can you ID these bolts

I picked up 3 bren bolts today. 2 are JI and 1 is ED all 3 have 8mm or 7.62 extractors.
2 of them are electro penciled. I am interested in finding out where these bolts have been if some one can identify the electro pencil markings.
The other 2 bolts in the pictures are 303 bolts from my semi auto bren's

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...psckdwptcw.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ckdwptcw-1.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...pscfovcj3e.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...cfovcj3e-1.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...psyubkk42o.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...yubkk42o-1.jpg

The crossed lances, flags, pennants or whatever you want to call them is the UK military proof mark.

Do a search for South African Bren 7.62mm as I believe Kev Groom posted a number of photos of their 7.62mm conversion bolts.

Here is whats got me stumped. I have inglis 8mm bolts that are British proofed after 1954. So where would the British have sent or suppied 8mm brens or why would the British proof a bolt but not mark the caliber on it?
These are the only British proofed bolts I have ever seen that are not stamped 7.62

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr E

Here is whats got me stumped. I have inglis 8mm bolts that are British proofed after 1954. So where would the British have sent or suppied 8mm brens or why would the British proof a bolt but not mark the caliber on it?
These are the only British proofed bolts I have ever seen that are not stamped 7.62

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That's the unique thing about the S.A./DENEL conversion to 7.62mm NATO, it uses dead-stock .303 caliber BOLTS with only 7.62mm extractor (functionally same as "8mm" extractor) installed! All the headspacing/fitting issues are handled by a clever recontouring of the rear chamber face dimensions of the new-made 7.62mm NATO caliber BARRELS they developed for the conversion. One only needs to install the new 7.62mm caliber barrel and exchange the 7.62mm extractor in the stock original .303 caliber bolt and it's ready to go in 7.62mm caliber (magazine issues not discussed here, only bolt and barrel issue) the new design barrel is designed to headspace properly against the original .303 bolt length.

It is a beautiful conversion- I've been running my all-original '42 Daimler MK II in 7.62mm caliber perfectly, flawlessly reliably by exchanging ONLY the extractor, S.A. barrel, and dropping in stock Zb-39 magazines to feed. That three piece combination runs FLAWLESSLY reliable in 7.62mm NATO caliber!!

I will note NOTHING was done or needed to be done to get proper headspace lockup, just drop in barrel. This is my personal experience and reflects the fact I am doing this to an all original military issue receiver unmolested as it came from the factory- a cut and welded back together receiver may be an entirely different story....I can't speak to that situation, but as the South Africans intended, it works flawlessly.
-TomH

They’re not stamped 7.62 as they appear to be 303, without having them in front of me it’s hard to be sure but I suspect they may be South African 7.62, they used any .303 block and converted them to 7.62 by adding a 7.62 extractor and soldering a collar in the face. The other option is some one has been trying a Calibre conversion of their own using ZB39 mags, 7.62 barrels and .303 bolts and bodies.

I see I was beaten to it....

They are Canadian Bren gun bolts..........
Or at least the two shown are.
The JI is John Inglis Canada as is the C with the arrow.

I've done the same as Tom (TactAdv) only in semi auto. Just put a 7.62 extractor in a .303 bolt in a standard MK II with a SA 7.62 barrel, using a ZB 39 mag. No headspace adj. required. Just like Tom's, runs great.

With a little grinding on the MK II mag. well it will accept a 8mm mag which will also run the 7.62 Nato. The grinding does not affect the use of a standard .303 mag.

Joe

Has the far right bolt had the firing pin hole bushes and a round firing pin installed?