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Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
Surpmil
What country was that in again?
Italy
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Thank You to Lee Enfield For This Useful Post:
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12-11-2020 09:19 AM
# ADS
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Contributing Member
Small side note since I didn't notice it at the beginning ... the chest is marked "CORPO DELLE GUARDIE DI P.S.", whereas P.S. is an abbreviation of "Pubblica Sicurezza". According to Wikipedia the "Corpo delle Guardie di Pubblica Sicurezza" was formed on 18th July 1852 in the Kingdom Sardinia-Piemont. During Facism this police organization was militarized and got additional tasks. This was taken back in 1981 where also the name changed to "Polizia di Stato" ("State Police" - they are responsible for towns, contrary to the Carabinieri). Hence these markings need to pre-date 1981.
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Contributing Member
Originally Posted by
Promo
The Italians basically copied the
British transit chest design of the No. 4 T rifle also for their other sniper rifles. Among them also the chest design for the
Garand M1D sniper rifle, which they later modified to the .308 caliber. I'm therefore not really surprised they invented their own design for a Bren MG chest as well.
Attached are better pictures I did with the camera. I digitally removed the last three digits of the serial number. The Italians switched from .30-06 to .308 somewhen around 1970. They reworked all guns to the .308 caliber if possible. Hence I assume these guns simply sat in storage and never were used since they were in an obsolete caliber, as well as could not be reworked to .308 Winchester.
PS:
Italy got tons of guns post WWII of British and US manufacture. Among them Garands, Carbines and many Enfield bolt action rifles. The
Enfield Rifles include SMLE from WWI and earlier, but the No. 4 rifles the Italians are exclusively Long Branch manufacture - and of those nearly all are post WWII made. Maybe therefore there is also an
Canadian connection to these Bren Mk.II rifles in .30-06 ... ?
What amazes me Georg, is the fact that the Italians kept all this gear until very recently!
Most over European countries got rid of surplus WW2 equipment years ago...
Why on earth would they keep hundreds of Enfields until a few years ago, they must have more storage space than they know what to do with....
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Contributing Member
Maybe they were all stored in Southern of Italy what guaranteed dry conditions and jobs to those that would otherwise be jobless ... no clue. Well, the Italians updated quite a few of these items over the years, caliber-wise. Plus some appear to be of post WWII production but based on WWII designs as well. Good for us that they now come to the market when we are collecting, aren't we?
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
Promo
...It somehow amazes me that in a gun forum discussing a MG the chest the gun comes in attracts your attention more than the gun itself
Well, you have a point. To me the gun, which I've never seen even pictures of before, is by far the most interesting part.
I suspect the lopsided interest in the chest from most viewers here comes from the fact that the chest the only element -- given the legal restrictions-- that they have even the remotest hope of owning or reproducing.
Even here in the USA where I am, importation of the gun would be severely restricted. The number of legally-owned Bren guns is very small.
M
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Legacy Member
There’s a deactivated one for sale in the UK for £795:
Deactivated Matching BMB Bren LMG
Sadly the current UK deactivation specifications mean that they cannot be cocked or field stripped.
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Legacy Member
So what country will these be sold in? I hate and resent the fact U.S. officials no longer let barrels into the country. Absolutely arbitrary rulings. Otherwise, we might very well have some semi auto 30.06 Bren guns.
Who in the U.S. may be selling any kits?
Thanks!
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Legacy Member
Bowman Arms is importing some of them.
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Contributing Member
Will .303 magazines fit in the Italian .30-06 magazine transit box?
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PM
