My Inglis mk1m Bren

[Ben Grun]

Recently posted number of my Deac Bren to Serial listing?

Been having a close look over gun and much to my delight, I keep finding more 'JI' markings EVERYWHERE....very small, my eyes not being what they were...I have found one next to the serial on the Butt slide, so I guess the two main sections are Inglis still?
Found same on carrying handle metalwork, but not on actual barrel? (there is the Canadian 'C' with arrow inside, so I guess the barrel, even though having a different serial, is Canadian.
Not sure about the Barrel nut (non-moving) it has had finish 'filed' and main serial added.
Didn't find any 'FTR' or 'DP' marks anywhere.
The altered/broken/damaged/adapted bipod has 'JI' on the top section, not found any markings on the lower legs yet.
Very smooth dry-fire action.
Sold as a 'stripper' (apart from barrel) main body pin moves but, after reading of the problems a couple of people experienced during reassembly I probably wont attempt!
So, considering it appeared on a Dealers list just before the law changed and I had to make a quick decision, I think I did ok.
I am thinking......went to NZ stayed there for WW11 being used for home defence?
Could anyone tell me Month of manufacture please?.......................Grateful for any replies.

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[Peter Laidler]

I can't understand what sort of problems people have had with stripping and assembling (except the barrel of course) the old style deacts that would prevent you trying it. And even if you encountered problems there's more than enough help here. NZ brought a LOT of weapons back from the middle east/8th Army from UK stocks sent there so it could have come from there. NZ had very few Brens prior to the war and certainly no Inglis guns. The NZ number was only ever a 'census' number and the serial number remained the serial number.

If I remember correctly, the lower leg wasn't available as a spare from Ordnance as the leg came as an assembly so maybe it wasn't marked JI. Obviously we did have spare lower legs as we'd cannibalise them from unserviceable bipods - as you do

Old spec Brens are still available but as I understand it, are now considerably more expensive than you paid!

Month of manufacture...... I'm sure BP will be along soon. But generally speaking, Bren forumers are not the best people known to man for contributing to the forum. Just sayin'

[Ben Grun]

Thanks very much for replies ( to serial list as well) I am sure I will have more questions.

Concerning the Bipod, it must have begun life as an adjustable one (still has the mounting points for the adjustments to be made just above each foot) but all fittings have been removed and, I think feet have been 'welded' and cannot move in and out?

I wonder whether this might have happened during its service, or something that happened more recently.

[Brit plumber]

Fixing the legs was common mod in NZ, India, South Africa and many more countries I'm sure. Some are brazed, some are welded and some are pinned. Some have the brackets for the little locks and some have them ground down to round them off. Most of NZ DP guns I've seen have welded/pinned feet.

[Peter Laidler]

Pinning the inner to the outer legs of the Mk1 bipod was an authorised modification '.....according to the exigencies of the service....' as I recall - as were many other quick-fixes. But like most of these relaxations in standards, they were to be returned to service standard '.........as soon as reasonably practicable afterwards'. Funny how you remember certain ophrases because these words could be a bit of a let-out card during the annual PRE examination when some things the PRE examiners see aren't quite by the book

[Ben Grun]

Ah!...........was thinking about trying to get hold of another fully adjustable one and fit (just the legs? as barrel isn't removable so cannot simply exchange) but, if it was a period modification, there's no need to worry as this bipod seems to 'belong' to the gun, going by all the marks I found......it was just that, all the other Deacs I looked at, this was the first I had come across altered like this.
Did spot one on Ebay UK a little while ago so I guess bipods are still allowed!