 jungle carbine was an informal term used for the rifle no. 5 mk iwilson (2006) which was a derivative of the british lee enfield no. 4 mk i, designed not for jungle fighting but in response to a requirement for a "shortened, lightened" version of the no.4 rifle for airborne forces in the european theatre of operations. the end of the war in europe overtook widespread issue of the no.5 and most of the operational use of this rifle occurred in post-war colonial campaigns such as the malayan emergency, where engagement ranges tended to be shorter and its handier size and reduced weight were an advantage. this is where the "jungle carbine" nickname comes from. production began in march 1944, and finished in december 1947.skennerton (2007), p.246 ==military service== the term "jungle carbine" was colloquial and never officially applied by the british armed forces,skennerton (1994), p.5 but the rifle no. 5 mk i was informally referred to as the "jungle carbine" by british and commonwealth troops during world war ii and the malayan emergency. the no. 5 was about 100&nbsp;mm shorter and nearly a kilogram lighter than the no. 4 from which it was derived. a number of "lightening cuts" were made to the receiver body and the barrel, the bolt knob drilled out, woodwork cut down to reduce weight and had other new features like a flash suppressor and a rubber buttpad to help absorb the increased recoil.skennerton (1994), p.7 it was used in the far east and other jungle-type environments (hence the "jungle carbine" nickname) and was popular with troops because of its light weight (compared to the smle and lee-enfield no. 4 mk i rifles then in service) and general ease of use,skennerton (1994) p.7 although there were some co
Carbines Rifles_of_the_United_Kingdom World_War_II_infantry_weapons_of_the_United_Kingdom