Bren MK1m question

[redleg105]

I have a deactivated dummy MK1m Bren and want to know what is the proper barrel for it. I have a MK2 barrel in excellent condition. Is a MK2 barrel acceptable or should I look for a Mk1 or Mk1* barrel?

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[Peter Laidler]

Mk1 barrels were declared obsolescent in 1945. That means no more will be made and it's acceptable to use up existing stocks. The obsolescent part numbers in the parts list were usually annotated with the words WSE - indicating 'when stocks exhausted' thereafter. So you COULD still be able to get new Mk1 and 1* barrels for many years afterwards. The same applied to Mk2 barrels too. Available up until the 60's. Thereafter, it was the shortie Mk4 barrel.

We also have photographic evidence that Mk1 Brens were made and issued with the cheaper Mk2 barrels too. But I doubt whether Mk1m Canadian Brens were issued with Mk2 barrels because Inglis production ceased Mk1 production with the introduction of the Mk2 gun (at the 7T---- mark I seem to recall from memory....)

So the answer to your question is this. It could have ANY mark/type of barrel because our EMER's authorised this. The only condition laid down was that BOTH barrels were to be the same mark/type, both had to be correctly fitted and tight and show the same barrel wear characteristics (we called that bit '1/4 of life wear')

[RCEMERalf]

I have a well used Mk 1 barrel. Will trade you or sell to you. Contact me if interested. Regards.

[Peter Laidler]

As a matter of interest, the stainless steel muzzle end of the Mk1 type barrels was originally designed to be unscrewed (I won't go into the technicalities here.....) from the actual barrel and a blank firing adapted muzzle part could be screwed on in its place. The old reports on this seem to suggest that the blank adaptor didn't need the foresight part.

Another point is that the Mk1 muzzle end is not technically or metallurgically a stainless steel but who's arguing!