FWIW, check out the beautiful Bren setup on GB if you are into them. NICE.....

[Lee Enfield]

I know that the Mk1's, especially the early Mk1's have a mystical air about them, but the Mk2 is a far, far better, simplified, more reliable, easier to use and maintain gun. As for the Mk3, well it's really a lightened Mk2 for want of a better description. Great gun Tact

So given a MkI with an FTR Mk2 gas cylinder and a MkII with a MkII (not an Inglis MkII) gas cylinder, is there really anything to chose?


And can anyone explain why Enfield, Lithgow and Inglis continued to use the MkI (and unthreaded "MkII" at Inglis) double vented Gas Cylinder into 1945 end of production (and the 1950's FTRs) when Daimler/Monotype were (I'm told) using the unthreaded single vented "MkII" gas cylinder starting in 1942??

Can TactAdv show us a pic of his gas cylinder?

[TactAdv]

Can TactAdv show us a pic of his gas cylinder?

Yes, of course, I'd be happy to. Give me till tonight to go dig it out of the vault room and grab a couple pictures of the front end for you. Stand by.... ;-)
-TomH

[Peter Laidler]

The Mk1 butt for a start..... A bit like a mickey mouse watch. Good to look at but not much good when it comes to telling the time. In fact the notion of a butt buffer was a frill if not a complete fraud - and a complicated AND expensive one at that! The backsight was something similar too. It just did not match the trajectory of the Mk7 ball round at ranges over something that I forget now!

I never really understood why the double row gas cylinders continued in use when the problem was really brought to a head in May/June 1940 and had been highlighted previously to that. However, the fact that shortly after that, new gas cylinders were available and became a replacement part - if you could a) get them and b) if you could get the old one off. The bipod sleeve was always available but rarely cured the venting gas problem. I suspect that the main reason was the licensing agreement. Common sense prevailed

[Vincent]

This must be the one of which he speaks...those torch cuts make it not quite so nice though.

BREN *RARE Daimler parts kit nt Enfeild Inglis SAF : Gun Parts Kits at GunBroker.com

Thanks for posting the link, Jim. I told a friend about it and he bought it.

He said it doesn't have the right "slide assembly"? Wish I had a good book about the Bren. Maybe it will come out next year.

[browningautorifle]

slide assembly

There was a statement about that very thing here...glad to be of some help.

[Peter Laidler]

It has the right butt slide assembly as far as every Armourer in the world is concerned BAR! The Mk1 and 2 butt slides were obsolescent and as soon as the little marker WSE cropped up (for when stocks exhausted) another marker at Ordnance just sent out the new replacement part. The lightweight Mk3 slide! I'd consider the Mk3 gun butt slide a bonus because they're rare and more highly sought after than a Mk2 type especially if someone has a mix-and-match Mk3 with a common Mk2 slide fitted. Just my view. A bit like buying a 2.6 litre Jaguar and finding that it's got a 3.8 litre engine

[Vincent]

Thank you, Peter. He's bringing it over this afternoon for show and tell. I will pass the info along.

[TactAdv]

He's bringing it over this afternoon for show and tell. I will pass the info along.

If he is planning on welding it up, and needs any measurements or other pictures or data from an un-cut all original Daimler Mk II receiver....let me know and I can provide whatever he wants from my original gun....see pictures above.

-TomH

[Vincent]

That's a very kind offer, Tom. Thank you. I will let him know.

[TactAdv]

Yes, of course, I'd be happy to. Give me till tonight to go dig it out of the vault room and grab a couple pictures of the front end for you. Stand by.... ;-)
-TomH

Okay, for whomever was interested, here's some quick pictures of the gas cylinder of my Daimler Mk II, dated 1942.

I -presume- this is the "original" gas cylinder as installed at the time of manufacture as there is no indications, markings on the receiver at least indicating any later FTR actions??? I'm just the owner, not an "expert" so I'll let you all guys decide what this does or doesn't mean.
-TomH

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