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Attached are some photos of an early Inglis mk1 Bren I picked up as part of a collection the other day. Serial number is M93, which should make it the 93rd production Bren made at Inglis. I already have a 3 digit serial numbered mk1 Inglis Bren, but this is my first 2 digit number. Not sure I'll find a single digit but I'll keep looking.
As an extra bonus it came with an almost mint Cdn marked (made by Bata Canada) brass catcher bag.
Has anyone seen any Inglis Bren serials lower?
What a nice old gun that is...
These are the earliest Bren gun I have on record,
Inglis M93, M120, M155, M177, M244, M537
Enfield A113, A133, A324, A374
Lithgow A2, A5, A22, A28, A33, A38, A40, A42, A53, A63, A68, A79, A106, A123, A124, A128, A129, A145, A202, A223, A230, A232, A243, A244, A250, A254, A261, A264, A286, A307, A319, A331, A377
Enfield Revolver
Enfield 1, 42, 52, 177, 188
Albion A1353
STEN Mk1
N052740, N070927, N078957
Thanks for the numbers. I think one of those other Inglis numbers could be mine as well, but it is out in the shop...I may be out there later today and will check then. Edited to add: Yep, had a look and serial M155 is hanging off my Bren Carrier.
I see you have some Sten numbers too. I have serial 0L18 mk2 LongBranch Sten in my collection if you want to keep track of those. Still keeping an eye out for a lower number, but it isn't looking good.
Hi Brit, I never knew you were gathering Mk I Sten numbers as well. Mine is N023315. It came out of Switzerland a few years ago and is in very tidy condition (live). I wonder if it was a French Resistance gun that got across the border?
Woodsy, we'd love to see pictures of your MkI.
This is a photo of a Sten display I did a couple of years ago. Theoretically my Mk I Sten should have been destroyed with the rest of the first 30,000 during the war, and if it had been in the UK at the time it probably would have been. That is why I think it could be a Resistance gun and got over the border into Switzerland.Quote:
Originally Posted by gsimmons
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...MAMS2010-1.jpg
In vertical rows the guns are: Left Row; MP40, Mk II Sten, Mk V Sten. Centre Row; Thompson M1928A1, Mk I Sten, NZ Local Pattern Sten, Mk I Austen. Right Row; Mk I* Lanchester, Mk III Sten, Mk I Owen.
The New Zealand LP Sten was a Mk II gun but the body was wrapped and spot welded like the Mk III. 10,000 were made for the NZ Army in 1942. 1,000 Mk II Stens were made first for the RNZAF for airfield defence and were known as the ARMAF Mk I. I have one of those as well.
I'm not sure that there was ever an instruction to destroy any of the Mk1 guns. They were simply declared obsolescent.
Hi Peter. I am referring to the list 'The Magnitude of the Problem' on page 301 of your Sten book which shows the first 35,602 Mk I's were recalled for destruction.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
The recall involved the wrap around receivers that were not built with the re-enforcing plates on the inside of the trigger housing. The faulty stens can be ID'd from the washer spot welded around the change lever to give the area the proper thickness. Ill 301 in the book shows one of these.
The stens which had the re-enforcing plates spot welded in were not effected by the recall. A photo of one is shown on the top left of page 300 (illustration 299)..
From the dozen or so single wall wrap around stens that have passed over my workbench, the tubes seemed to buckle near the front of the trigger housing, where there was the least amount of metal. It would seem that many of them continued service in Canada right until the end.
Yes, that would be correct for the wrapped body Mk II's, however the Mk I's were made from drawn tube with trigger plates welded on. There must have been some other problem with the MkI bodies. I know my Mk I is still in good working order, and it has no additional welds at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by stencollector
To be honest, any mk1 stens I have seen were behind glass at museums. They are a rare bird here in Canada. Can Peter shed any light on the mk1 recall? Were there wraparound mk1s?
TBH, I think the MKI Sten's are pretty Rare ANYWHERE in the world! I have only seen them in 'Quantity', in Films. Indicating to Me, that Bapty's (Now Zorg) in the UK have a 'Few' of them. With Restrictors in the barrel.To enable them to fire Full Auto on Blanks. & now I come to think about it. They are all Modified to MKI* Spec. By the removal of the flash hider, & Wooden Forend furniture. Just My own Thoughts!.........
Rod, Thanks for the number, I'll make a note of it.
I think Bapty's or Zorg as it is, had a big clear out a few years ago but non of the STENs came up. I've seen them in most of the British 1950s/60s/70s films like 633 Sqn, The Guns of Naverone etc. they could have been Mk1 to Mk1* conversions or more likely they were the 3rd contract Mk1* guns that they acquired for making propaganda films in the War.Quote:
Originally Posted by tankhunter
With reference to Mk1 STENs being rare, I know of the Mk1* at Warminster, 3 Mk1 and a Mk1* in the Army Museum collection, the IWM have a Mk1 and Mk1*, The Royal Armouries have some but I don't know how many, The REME museum possibly have a Mk1 (Not confirmed), There is a semi relic Mk1 (Dragged out of a UK pond), a Mk1* and a damaged Mk1 in civilian hands in the UK, There is my own Mk1, Rods Mk1 and A Mk1 and Mk1* in civilian hands in the USA. If any one knows of any others can they jump in with some details.
So I know of potentially 5 STEN Mk1 and 2 Mk1* in private collections, there are bound to be lots more but the owners are obviously very secretive!