The John Inglis manufacturing year?

[Peter Laidler]

The year change 1943 to 1944 took place between guns 11T 88XX and 11T 97XX. Your gun is certainly an early 1944 with that close 12T 50XX number. Usually during a change over period the date under the INGLIS mark is earlier than the proof date on the left side barrel nut reinforce area. Indicating to all that the gun was manufactured in late '43 and proof fired and stamped early the NEXT year, 1944 and so on - on the basis that the gun couldn't be proofed before it was manufactured and marked!!!!!

But if yours is marked as manufactured in 1944 and proof dated 1943 then who knows. It is certainly the odd man out in the rather large list of such info I have.

The serial numbers were changed to length-wise later but maybe BritPlumber can say exactly when. It was notified in an instruction for Quartermasters as a feature to aid 'ease of manufacture'

Bren mags are usually marked at the bottom. Notice I say 'usually' and not always. The Mk1 magazines weren't generally marked though for a long winded reason that I won't go into