Dang nice Mag & Bag set

Up here in Canada, the semi auto Brens are considered converted autos (prohibited) since they use the original receivers. And real Brens, whether full auto or converted auto, are blocked from going to the ranges. As such, outside of collectors and re-enactors, there is not a lot of demand for anything Bren. So if I were to put them onto the market, they would have the same liability that your straps have: high postage.

As I said, I paid $2 a pouch, and to me, the strap is worth that. Mine are all in their original cases of 20 from the Cdn supply system, and all are mint. My friends (also collectors) warned me that a bad afterlife was awaiting if I were to cut brand new pouches just to get the straps though.

Scavenging items from a perfectly good product was never in my purview. But I have noticed that once in a while, complete but separate parts become available for certain weapons (talking out of print weapons) on the market that pretty much look like people break up the original item, then sell the individual parts for a premium. Recently have seen this with the Armalite AR-180 on line. Good for business, bad for purists. I suppose. I guess maybe even purists will purchase parts like this when they become available. Otherwise, where do you go for parts?

My second order came in on the Bren Utility Pouches and Mags. Same but possibly better. At least all the mags were better! I think ALL of them are MkIII marked mags in perfect condition. No dents, no rust or corrosion and barely any dirt. Can't ask for anything better. I only hope they have springs in them!!? just kidding. They do.

The webbing is nice as well. One pouch has NO designation. It is made by ME&Co, which I understand is Mills. It has NO ballistite cartridge loops. It also seems slightly deeper than the other pouches and I understand there was an addition of a 1/2" or so to pouches at one point, when the Sten gun came into service? The date is 1940. Looks unissued. There is NO designation for REAR on the back? The other pouch appears like the first set as far as size and construction. It is stamped S&ULTD I believe. My memory is so terrible that the walk from the shop to the house and I forget things! Pretty sure it is S&U something. It is dated 43 and has the ballisite loops in the lid. The back is stamped FRONT, as it has the waist loop. The hanger strap for lack of better term is exactly like the last one, narrow and probably not really the correct item, but that is fine. This one is clearly stamped 1943. So I suspect that is as the other as well. The other was just not as clear to see. Everything seems new, unissued.

So now I have one nice set each to go with my MkI and MkIII Brens. Happy to have learned just a little more about the Bren and the kit supplied with them. Thank you gentlemen.

It may be MSU Ltd on the other pouch: Montreal Suspender and Umbrella Ltd. Not as common as ZLT marked webbing, but not rare either.

The breaking up of whole sets to make more from the sale has always occurred in this (and I am sure) many other hobbies. Enfield no4mk1T sets, either matched or unmatched, were worth more broken up than together, especially before the repro stuff came out. We have similar here in Canada, with the Colt/Diemaco AR15 rifles. Companies and individuals order in complete rifles, then break them up into spare parts, since the factory would not sell a lot of the pieces individually like the hammer forged barrels or the Diemaco marked receivers. At least with the Diemaco rifles, more were being produced....not so with the matched Enfield snipers.

Stencollector, thank you for the clarification on the MSU designation. The M was terribly smudged and I wasn’t sure it was a letter at all! I am pleased with the set none the less. Looking forward to my proper top loops arriving to set these up in a more correct fashion.

So my understanding is that these sets were an “ auxiliary” to the two pouches already included by pattern 37 rigs? I have not studied the pattern 37 closely, but I thought those utulity pouches hooked up to the main web belt and had support suspenders wrapping over the shoulders to the rear case or possibly to the belt again in the back? If that is the case, a single soldier would be carrying 4 pouches with 12 magazines? An amble load for sure.

Wartime dated "basic" pouches are worth buying if you see them in unissued condition and are reasonably priced. There are plenty of post war dated ones around but not so many WW2 dated versions about. The wartime versions seem to have the brass "popper" type closure tab and the post war version a "pull" type tab.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AmEngRifles

Stencollector, thank you for the clarification on the MSU designation. The M was terribly smudged and I wasn’t sure it was a letter at all! I am pleased with the set none the less. Looking forward to my proper top loops arriving to set these up in a more correct fashion.

So my understanding is that these sets were an “ auxiliary” to the two pouches already included by pattern 37 rigs? I have not studied the pattern 37 closely, but I thought those utulity pouches hooked up to the main web belt and had support suspenders wrapping over the shoulders to the rear case or possibly to the belt again in the back? If that is the case, a single soldier would be carrying 4 pouches with 12 magazines? An amble load for sure.

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The section heavily relied on the Bren for suppressive fire during an attack on a position. The Bren gunner already was carrying a significantly heavier load than the riflemen, and his load was not going to get lighter as the mission carried on. The load of carrying the magazines fell onto the remainder of the section. The more magazines they could supply, the better the suppressive fire and the safer and sooner the job could get done.

You mentioned the deeper pouches for the sten gun magazines. I do not believe that the auxiliary pouches were ever modified for that purpose, but rather the basic pouches, which were part of the webbing set. I had only seen the very odd modified basic pouches until about a dozen years ago when suddenly lots of NOS deeper Canadian pouches hit the market. Someone must have opened up a warehouse somewhere.

There are heaps of these utility pouches on the market here, and not much demand for them. I used to use them to hold an oscillator-and-level-measuring-set at work.

During a lull in the action the No.2 would go around the rest of the section exchanging his empty mags for their full ones. The 'book' said they were supposed to be worn front and back but most people slung them around the front, yoke-style, like here:



https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...04/large-1.jpg


They could also hold 2" mortar bombs.

Thanks MkVII. I had already tried that position and quite liked it.

Ordered this package based on this thread and it arrived today. The pouches are clearly unissued and marked Z.L. & T. Ltd. 1944 and Front (or Back). The six mags are all unissued with various manufacturer markings and all have the broad arrow. Great deal--thanks for letting us know!

tj214, if they sent you the narrow strap for the top of the holders, let me know. I have several extra appropriate, proper, wide straps. The man that has them Canada is a very nice fellow, but you have to order a minimum and cover the postage too, which makes them a bit pricier here in the US.