Serial numbers have been discussed previously.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...erial596-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...erial597-1.jpg
This ones self explanatory but I think it must have been superceeded quite quickly as I've seen a lot of bodies with a build up of weld instead of the swaging fix.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...BrenCa02-1.jpg
And the painting of Brens.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Painting-1.jpg
Like you BP, I've seen and welded a lot of worn Bren bodies but never seen a swaged one. I mean........., swaging............ something that will have some 10+ pounds hanging from it....... The designer of that idea never went to the same engineering classes as me!
Peter, Add to that, the Possibility of 'Excess of Zeal' & you have a receipe for Disaster! Over enthusiastic use of 'Swaging' with a 'Birmigham Screw Driver' (Hammer!) could lead to distorsion of the body, & possible closure of the gas cylinder. (No offence intended, to Birmingham Residents! Ha,Ha!)
Resulting in failure to operate correctly & difficult assembley or removal of the working parts! No wonder build up with weld was really the ONLY practical soultion! Whoever thought that wacking the body in this manner would solve a wear problem. Should have been used as a Target for zeroing!.................