Mk4 Butt Plate

[peregrinvs]

Furniture loves BOILED linseed oil

The Monotype MkII I bought in the summer (see pre-cleaning pictures in another thread) had very dry woodwork. It's Walnut and the butt is marked with the S111 (F. Tibbenham) code.

I gave it an initial wash over with white spirit to remove any dirt and grease. Then I rubbed it smooth with medium wire-wool, followed another rub with fine wire-wool to get it really smooth. Then I gave it a good soak with a 50/50 mix of raw linseed oil and white spirit and it soaked up a significant quantity. When this had dried, I started applying thin coats of boiled linseed oil and allowing them to soak in. The wood is still matt and I'm working on the assumption that the BLO will dry with a glossy finish when the wood is finally saturated. I'm waiting for the warm weather to start applying further coats to the Bren along with other guns I have that are 'pending'.

Mark

[peregrinvs]

A quick public note of thanks to KevG who has sorted me out with some Bren spares including a Mk4 buttplate.

I noticed it's marked 'MC'. Is this the mark for Monotype Corporation and did they produce Bren parts after WWII?

Thanks,
Mark

[Peter Laidler]

The outside contractors such as Monotype, BSA and Holland and Holland had their contracts cancelled as soon as the MoS could do so. After all, they were merely sub contractors. Thereafter any like work was given to the Government owned arms factories. Any work still in hand, as you now know with the H&H saga was completed and the remainder costed, paid for and returned to Ordnance or scrapped. You'll read in the little Sten Gun book of what happened in a little press shop who made some stamped, pressed and fabricated parts. At CRD, there followed a thank you letter from the Ministry of Supply and that was about it! The following weeks later the MD called the workforce together and told them that the 20 hour shifts were finishing and that the 'casuals' and the women 'production line' staff were being laid off with no redundancy pay. However, they did have a big party locally, paid for by Climax Rock Drill to celebrate. But they each had to contribute a very small part of their Ration Allowance, in the form of a coupon, to ensure that there was sufficient 'allowance' for food at the the evening dinner/dance. Times were tough!

[peregrinvs]

Apologies for dragging this one up again, but I noticed when I swapped them over that both the Mk2 buttplate and Mk4 buttplate were Monotype marked. Any ideas on whether Monotype made both types of buttplate at once, or did they start making the Mk2 and then change over to the Mk4 later?

Cheers,
Mark

[Kev G]

Monotype and Inglis both started out with the MK2 and then changed over to the MK4 butt plate (LoC) indicate 1943.
AFAIK Lithgow only made the MK4 butt plate.

atb Kevin