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Post by horsa (David Gordon) on Apr 26, 2006 0:30:24 GMT 1
Not sure what that was from. Both sides of the reciever have grinder marks on the outside in that area but there is nothing on the inside to indicate a cut had ever been there. Assumption had been that markings and/or serial numbers had been ground off. Originally the maker data and later the remanufacturer data. Might be they botched up the mag release in the process.
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Post by Kev on Apr 26, 2006 1:08:08 GMT 1
Looks like something has been going on as the profiles of curved area below mag catch pin has taken on a different shape.  The thicker profile on the magazine well also indicates a MKIm middle section. |
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Post by horsa (David Gordon) on Apr 26, 2006 3:04:30 GMT 1
Might partially be a illusion as the weapon is in sad shape right now with less than clean looking welds. Plan for awhile has been to take it back down to bare metal and clean up the welds from when it was last a live firearm. Then refinish it so it looks proper again and keep it that way for show. Ever since we had to deactivate it, it has been a prop for reenactors or mounted on the outside of the jeep, often in the rain at events.  Not how I treat my functional firearms by any means. |
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Post by britplumber on Apr 26, 2006 7:58:06 GMT 1
Its definatly an original Bren mk1 rear as it is marked Bren mk1 and has all the machining on it whereas the mk1 (modified) had plain machining and wasn't marked Bren mk1. It cant be an Inglis Bren mk1 as there is no 'm' after the mk1, which we know was added whilst they were still producing the intermediate model.
I suspect that, 3 different sections were used so that there was an over lap of metal to enable a perfect fit and the correct dimensions were ensured. It would make more sence to do it that way than to use 3 sections of the original receiver and have to fill in the gaps where the saw or flame cutter had removed metal.
It still remains a very intresting Bren and has got my attension. Nice to see that it still has its uses, even though its had an eventfull life!
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Post by horsa (David Gordon) on Apr 26, 2006 14:58:20 GMT 1
Just sad that it had to be deactivated a second time after having been made into a live full auto again here in the States. Eventually the gun laws over here will get more restrictive like you see in the UK and Canada.
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Post by britplumber on Apr 26, 2006 15:15:30 GMT 1
I think you can safely say that its a unique weapon (even if deactivated). We can send lots of photo's with detail so you can get the welds and shape sorted. Can you re-serialise the gun or is that illegal over there? I can give you a rough date and serial for the rear section, I can tell its got to be between 1937 and 1940, serials A1 to D9999 approx (after this they switched to the MK1 ED 194? markings and did away with the BREN Mk1).
Are there many mk3's in the states? You could, if your quite good with a wielder, make a mk3 from a mk2 receiver with the front part of your receiver? Its all quite extreme but possible.
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Post by horsa (David Gordon) on Apr 26, 2006 16:07:43 GMT 1
Since the receiver we are talking about is deactivated, I can number it without any problems with the law. Its only my live full-auto Stens and the live semi-auto Bren that have to stay like they are.
I haven't seen any real Mark III Brens over here but they likely exist in some collections. We're so spread out in the USA that there is no telling who really has what since we tend to only hit regional events. Mark III barrels turn up now and then and I'd imagine that there are more on Mark I and II semi-auto Brens simply to help lighten them up a bit.
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