John Inglis Bren mag Factory Through Repair

[Flying10uk]

I picked up this Bren mag with the apparently rare to find FTR marking. There is a partial abbreviated date after the FTR mark which I think is 53 but could be 57. Would this John Inglis mag have been recondition in the U.K. or Canada? I'm guessing the U.K. because Canadian refurbished mags that I've seen before have been done differently but I'm open to correction on this.

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[Peter Laidler]

I'm not sure that FTR'd Bren magazines are rare as such. There was a HUGE - and I mean massive FTR programme at Enfield during the early 50's, during and after the War in Korea to upgrade our mobilization stockpiles of Bren Guns.

After the end of the war, during the late 1940’s, a massive repair and refurbishment programme was undertaken at the major ROF’s (Faz, rifles and Stens). Malaya was about to explode and envelope Siam and Burma while Indo China and Korea were restless. Enfield refurbished tens of thousands of needy Bren guns of all marks for the War Reserve programme. This included converting Mk2 Brens to what was initially called at the time ‘UPGRADE SPEC’. While it is quite possible that other factories converted Mk2 Brens to Mk2/1 specification, the only Mk2/1 conversions encountered by the author are those from Enfield and BSA Guns. The BSA conversions being marked with the usual ‘ll/1’ marking and ‘BSA-51’ or ‘BSA-52’. Enfield records show that they converted 10,200 Mk2 guns to Mk2/1 specification during the FTR programme. The programme was carried out commencing with the outbreak of the war in Korea in 1950.

There are plenty of Inglis Mk2's FTR'd to Mk2/1 spec by Enfield and BSA and if every Bren comes with 2x boxes + 1 in the chest - you do the maths! There's bound to be mags from everywhere that have been FTR'd.

[Richard-]

Was that the standard Bren loadout then Peter, 2 x boxes of 12 magazines and 1 x magazine in the chest?

How about the L4s, how many magazines were they supplied with, and what was the carrying arrangement for the magazine?

[Flying10uk]

When I say rare what I really mean is that it is very rare to see Bren mags offered for sale here in the U.K. with the F.T.R. marking stamped on them. I recently saw 2 for sale with the F.T.R. mark and I purchased both, one of which is pictured above. I guess the majority in British storage have all been destroyed/scrapped?

[Peter Laidler]

Richard, thread 3. Q1; yes. Q2; same - and same but modified box

F-10. All Brens and associated stores have been scrapped as have the L4's after being declared obsolete.

Off at a tangent time. So those that know this already, look away now. Interestingly, and little known, the very last part of the Vickers gun equipment was not declared obsolete until the last Brens were so declared. The Vickers MMG OHF barrel chamber throat-wear taper gauge was also used to calibrate barrel life remaining on Bren guns until the last ones went from Cadet service in 2003

[Flying10uk]

Peter, is there any truth in the suggestion that the SAS retain a few L4 Brens which they sometimes use for observation post defence?

[Peter Laidler]

Ain't got a clue!

[Richard-]

Thanks Peter, sounds like I need another box of magazines then!

[Flying10uk]

From what others have said, Richard, Bren mags are difficult to get hold of in Australia and you can't import them from abroad?

[Richard-]

The .303 ones turn up fairly regularly, even in complete boxes of 12 - they must have been surplussed off at some point.

The L4 ones are rarer - they are usually sold as '30 round SLR' magazines.

Prices vary from about $150 AUD to $250 AUD for both types.

And no, they can't be imported!