifles and training rifles manufactured in the U.K., Canada, the U.S., Republic of South Africa and Pakistan is thoroughly described.

He begins by presenting the historical background for the development of both rifles, the No. 4 in the dark, early days of World War II and the No. 5 (better known as the Jungle Carbine) prompted by the ferocious fighting in Malaya and Burma. He describes each variation of both rifles and explains what all the "marks," "numbers," and codes found on most parts mean and shows how to relate them to the various manufacturing factories in England, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Pakistan. He also provides a breakdown of serial numbers by year, factory and country.

Stratton then literally dissects both rifles, describing every single part and explaining the reasons behind any changes and points out how to identify those changes.

For instance, there are eight different receivers - action bodies- used on the eleven variations of both rifles, five variations of breech bolts, nine variations of rear sights, thirteen variations of barrels and two variations of stocks. Stratton also discusses every single part of the rifle in the same detail so that the reader and collector knows that there are three variations of the humble stock bolt, seven variations of the forend, three variations of the buttplate, and so on, as well as how to identify each and relate it to a specific range of serial numbers produced by a specific factory.

The book also translates the codes and markings that often pinpoint its original and subsequent military units. Collectors are thrilled when the discover that their rifle served at El Alamein or during the Invasion of Sicily, at Monte Cassino, Normandy or in the Far East in Malaya, or in Korea or Aden or anywhere else British forces were to be found between 1941 and the mid-1950s.

As with his first volume covering the Mk I and Mk III (No. 1) Rifles, this is a thorough and well-organized book that will aid the collector in determining originality and restoring these historical battle rifles to authenticity.

British Enfield Rifles, (Vol 2) No. 4 and No. 5 Rifles