Bren serial numbers.

[LTC Roy]

Chris, I have a Semi-Auto L4A4 serial no.14T583, that was made from an Inglis 1943.

Roy

[Topfmine]

Being a newbie to the Bren gun world, hopefully getting my first this week, can you tell by looking at the serial number what configuration the Bren left the factory ie what furniture and fittings it was fitted with.

[Brit plumber]

Chris, I have a Semi-Auto L4A4 serial no.14T583, that was made from an Inglis 1943.

Roy

Hi Roy, Take a look one page back, unfortunately your gun is either a South African 7.62 conversion or a recent build in the States. A true L4A4 would be based on a Enfield Mk3 gun, an Inglis Mk2 would be converted to L4A3. A genuine L4A3 would have the 14T583 barred out and a new number of UE65Axxxx etc. pantographed above the original number.

---------- Post added at 05:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:31 PM ----------

Being a newbie to the Bren gun world, hopefully getting my first this week, can you tell by looking at the serial number what configuration the Bren left the factory ie what furniture and fittings it was fitted with.

Pretty much the serial number tells us everything, Brens were constantly in use for 60 odd years in numerous marks and dozens of countries so many now have later parts fitted. As Peter will say, the mark of the gun was decided by the markings on the body rather than what was fitted to it. In the 50s quite a number of Mk1 guns were fitted with Mk3 parts because A, they were the current spares and B, it made a Mk1 resemble a Mk3, but it was still a Mk1 gun.

[Topfmine]

So what would a Mk 1 1944 Enfield Bren have when it came off the production line ie, a Mk 1 butt stock etc or would it have the latest improved butt stock available at the time ie a Mk 2 stock etc, which I assume would be better than the Mk 1 version. I can understand how later improved features were added during a refit and overall. Just wondered if improvements were added on the production line.

[Peter Laidler]

All the different parts, such as butts and bipods etc were made to be fully interchangeable as assemblies. If a production/assembly lkine at, say Enfield, producing Mk1 guns was short of Mk1 butts produced by BSA at Birmingham, then thay'd just get allocated a truckload of Mk2 butts made by 'Tibbies' at Ipswich. It is quite common to see Mk1 guns with Mk2 parts.

And don't forget this. Because a piston or a barrel was designated Mk2 or a butt plate designated a Mk3 it doesn't mean that it was for a Mk2 or a Mk3 gun. It simply means that the part was a Mk2 PART.

You're right about the butts. The Mk1 butt was just an exercise in making space for fresh air! The idea of a gun buffer in the butt AND a recoil buffer in the butt slide was a total frill - if not a complete fraud! Everyone knew it and the Mk2 and 3 gun butts did away with the gun buffering system. But production of the time wasting Mk1 butt continued because the licensing agreement dictated that the gun was to be produced to the drawings.

And like the No4 rtifle, I cannot ever remember an Armourer waiting for an X part for an X gun when there was a tray full of Y parts on the shelf. They might have - but I was asleep that day if it happened

[IanS]

I hope this isn't too late.

I have a deactivated Lithgow MA Mk1, 1942, SN A2816.

Chest marked, Liverpool NSW.

Deac Cert dated 1994.

Regards,
Ian.

[Brit plumber]

Thanks Ian, There's quite a few survivors in this range

A2816
A2818
A2855
A2891
A2893
A2898
A2901

[IanS]

Are there many of these in the UK?
Ian

[Maccaman]

Hi Chris, I have a Mk1m Inglis Stamped, Serial: 5T.797.

[Brit plumber]

Are there many of these in the UK?
Ian

Yep, all in the UK.