Inglis Bren MkIIM

[Lee Enfield]

Is anyone familiar with a Bren MkIIM?

Interesting pictures from a Regimental Museum in Quebec....

IMG_2576.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2578.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2650.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2654.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2638.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

Currently wearing a "7.92" marked barrel. The receiver is also marked 7.92 just behind the barrel nut.

It's a 1945 dated Inglis.

The mag well has a new feed plate riveted in.

CanadianGunNutz.com

Information

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[Brit plumber]

Is anyone familiar with a Bren MkIIM?

Interesting pictures from a Regimental Museum in Quebec....

IMG_2576.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2578.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2650.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2654.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

IMG_2638.jpg Photo by dauph197 | Photobucket

Currently wearing a "7.92" marked barrel. The receiver is also marked 7.92 just behind the barrel nut.

It's a 1945 dated Inglis.

The mag well has a new feed plate riveted in.

CanadianGunNutz.com

Well it started life as one of the post war 7.92 guns so I'd hazard a guess at it being a trial gun for some other calibre like .280

[Lee Enfield]

Well it started life as one of the post war 7.92 guns so I'd hazard a guess at it being a trial gun for some other calibre like .280

Actually it didn't start as an 8mm gun, because that would be a "7.92mm BREN MkI" not a "BREN MkII", and if post-war, it would also not be "Inglis" marked...

[Brit plumber]

I'm still pretty confident the gun started life as a 7.92mm gun, It's just my opinion but the body is likely to be an unfinished/un assembled Mk2 body assembled into a 7.92mm gun post war as part of that sterile Bren contract for the CIA??? (And subsequently rejected maybe due to markings) The serial number is certainly in that format. That may explain the replacement magazine well insert too.

I have on record several serial numbers of Inglis mk2 Brens assembled after the last serial number recorded by Inglis. When was the last Mk2 supposedly assembled? I don't have my books to hand.

[Lee Enfield]

I'm still pretty confident the gun started life as a 7.92mm gun, It's just my opinion but the body is likely to be an unfinished/un assembled Mk2 body assembled into a 7.92mm gun post war as part of that sterile Bren contract for the CIA??? (And subsequently rejected maybe due to markings) The serial number is certainly in that format. That may explain the replacement magazine well insert too.

I have on record several serial numbers of Inglis mk2 Brens assembled after the last serial number recorded by Inglis. When was the last Mk2 supposedly assembled? I don't have my books to hand.

Sorry, my point is that an 8mm Bren is a "7.92 BREN MkI" even though it is built on what would be a "BREN MkII" if produced as a .303

[Peter Laidler]

We had an intelligence Officer at the Infantry HQ at Warminster who always expressed grave misgivings - to the point of ludicrousness - about the notion of 'sterile' weapons. Arguing that even the average gun enthusiast armed with 20 year old copy of Janes could identify the source of a weapon. Once you have the source, regardless of the serial number applied or not, at the time or afterwards made such a weapon immediately 'un-sterile' Just the opinion of a senior Intelligence Officer for what its worth!

And on a personal level, I remember the so-called Indonesian made Pindad Browning episode.

[browningautorifle]

the so-called Indonesian made Pindad Browning episode.

Yeah...now you have another one to explain...?

[Kev G]

Interesting pictures from a Regimental Museum in Quebec....

Thanks for the great pictures,did the tag attached to the gun note anything ?

We had an intelligence Officer at the Infantry HQ at Warminster who always expressed grave misgivings - to the point of ludicrousness - about the notion of 'sterile' weapons. Arguing that even the average gun enthusiast armed with 20 year old copy of Janes could identify the source of a weapon. Once you have the source, regardless of the serial number applied or not, at the time or afterwards made such a weapon immediately 'un-sterile' Just the opinion of a senior Intelligence Officer for what its worth!

Source as in manufacture doesn't much matter,but source as from who supplied it does.
The principle of deniability in past arms trading to groups and factions in C & S America,Tibet etc and fake headstamps on ammunition is a well troden path.

Sam Cummings for one when working for the CIA and afterwards suppling them is covered in the book 'Deadly Business' which my be of interest and a bit of light reading for the 'senior Intelligence Officer'

ATB Kevin

[Lee Enfield]

Thanks for the great pictures,did the tag attached to the gun note anything ?

snip

ATB Kevin

serial number is 0-0562

[Peter Laidler]

I am inclined to agree with BP in the most part. What I think is that we shouldn't look for a complicated answer when there is usually a simple answer. These bodies were/probably/ left over bodies after production ceased - much like the left over bodies at Fazakerley when No4/5 rifle production ceased there. When there was a need at Inglis (or wherever - like the No8's and L39's for 'new' bodies) they just took what they had from store.

It isn't difficult to convert a .303" Bren to 7.92. Mind you, you can't say the same about converting a .303" Bren to 7.62mm.............. Sheer purgatory