Bren MkI/MkII Barrel Varient observed

[Lee Enfield]

Has anyone seen a MkI barrel fitted with a Mk2 gas block and cone "flash hider"?

I recently had one pass thru my hands and took a few (poor quality) pictures.

Are they common, or was this a "One-off"?

I initially thought that it was some home brew "lightened" MkII barrel, until I remembered the picture of the MkI barrel with flash hider removed:

Milsurps Knowledge Library - The Mk1 and Mk1* Bren Barrel (by Peter Laidler))

The give-away for me was the standard Mk2 flash hider with it's 2 positioning keys proud of the barrel thickness.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Am I misreading this L-E. A Mk1 barrel with a Mk2 flash eliminator? You'll need to elaborate on your findings with pictures as this combination can't happen!

[Lee Enfield]

Am I misreading this L-E. A Mk1 barrel with a Mk2 flash eliminator? You'll need to elaborate on your findings with pictures as this combination can't happen!

It's a MkI barrel which has had the "stainless" combined gas block-flash hider removed, and a MkII gas block and flash hider each fitted.

I found one of the pictures I took of one of the flash hider positioning keys and how proud of the barrel it is.

Notice the top barrel is the MkI converted to Mk2 and the barrel below it is a standard Mk2 barrel.
Attachment 59912

It has a very similar step after the gas block to this barrel.
This is the stripped MkI barrel from one of PL's info postings, notice the same angle of relief cut past the gas block
Attachment 59913

[Peter Laidler]

I am just imagining that and can assure you that it will be a made up monstrosity. I'm sure that the flash eliminator would not be rotationally secure enough being retained with one taper pin. It's the tongues that prevent rotation.

[Brit plumber]

Am I the only one clicking on the link and getting a photo of a Mk1 barrel with Stainless sleeve removed?

[Peter Laidler]

I'm getting it too but there's no sign of a separate gas block* or F/E* being fitted to the sleeveless Mk1 barrel

* the gas block and flash eliminator fitted to the Mk2 barrel ASSEMBLY were designated the BLOCK, Gas Mk1 and the ELIMINATOR, Flash, Mk1. Don't ask me to explain why these anomalies arise. It's an Ordnance thing!

[Lee Enfield]

Am I the only one clicking on the link and getting a photo of a Mk1 barrel with Stainless sleeve removed?

OK I got the picture uploaded into post 3

Notice the top barrel is the MkI converted to Mk2 and the barrel below it is a standard Mk2 barrel.

Unfortunately it was the only photo I was able to salvage, and the barrel is gone from my access.

[Brit plumber]

Well I've not seen that before, a mk1 to mk2 but not the other way around. I would have expected a Mk1 barrel to ware out before the need to replace the flash eliminator or gas block.

[Lee Enfield]

Well I've not seen that before, a mk1 to mk2 but not the other way around. I would have expected a Mk1 barrel to ware out before the need to replace the flash eliminator or gas block.

I believe that it was a MkI machined blank which was Re machined and originally assembled at Inglis as a Mk2.

While Peter has pointed out that the gas block and flash hider are not true "stainless", I suspect that as soon as they could they stopped using as much of it as possible.

[Peter Laidler]

Sorry to disagree L-E but I DON'T think that bodge up Mk1 to 2 hybrid has any official sanction. A Mk1 flash eliminator put onto a skinny muzzle end of a bare Mk1 barrel would flex like a bulldogs balls and cause inaccuracy! That WOULD cause the single solitary retaining pin to fail and cause the F/E to become loose in seconds. Just my engineering opinion as opposed to an Armourers point of view. Additionally, if that type of barrel did ever come into the system, there WOULD be an annotation about it somewhere. You occasionally used to see a small comment like '......In the interests of economy, certain XYZ's were made with a finish or size or XYZ. These will be utilised in the normal way until stocks are exhausted'. Older Armourers might recall L4 barrels that were almost 1" shorter as they were made from unfinished and shorter Mk4 Bren barrels and likewise, with Sterling parts with the non UK standard black crackle finish. No such notiifications with these barrels.