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I hereby register the latest known example of an unmodified Mk1 Bren magazine. Brought in from the wild at the War & Peace show on Wednesday and the dealer concerned was blissfully unaware of its status. :D
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I'm currently half way through cleaning it up. This is the third one that has passed through my hands and they've all had paint on them. A coincidence?
Does it happen to have any N^Z markings? Good spot by the way, the rest of the Bren lovers including myself must have been asleep!
I picked up some wreck recovered Boys AT rounds (Sans Projectiles) and a very early M1 marked M1A1 ammo can for the 1917A1 machine gun recently used by the German Army for 7.62 belted.
Also put a deposit down on a Bren IMG 16GA.
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Well spotted! All the Mk I mags we have found here in NZ were all prominently stamped N^Z. The NZ painted mags are usually a straw colour for desert camo.
Having scraped most of the paint off, there only seem to be Enfield markings on the exterior. Some of the internals are also Enfield marked. It cost £10 as the dealer claimed in was ex-Chindit. A likely tale, but I didn't quibble as I had my eyes on the greater prize...Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
Were the Boys cartridge cases the ones covered in grot that were £10 for 5 with a charger? I bought a rusty WWI Mills No.36 drill grenade as a 'have fun restoring it' project.
They were 5 on a clip for £17 and were grotty but I've put one on a .55" bar and placed it in my lathe chuck, spun it on a low speed and carefully scrapped the crud off with a broken parting tool. It's come out very well and by the time I've machined up a dummy projectile out of stainless I doubt the laymen would ever know it spent 30 years at the bottom of the sea.Quote:
Originally Posted by peregrinvs
I've also had good results using diluted citric acid to clean dirty/tarnished brass. The trick is not to leave it in too long as it will start to attack the metal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
I found a dealer online a few months back that had .55 Boys projectiles listed for sale with the AP cores removed as I have an empty case. Unfortunately when I enquired further he said he couldn't find them.
Woodsy, there's a Mk. 1 Bren Mag coming up in Teds next Auction in October, and there is a box of 11 standard mags (Mk. 2, Mk2*, Mk.3) as well :super:
I didn't see any N/|\Z markings on the mag, just the Enfield markings.
They say that a lot of this stuff is coming from the wreckage of the Lancastria that was ambushed on its way back from France supposedly in secret, bringing the last possible stocks of heavy equipment back. That'd be a wreck to see, full of heavy artillery and anti-tank stuff - so said - to defent the UK from the forthcoming invasion
That's the one. It is said that the shortage of support artillery and other major stores during the retreat to Dunkirk and Calais was because it was all(?) being moved away to be recovered instead of the inevitable loss at Dunkirk. History ain't my forte I have to say.........
One is finished, I actually did this on Thursday but I've not had chance to post a photo due to decorating commitments. God I hate decorating!!!
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We still have a small quantity of this in ammo stockpiles. We used it on a sort-of regular basis. But there's something quite - what's the word........ for it left looking like it did.
And another...:)Quote:
Originally Posted by peregrinvs
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I found this in the London Medal Company shop in the West End on Thursday. The asking price was a breathtaking circa 5 times the usual market rate for an ordinary Bren mag, but they didn't appear to be aware it was a MkI - otherwise I suspect they'd put a '1' in front of the price. ;)
It was in 'sleepy' condition, but has cleaned up nicely. All the parts are Enfield marked as well. Would anyone like to hazard a guess what the /\ O marking is?
Cheers,
Mark
I tend to look at the manufacturer's markings on the mags when looking through a box of Bren mags for sale at fairs/events to see if it's something that I want. People do seem to wonder what the hell I'm doing sometimes.
I'm sad enough to want 'matching' magazines for my Bren guns. An Inglis mag for the Inglis MkII, a Lithgow mag for the Lithgow MkI, etc. I'd like a tidy Enfield made Mk3 magazine for my Enfield MkIII Bren - it came with one, but still in the stores wrap and I don't want to disturb it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
Not even sometimes in my case... ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
You sick, sick, person :sos:
My quest is to own a mag transit tin with 12 mags from each manufacturer of Bren mags. Some of the manufacturers I need 2 sets of 12 mags because I need to cater for the pre dispersal code marked mags and the mags marked with dispersal codes. I'm only part way there so far.
First of all I let my wife do the decorating makes life easier if the input is to agree with most of it interject a bit then say you know your right it does look good then the wife is happy I am happy as she is doing it which leaves me free to do my stuff, I do move the heavy stuff and assist with taping off or cut a few corners in but thats all.
The no go place is my room its the gallows no redecorating at all besides with what I have got stashed in there would take a week to empty the room though I may find stuff I have lost!
Quote = " People do seem to wonder what the hell I'm doing sometimes." For myself as far as the rest of the world goes I am quite happy I blend in with the humans!