The Bren Gun

My late Grandfather was a Bren Gunner in the 11th Battalion at Arnhem. I must get round to having a look at one close up some day, I've seen them behind glass cases at work and at shows but never been able to pick one up, feel the weight and the like.

 

That's quite possibly one of the best photos ever I've seen.

"Here you go son, another top up for you. Edna's gone to get some biscuits, shouldn't be long"...

 

My memories of handling a Bren Gun are confined to my first 6 weeks Basic Training in October '42 with the Beds & Herts Rgt., then stationed at Bury St.Edmunds.

We learnt how to strip & re-assemble the gun whilst blindfolded and some of the lads achieved record-breaking speeds in the process.

At the RAC Training Rgt in Rieti I don't remember having any training whatsoever on the Bren Gun as all of the training was concentrated on the fire power of the Shermans.

When I finally went into action with my second unit (the 4th QOH) the only guns I used was the Browning .30

Ron

 

Cheers for that Ron.

Marcus ..... It's Cider !

 

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Marcus ..... It's Cider !

Even better

 

I may have already posted this reply before. But here it is again. The Bren a great gun. Accurate. Steady in firing. Slower than the German MC gun. I carted one from Normandy to the German border..... It made a neat burst of five pattern (For me)

I never ever thought about the weight of it. Now at 85 I cannot lift the damn thing.
Sapper

 

I see one potential problem with this weapon. Are the empty cartridges ejected using gravity only (v in diagram)? If the weapon is used at an angle it could lead to jamming.

 

Never had a Jam

 

did it have a decent recoil. This lady seems to be handling ok

 

Ahh, Holywood (or Pinewood )

Here's Malcolm McDowell for that matter.




YouTube - BREN Machine Gun .303 Brit.
YouTube - Bren Gun

In the real McCoy they look like coming down faster than if simply dropped, eh Kev?

 

I'm still battling to see where the expelled cartridge is bring ejected from. The close-ups I have seen from both sides do not show an obvious opening. If it is from underneath (as the clip seems to indicate) and the shell is expelled by gas then the expended cartridge would be a hazard to the operator, especially on a hard surface.

 

just watched the first clip
is the hammer part of the standard issue for a bren gun

 

It is from underneath. The shells come down and forward. See here sec. 00:17 and onwards.

YouTube - 4-17-05 Machine gun shoot

I'm trying to find a downloadable manual but no freebie yet. We'll have to wait for our more hardware oriented friends.

 

found this one ............

no comment

 

The Bren had virtually no recoil. On firing it was as steady as a rock.That enabled it to concentrate its fire in a tight group of hits.
Wonderful weapon.
Sapper