I came across this thread on another Forum, by chance, and although a bit long winded I thought that the information may be useful to others.
Bren Gun magazine markings - question
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I came across this thread on another Forum, by chance, and although a bit long winded I thought that the information may be useful to others.
Bren Gun magazine markings - question
Sorry but that guy comes over as a chump!
I'd say rather a sad chump too........ Plus a couple of other descriptive words too.
The ll* indicates to me that the component or magazine is a Mk2* and nothinbg to do with the manufacturer
It is Kev's information which I thought may be useful and I assume to be the assume Kev that helps members out on this Forum.
Yes same Kev, that info is note worthy. It's the guys reaction to other posts that got me. Someone tried to help and the OP gave him grief, I imagine only Kev's photos persuaded him it was British as he stated numerous times it defo wasn't British or commonwealth.
i wish I had the time to collate this type of info into a milsurps post.
I'm surprised that there are other forums
Yes, it would be useful if all these small bits of information could be gathered together into one place. Kev's information is useful at the end of the thread with apologies for having to wade through all the other stuff to get to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
I've been sorting out and cleaning up, over Easter, some Bren mags which I picked up at a show last year. I was surprised to find that an Austin made MK2* mag had been fitted with a MK1 end/floor plate (without guide indents), at some time. I know this to be a genuine Bren item because it has the Enfield and arrow markings.
Happens a lot more than you think! I have no idea how many different Mk of mags and manufacturers there are but it would be good to have evidential photos to record them. Perhaps we should start a new thread for this, just markings and photos with any rogue posts removed/moved by moderators.
The amount of OFFICIAL marks of magazine is well documented. As are the variations in the components that make up the official hybrid types. The problem is that in the years gone by, people have mixed the individual component parts up so the mag becomes a TOTAL hybrid that doesn't correspond or relate to anything official.
Another 'problem' that faces a civvy collector is that while a component part might be marked, say, Mk2, it simply means that the PART is a Mk2 and not that the whole assembly is a Mk2
Yet another problem in the civvy collecting world, (and magazine platforms are a good point in question here) is what identifies the different mark/types when different Countries all made them, with their own relaxations in standards and manufacturing methods?
Yet another problem in the civvy collecting world is the vast amount of truly knowledgeable people there are out there. The drawback is that the expertise comes from whatever book/s they've been reading. And it's fair to say that with the Bren and L4 having been in service for so long, even the user handbooks and Inf Trg pamphlets contradict themselves. Geoff PXXXX the Pamphlet Writer showed me the pamphlet archive for the Bren/L4 and it was HUGE. That was only half of it, because there was another equally huge archive at Ordnance and another at Procurement. And guess what......? Yep, the Ordnance archive as to what constitutes a Mk3 magazine assembly doesn't match with what the EMER says constitutes the same.......
Now try writing it all up in a book just KNOWING what the truly knowledgeable are going to say when you have!
Was it only Enfield that made the MK3 Bren mag, post WW2?