Indian IB Bren

7.62 South African Bren L4A1 Light Machine Gun - Collector Weapons

Misidentified as South African Due to the SAF marking

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7.62 South African Bren L4A1 Light Machine Gun
IN STOCK
When the British military transitioned form the .303 British cartridge to 7.62mm NATO in the 1950s, it replaced the Enfield rifles with the new L1A1 SLR (the FAL) but retained the Bren gun as a support weapon. The Bren was updated to use 7.62mm, in a process more complicated than most people would think. Ultimately, only a few thousand L4 series Brens were made, as they were rather quickly supplanted by the FN MAG as a belt-fed support weapon. This particular one is marked for the South Africa Forces and dated 1970. Action, Barrel and rear sights are marked 7.62. Good Overall Condition with usual wear.
$5,500.00

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It looks to me like that started its life as an Indian Mk3 Bren and was converted to 'L4A1' spec - without the magazine support inserts - in 1970. Without mag inserts and A1 ejector block with HODevice made the gun doomed to fail. Which it did! Replaced with the superb A2 which also used L1A1 rifle and later 30 round specially made magazines. I would disagree that only a few thousand were made......... Enfield were churning them out until the late 70's

But I could be wrong of course

Apart from a broad arrow within a "U" what other markings did South Africa use? Did, for example, they ever mark anything with "SDF" or "SADF" for South African Defence Force? I have seen "SAF" used for both India and South Africa but was never too sure which was correct until I saw this post.

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

It looks to me like that started its life as an Indian Mk3 Bren and was converted to 'L4A1' spec - without the magazine support inserts - in 1970. Without mag inserts and A1 ejector block with HODevice made the gun doomed to fail. Which it did! Replaced with the superb A2 which also used L1A1 rifle and later 30 round specially made magazines. I would disagree that only a few thousand were made......... Enfield were churning them out until the late 70's

But I could be wrong of course

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The Indians scratch built L4A2's as 7.62s with the magazine well cut for L1a1 mags from the start.

KevinG posted photos comparing a British L4A2 and an Indian scratch built IB 7.62 Bren and the difference in milling was visibly apparent.



https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=22139

And here is the MkI converted to 7.62

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=20413

And while we are all here, where is ZGB now.....?

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

Apart from a broad arrow within a "U" what other markings did South Africa use?

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Never saw anything else than the U with a broad arrow inside, in 30 years' service. Doesn't mean it no other markings didn't exist, especially stuff before 1940, but I seriously doubt it.