A Rare MK3 Bren

[mrclark303]

The deacs in my collection fill the places of firearm types that are otherwise prohibited from private ownership here. All mine with the exception of one, are what we would call old spec in the UK, with full moving parts and some fully strip, while others have the barrel pinned into position.

I have excellent examples of Sterling, Sten, L1A1 family and MP5, all very sensitively and professionally deactivated, while being fully legal and Proof House certificated.

I feel they form part of a well rounded collection, that comprises live and deactivated firearms.

[peregrinvs]

I cannot see or even imagine anyone buying one of the new spec deacts. I suppose one would look OK if it were fixed onto a mount in/on the turret of an AFV.........

If it was something like a genuine L4A4 for £300 or less then I might just suffer one. Otherwise...

[mrclark303]

I just can't bring myself to buy a welded up example, as Peter said, fine for AFV display or perhaps mounting on the wall..

[Brit plumber]

We will probably find that the UK collector will not pay the price of a LMG that dealers want/need to sustain business. They are likely to make more by selling as parts kits to the USA.

[Flying10uk]

For me part of the interest in a deactivated weapon is to examine how it has been made and it's design and to do this properly one really needs to have a look inside the thing. Deactivated pistols and M.G.'s done to the new E.U. spec have now lost that certain "X factor" because the internals are captivated and not accessible for inspection. A deac. doesn't have to be old spec to float my boat but I do need to see inside and I do like to have at least some moving parts even if it has a welded bolt.

[Brit plumber]

Looks like we share the same ideals! As do many other collectors.

[bigduke6]

I missed out on a 1988 old spec one recently, bit pi****d off to say the least as I'd said I'd take it, turns out he is a dealer I know and seen him before xmas....... it had a removable barrel and only wanted £500, he let it go for £470.

[mrclark303]

Gutted for you Geoff, I would have bought that one too! I was offered a really early 1985 deac Bren a few years ago. Intact piston extension and a removable barrel, superb, unfortunately the owner had lost the old style Birmingham Proof House exception certificate that went with it.
So not for me.

Cheers John

[Vincent]

We will probably find that the UK collector will not pay the price of a LMG that dealers want/need to sustain business. They are likely to make more by selling as parts kits to the USA.

You might be right, BP. If there’s no change, they will be very hard to use to build a semi.

I don’t understand why the UK is going by the EU deact spec. Wasn’t Brexit the end of that? Or is this a new UK spec?

[mrclark303]

Neither do we Vincent... It appears that because the UK has not written any of its own primary legislation for many years, we are likely to copy and paste current EU legislation into British law.

Then spend 10 years going though and modifying or repealing legislation to suit us.

Firearms Legislation is only one small part of this mess.