Lee Enfield No 5 Mk I .303 inch Rifle, 1945

During operations in the Far East the British Army was convinced it needed a lighter, handier rifle for use in the jungle. Developed as a lightweight version of the No 4 rifle the No 5 rifle was the result. The No 5 which was produced from 1944 onwards was basically a shortened No 4 Rifle with a large flash eliminator on the muzzle. It continued in use after World War Two (1939-1945), but problems with the fearsome recoil and the zeroing of the sights meant it was not a popular weapon. Although declared an obsolete in July 1947 it continued to be used in Malaya in the 1950s supplemented by the American M2 carbine.