Lithgow MK1 Bren (D.P.)

[Flying10uk]

Here are some pictures of my Australian Lithgow (M.A.- Munitions Australia) Bren, U.K. deactivated, which I've owned for about a year or so. Although it was sold to me as a Mk2 the dealer did point out that a lot of the parts are MK1 and it is mainly all MK1 apart from the barrel and bipod which looks like a hybrid affair. Peter has already confirmed that Lithgow didn't make MK2 Brens which explains why the body is marked as MK1. The bipod looks like a combination of a "standard" MK1 or MK2 bipod grafted to the feet of the British wartime economy/spindly version. Is this a normal Australian mod. or a 1 off??? Any additional information is greatly received, thanks. Enjoy the pictures.

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[Flying10uk]

Here is another picture of the stock markings which may be clearer.

[Brit plumber]

Well this is a Lithgow Mk1 in pretty much the condition it would have left the factory in. It has been through the 50s FTR programme and hasn't had much use since which suggest to me that the DP was applied to a serviceable weapon to allocate a particular gun to weapons drill rather than all of them (Possibly school cadets?).

I've not seen an FTRd Lithgow DP, I've got about 5 DP Lithgows and all are original non FTRd. You just wouldn't put the money and effort into FTR ing a DP. It could of course have failed its final inspection but I would have hoped any serious flaws would have been picked up on the original acceptance check prior to FTR.

[Flying10uk]

What do you think about the bipod, Brit plumber? Have you seen this type of arrangement before or would this most likely be a 1 off? The feet appear to be very neatly joined to the legs with excellent quality welds and with the welds linished off well. Thanks for the info.

[Peter Laidler]

It is a common Australian hybrid/simplified bipod consisting of very basically, the Mk1 upper using Mk2 feet LESS the adjustable-for-height legs. A sort of slightly cheaper Mk1 bipod. There were 3 or so (?) standard marks of bipod. But given that parts and assemblies were made to interchange - which any good Armourer would do to keep their stuff on the road - you could have 7 hybrid variants. All of the variants were relatively common but all were obsolescent after 1965 EXCEPT the Mk1.

There is a little booklet that you should have on your bookshelf. The .303" Bren Light Machine Gun. Part 5 of the Small Arms Identification Series by Ian Skennerton. It list all the parts and more.

It wasn't unusual for a weapon to go through the whole workshop rebuild system to fail at the out-inspection stage. Worn breech block stops was one as was worn barrel stop face. Then the gun was returned as BLR or BER.