Date Markings on FTR'd Lithgow Bren

[peregrinvs]

Hi,

Something that's been puzzling me: my Lithgow Bren has full matching serial numbers, but has a 1943 dated receiver, a September 1945 dated barrel and a 1945 dated locking nut. It is marked as being FTR'd in December 1950. Does this mean that;

(a) The receiver 'sat on the shelf' for 2-3 years before the gun was assembled. Or;

(b) The gun was fitted with an unused 1945 dated barrel and locking nut when it was FTR'd in 1950 and these parts were renumbered to match the receiver.

I'd guess (b) is more likely, but perhaps someone more knowledgeable could confirm this? It has a few Inglis and Enfield marked parts which again I assume it probably acquired when it was FTR'd?

Thanks,
Mark

[britplumber]

It could be a 1945 replacement or more than likely, left over parts used in the 1950's FTRs. There are hundreds of Inglis and Enfield Brens around with 1950s dated Lithgow parts.Some are Lithgow FTRd guns and I guess they may have sold surplus parts onto the arms market (Greeks) as I guess Inglis and Enfield had stopped making .303 parts (Or maybe Im wrong?)