Post war in our NATO commitment we armed the RCAF with American small arms. These RCAF units were posted to Europe and you can find Canadian printed training manuals for the M1, BAR and 1919, along with this you can find the weapons marked with Canadian ownership stamps. We even went so far as to produce 30-06 ammo and clips marked with the C Arrow.
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- Thread starter jwhc
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From what I have read , that there was a plan , in the late 1940’s to change over to , and equip the army with US small arms , but this was canceled, when the Korean War started , we stayed with the infantry weapons from the Second World War,
It seems some units in Korea were equipped with American gear. An artillery officer came back with his weapons (which I bought) - a 1911 (Remington Rand) and a M1 Carbine (with the folding stock).
There was a lot of stuff for the taking in Korea. The Chicoms were well supplied with lend lease Thompson SMGs which they had taken from the Chinese Nationalists. There were even 8x57mm Inglis BRENs that were turned back against us.
There was a lot of stuff for the taking in Korea. The Chicoms were well supplied with lend lease Thompson SMGs which they had taken from the Chinese Nationalists. There were even 8x57mm Inglis BRENs that were turned back against us.
Chinese General P. Kiang and Canadian factory worker June 'Miss Inglis' Pattison with the 100,000th Bren gun built at the John Inglis and Company factory, Toronto, Canada, 20 Aug 1943
The John Inglis Company , manufactures of the Bren Gun , got a contract to supply the Browning 9mm Hi Power pistol to the Chinese in about 1943 , I believe , these pistols were shipped to India , sat in warehouses , then it was discovered the pistols couldn’t be delivered to the Chinese , by then the Canadian Army began to take a interest in the Inglis Hi Power , and recommend it be adopted by the Canadian Army , the 9mm was first issued to Canadian troops in Oct 1944 , too late for the battle of Normandy ,the Inglis 9mm pistol continues to soldier on , some 75 years after being adapted by Canada
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Sight question on the Bren guns. On Ganders & the gun in the first photo with the lady appear to have a simple aperture on a bar protruding back from the receiver but in the photo of the one being given to the Chinese dude it appears to have a vernier sight that resembles a BSA sight I have seen on Ross & other WWI rifles , I have one somewhere around and I think they have a C 5 designation.
Gander if you have a photo showing the "off-set" of both rear & front sight would love to see it. At least I think they are off-set, I have never been close to a Bren myself.
Gander if you have a photo showing the "off-set" of both rear & front sight would love to see it. At least I think they are off-set, I have never been close to a Bren myself.
I have since sold that Bren and I don't have any other pictures. It was a Lithgow (made in Australia). Similar to the Inglis, except the barrels are about 2" shorter.
The rear sight is offset a bit to the left, as is the front sight, too. When shooting it is not really noticeable.
The butt on that gun is stock and has the usual oil finish. It was not as pretty as the angle of that picture makes it out to be.
As for the sights, there are different marks of Brens. Maybe the sight is one of the variations? I don't know.
The Bren is a remarkable LMG. Short bursts would all hit a target.
The rear sight is offset a bit to the left, as is the front sight, too. When shooting it is not really noticeable.
The butt on that gun is stock and has the usual oil finish. It was not as pretty as the angle of that picture makes it out to be.
As for the sights, there are different marks of Brens. Maybe the sight is one of the variations? I don't know.
The Bren is a remarkable LMG. Short bursts would all hit a target.
We were taught to try for 3 shot bursts. You had to be very quick on the trigger.
There were three marks of Canadian Inglis Brens, not counting the 8mm version for China and a few un-marked ones for the underground. There was a Mk.I, a Mk.Im (basically a simplified Mk.I without the dovetail grooves on the left side for a telescopic sight) and a Mk.II, being very simplified. The Mk.I and Mk.Im had a dial drum sight with a lever (see pics I and 2) and the Mk.II (pics 3 and 4) a more traditional ladder sight with the 'peep' offset to the left to get around the magazine. The foresight on the barrel is offset to match.
The Bren is a particularly pleasant gun to fire. It's weight makes it almost creep forward and it's very easy to keep on target.
There were three marks of Canadian Inglis Brens, not counting the 8mm version for China and a few un-marked ones for the underground. There was a Mk.I, a Mk.Im (basically a simplified Mk.I without the dovetail grooves on the left side for a telescopic sight) and a Mk.II, being very simplified. The Mk.I and Mk.Im had a dial drum sight with a lever (see pics I and 2) and the Mk.II (pics 3 and 4) a more traditional ladder sight with the 'peep' offset to the left to get around the magazine. The foresight on the barrel is offset to match.
The Bren is a particularly pleasant gun to fire. It's weight makes it almost creep forward and it's very easy to keep on target.
I don’t think the FN C2 was a improvement over the Bren , except in weight , but no quick change barrel , not very stable in full auto, if the army had been in a situation like they were at Kapyong in Korea, with mass infantry attacking , it might have been another Ross Rifle fiasco, with jammed over heated weapons in the heat of battle
