Bren Gun serial number database, all marks.

[efsu]

Sr No: A5612
MnFr: Lithgow
Year:1942
Stamped DP
Deac

[mragu]

Mark II
Inglis, Canada
1943
Serial number: IIT703X

Semi-automatic built by Project Guns, LLC

[peregrinvs]

Serial number: D2152
Date of manufacture: 1940
Manufacturer: Enfield
Type: MkI - correct barrel, butt and bipod.
Notes: Double-dovetail with King's crown and 'ENFIELD' marking. Slide and locking nut electropencil renumbered with receiver number. Barrel renumbered '2833'. Repro butt handle, butt strap and butt disc added.

Serial number: 9T8046
Date of manufacture: 1943
Manufacturer: Inglis
Type: MkII - correct Inglis barrel, butt and bipod.
Notes: Slide numbered '12T9205'. Barrel numbered '13T7424' + 1944 dated. Locking nut numbered '12T2448'.

Serial number: B7297
Date of manufacture: 1945
Manufacturer: Lithgow
Type: MkI - 'Upgraded' model with MkI(m) receiver and Australian MkII barrel. Has British Mk2 bipod.
Notes: FTR'd in the 1950s. Non-matching serial numbers. (Sold 2008)

Serial number: B3506
Date of manufacture: 1943
Manufacturer: Lithgow
Type: MkI - 'Upgraded' model with MkI(m) receiver, Australian MkII barrel and Australian Mk2 bipod.
Notes: FTR'd in December 1950 to mint condition. Full matching serial numbers.

Tripod
Serial number: B9691
Date of manufacture: 1939
Manufacturer: BSA
Type: MkI
Notes: Overpainted olive drab with dark green paint underneath. Repro AA handle clips fitted.

[timebandit]

Earlier this week I idly asked a question about Bren bipods on another forum, I didn't own a Bren I was just curious...
Well this it shows what happens when you get too curious as I'm now adding my Bren serial numbers to the database!! ;D

Serial No: E6477
Manufacturer: Enfield
Year: 1940
Model: MKI DD

Extra info: The Enfield makers mark is the stylised 'D' on the left hand side just in front of the sight drum. The lower part of the receiver (the bit that slides out with the butt - not sure of its proper name?) and the barrel locking lever thingy are also marked with E6477 but this is electropenciled.
The gas adjuster/valve thing just in front of the flash hider is marked with F219G and an Enfield 'D'.
The barrel is a MKI* and the original numbers look like they have been ground off and whilst you can faintly see traces of old numbers there is nothing really left to see, it looks like it's a proper factory type grind off as over the top of the ground area are a load of Enfield inspectors stamps (presume they are Enfield, it's a crown and numbers under it) and also an Enfield 'D' mark. The new number on the barrel is 318878...I think...the second number is difficult to make out, it may well be 3T8878 or possibly 38878 and the second character is a mistamped 1 which has been crossed thru'? I'll get some pics sometime and you can see if you can work it out.

With the Enfield markings on the left hand side of the receiver would this be getting towards the end of the Double Dovetail production just before the second dovetail was dropped?

[timebandit]

Just remembered this gun also which I had in my hands - albeit briefly until it was despatched back from whence it came...

Serial No: K5979
Manufacturer: Enfield
Year: 1941
Type: MKI (I think it's classed as a MKIM is it? It was the non DD type, but I dunno if Enfield actually referred to them as a MKIM or not?)

Extra Info: Bit of a crap gun really, messy deactivation around the gas valve thingy, pin had been removed and the hole welded up - a right mess. Deactivated by Helston in 1996 if I mind on. The whole gun looked like it had been finished off with a tin of black aerosol from Halfords and badly at that (despite the seller saying it had the original finish). Up for sale at a well known dealer in Staffordshire (NOT Saracen Exports by the way), probably best avoided if anyone comes across it.
Was fitted with a MKI butt, but had a later fixed leg bipod (think it was an Inglis one, sure it had the JI stamp on it but can't be totally sure).
Barrel was a MKI* but I didn't note the number but it had a DP prefix. The rest of the gun had DP markings on it also, receiver, barrel locking lever, the internals and just in front of the mag well also if I remember correctly (despite the sellers saying it didn't have any DP markings...see a pattern emerging here...ho hum).
The barrel locking lever had a matching number to the gun K5979 but unfortunately I can't recall if the lower part of the receiver did or not but I suspect not as most of the butt and its metal work had JI markings so I suspect the lower was from an Inglis gun?

[peregrinvs]

Serial number: T4161
Date of manufacture: 1943
Manufacturer: Monotype / Daimler
Type: MkII
Notes: Correct British spec MkII barrel, butt-slide and bipod. Early style 'D' for Daimler marked receiver. Matching butt slide. Electropencilled serial number on barrel nut. Non-matching barrel.

[timebandit]

Another one...

Serial Number: 10T5981
Manufacturer: Inglis
Year: 1943
Type: MKII

Extra Info: Mismatched gun. Bottom slide is numbered 14T5713 in electropencil. Barrel nut does match the upper with 10T5981 (proper stamp not electropencil). Barrel is 9T2076 with an S.
Gun has the correct Canadian MKII type bipod and most of the bits are stamped with the JI and/or the Canadian ordnance broad arrow and C. I 'think' the butt is the correct one but I'm not totally certain as I'm not sure what the correct one is - this one is the MKII type but without the little extension coming off the back, is this the correct Canadian one or not?

[woodsy]

Hi Chris

I saw another couple of early Brens in a private collection here a couple of weeks ago. I did not have the opportunity to get the serial numbers but they were:

Lithgow Mk I (DD) 1941 (No A69 from memory, certainly only two digits)

Enfield Mk I (DD) 1938, mismatched barrel and some other minor parts

Both live.

[britplumber]

Thanks Rod, if you see the Enfield, can you try for the number. Lithgow A69 is an early one, No A68 also survives in the UK. I now Know of 33 DD Lithgow Guns and I know there are some in the Lithgow museum that I dont have the numbers of.

All the best, Chris.

[woodsy]

Chris, here is another one.

Mk I,1938 Enfield DD, #A3306, live.

This is marked NZ^A 16 and was one of the original NZ shipment of probably 20 guns that arrived here in early 1939. My gun is #14 but has a slightly higher serial number which would suggest that they were taken from their crates and stamped at random.

[britplumber]

Thanks Rod, Do you know any other quantaties and dates for NZ deliveries?

ATB, Chris.

[Kev]

Oct 18, 2010 21:35:40 GMT 1 britplumber said:

..... I now Know of 33 DD Lithgow Guns and I know there are some in the Lithgow museum that I dont have the numbers of.

All the best, Chris.

A5 and A254 are in the the Lithgow collection.

[longshaor]

I picked up an Interordinance Bren Mk II parts kit, unfortunately the rear cut took out the last diget of the serial number...

Mk II
SN: 14T615_
Manufacturer: John Inglis & Son
Date: 1944

Neither of the barrels that came with it nor the barrel nut had remotely matching SNs and appear to be UK made parts.

[rob358]

An old friend, sadly deactivated in early 1988.

Mk I
SN NZ2664. Also marked OT7961, 1942, Inglis.

Mk I Barrel (I think)
Stamped A6382, C1436, FB75 and also OT7961 and what looks like FFFL01, but its so faded/worn its very hard to tell.

It has a fixed bipod which Im led to believe is from a Mk II
(The original may well be on a .222 Remington rifle that I know well.)

[woodsy]

The NZ number is the New Zealand Army number stamped upon arrival in NZ. The OT number is the correct serial number. The barrel sounds like an English barrel that has been fitted and renumbered to the gun, a fairly common thing when the original barrels were worn out.