Bren Guns

[m3bobby]

Ok, As requested by Ben, here is a photo I've quickly knocked together to show the location of the 4 factory marked matching serial numbers. The numbers on a unissued 'as new' gun will be in the white as they were applied after completion. The master number is on the body and should never be remarked unless its been converted to L4A2 onwards (7.62mm LMG). Many Brens have had the other 3 location serial numbers removed and the new force matched number applied. These tend to be electro pencilled instead of Pantographed or stamped. Its quite difficult with the lower to know If the original number has been scrubbed and the new matching number applied however there should be other examiners or inspectors markings, steel batch number and or others beneath the original number. If they're not present, they have been scrubbed with the original number.

[Ben Evans]

Bobby, thanks for that info mate, I used your PM to look around the gun today and I bought it. It is a 1944 Inglis Mk2. I believe all the finish is original to the gun and it has the four matching numbers just have you have described and told me in the PM. So guys here is my latest edition

[Ben Evans]

001

[Tango]

Ben an excellent looking gun. You can't go wrong with a Bren...They is a good book out on the Bren by Neil Grant..paperback with loads of pictures for the Infantry guys....lol...Roughly £10 on Amazon.Thanks for the pictures.. Cheers Terry.

[Lucas254]

The British Bren Gun was one of the best light machine guns of World War Two, it was powerful and very accurate, up to and beyond six hundred meters.

[Ben Evans]

Cheers guys, Terry, I will have a look out for that book, does it give info on the different Mk's of Bren etc? I am now after a Mk1 lol

[Ben Evans]

The British Bren Gun was one of the best light machine guns of World War Two, it was powerful and very accurate, up to and beyond six hundred meters.

When I was in the military we still had the LMG for about two years before it was phased out which was basically a modern day Bren, I loved the gun, like you stated, very accurate and lovely to fire

[bananamafia]

Ok, As requested by Ben, here is a photo I've quickly knocked together to show the location of the 4 factory marked matching serial numbers. The numbers on a unissued 'as new' gun will be in the white as they were applied after completion. The master number is on the body and should never be remarked unless its been converted to L4A2 onwards (7.62mm LMG). Many Brens have had the other 3 location serial numbers removed and the new force matched number applied. These tend to be electro pencilled instead of Pantographed or stamped. Its quite difficult with the lower to know If the original number has been scrubbed and the new matching number applied however there should be other examiners or inspectors markings, steel batch number and or others beneath the original number. If they're not present, they have been scrubbed with the original number.

Correct me if im wrong, but a few of these mkIIs had numbers on the woodwork too!

[m3bobby]

Correct me if im wrong, but a few of these mkIIs had numbers on the woodwork too!

They weren't marked with a serial number from the factory but I have seen Ex New Zealand Brens with a duplicated serial number on the wood work. There wasn't any real need to serial number the lower to the body either as they were 100% interchangeable unlike the barrel and barrel lock lever which were mated by selective fitting, hence the serial numbers on those parts. The Czech ZB series were never marked on the lowers so god only knows why we Brits decided it needed to done.

[DONBOGEN]

There is a book called The Bren Gun Story.