Deactivated Bren Light Machine Gun (MK1 1942)

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While it is best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry light machine gun (LMG) in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the later half of the 20th century, including the Falklands War of 1982 and the 1991 Gulf War.

The Bren was a modified version of a Czechoslovak-designed light machine gun, the ZB vz. 26, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. The later Bren featured a distinctive curved box magazine, conical flash hider and quick change barrel. In the 1950s the Bren was rebarrelled to accept the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. Although fitted with a bipod, it could also be mounted on a tripod or vehicle-mounted.

The Bren was replaced as the section LMG by the L7 general purpose machine gun (GPMG), a heavier belt-fed weapon. This was in turn supplemented in the 1980s by the L86 Light Support Weapon firing the 5.56x45mm NATO round, leaving the Bren only in use on some vehicles.

As of November 2007, the Bren is still manufactured by Indian Ordnance Factories as the "Gun, Machine 7.62mm 1B"

Its 30-round magazine was in practice usually filled with 28 or 29 rounds to prevent jams and avoid wearing out the magazine spring. Care needed to be taken with magazine loading to ensure that the .303 cartridge rims did not overlap the wrong way, causing a jam. The rounds had to be loaded the correct way, each round ahead of the previous round. There was also a 100-round drum magazine available for the Bren used in the anti-aircraft role.

The Bren was issued one per Rifle Section, with three Rifle Sections in each platoon. Besides Brens on Carriers, a further three Bren guns were issued to the Admin platoon of the Rifle company. Parachute battalions from 1944 had an extra Bren for each platoon. The 66 man "Assault Troop" of British Commandos had a nominal establishment of 4 Bren guns.

The Bren was officially operated by a two man crew: a gunner to fire and carry the Bren, and a reloader to reload the gun and replace the barrel when it overheated—the latch in front of the magazine was rotated to unlock the barrel so that it could be replaced: the carrying handle was used to grip the hot barrel without risk of burning. The reloader carried extra ammunition and barrels. During wartime, however, the two-man crew concept was abandoned and the weapon was commonly operated by one man, the gunner

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[southparkcolts]

@WeaponCollector hi im wondering if this bren can be fully stripped because im thinking of getting one thanks

[WeaponCollector]

@southparkcolts Hi, No, this particular one does not, most places selling them should say if they can be strpped down though, but may cost alot more than this one.

Mike.

[C2builder]

Is the Bren shown still in the UK or do you have it here in the States?

[WeaponCollector]

its in the U.K

[CATmover1]

Reminds me of a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). Lays down some very nice supressive firepower... a bonified Ass whipper!

[esh325]

It's so crazy that the US can real firearms but can't get deactivated guns like this.

[donoghue666]

just incase you havnt got round to fixing the sight...there is one for sale on ebay at the moment

[joydivision808]

nice gun

[ryanbinrichard]

to me, deactivating a weapon is like neutering a pet. it renders it useless of what God intended it to do. when the police came around and said to people in the UK, you must either deactivate or destroy your now-illegal wepaons, gun lovers must have made a similar decision to either kill (destroy) or Neuter (deactivate) their pet. no one wants to make their wepon / pet defunct. but saying that, wouldn't you prefer a neutered pet, to a dead one?

[mattcrash1985]

@Ramonezs De-ac MG42's are stupidly expensive!

[Ramonezs]

do u have hitlers buzz saw?

[kamikazikid101]

im thinking i might get this gun (deactivated) i it worth the price.

[TaZ101SAGA]

If you want to shoot it rambo style, who wouldn't? :D

[donoghue666]

have to say i love the gun like probly my fav gun. just wondering if you have mk1 or mk2 bren gun mags?

[HazelArchery]

Beautifull piece of kit that. One of my friend's old man was on a bren carrier in Burma. Thanks for sharing

[MrPrivatetv1]

can you make it shoot ?