Bren blueprints...

[Peter Laidler]

Beerhunter, you could easily back engineer any mark of barrel using a deact as a sample. The stainless sleeve should be available pretty easily. Locktite it on and bobs your uncle...... a replica

[Beerhunter]

Beerhunter, you could easily back engineer any mark of barrel using a deact as a sample. The stainless sleeve should be available pretty easily. Locktite it on and bobs your uncle...... a replica

I guess I could. I've even thought of turning a dummy in wood but fitting a genuine carrying handle. (Because I reckon that would take as much time as the barrel.) BTW does know of a know of a source of carrying handles that aren't silly money. Why on earth do people buy carrying handles? (Apart from me that is.)

The fundamental problem with the Second Barrel for deacted Brens is that there is no 'official' standard for second barrels and as they are pressure bearing part one appears to hit the prohibition of Section Five.

What is really needed is for some one to deact a barrel that couldn't be reactivated in a month of Sundays and then let the authorities prove that it is still a 'component part' of a Prohibited Weapon.

Apart from the Spare Parts Tin (Where on earth did they all go?), the Second Barrel is the only thing missing from my Holdall.

[Kev G]

Beerhunter are you after the complete carry handle and sleeve assy ?

The 'deac' barrel scenario is to get them to a point that when submitted to a Proof House they are not 'fit to view' and are classed no more as a barrel but as scrap. Not sure that you could get a deac cert on a barrel but as a lump of scrap has been done.

Re - spare parts tins........I like to think a large portion of them are in my Bren battalion spare parts boxes

ATB Kevin

[Peter Laidler]

You could just simply deactivate another barrel to exactly the same as that already on your current deactivated Bren (sorry to bore you non British dewat owners.....). After all, the powers that be have already decreed once that such a barrel is now not a firearm and not capable of discharging a shot, bullet .....blah blah and so on. So what makes the SECOND suitably deactivated barrel any different? In my opinion, that any Court would have to take notice of, that too is incapable fitting into the criteria of a component part.

Just my opinion................

[tankhunter]

You could just simply deactivate another barrel to exactly the same as that already on your current deactivated Bren (sorry to bore you non British dewat owners.....). After all, the powers that be have already decreed once that such a barrel is now not a firearm and not capable of discharging a shot, bullet .....blah blah and so on. So what makes the SECOND suitably deactivated barrel any different? In my opinion, that any Court would have to take notice of, that too is incapable fitting into the criteria of a component part.

Just my opinion................

Peter, Just came accross this post.
It is in the Home Office guidelines, that a Barrel will REMAIN a Barrel if it not affixed to the Gun itself.
If you read the DEACT spec for a Bren. The barrel MUST be pinned or welded to the reciever. There is NO provision in the F/Arms Act for a Barel on it's own.I have argued the point with the Proofmaster in London in the past. I offered to mill a slot ALL the way up the Barrel from muzle to chamber end right through. AND weld a rod in! NO WAY would he pass one! My argument was that they had passed spare Flak 38 37mm AA Barrels that came as a pair in a transit tin. His responese was: 'We have acted within the spirit of the act. You cant put one of those Barrels under your coat'. (Go Figure!) Why would a 'Criminal Type' want to put a Deact barrel under HIS coat. When a DEACT handgun could be done a lot easier??? They will NOT move on this stance. The other way round this I have observed is cast Alliminium variants. & solid cast steel variants. They never were/ could be F/Arm componants.
I have some steel bar cut to size (Been in the Wksp for 4 years) awaiting turning to profile & fitting flash hiders & carrying handle assemblies. Gas blocks & plugs will be De-acted (Pressure bearing, but legal if deactivated) I intend to bore muzzle & chamber about two inches & press fit steel ball bearings in to prevent drilling through. Also, interupted threads will be machined , BUT, will be PARALELL and NOT slightly sloped back. this will prevent insersion & closure of the Barrel nut. I hope that this will suffice for Re-Enactors for display purposes. It will be a lot of work, but the standards of living history Re-Enactors is high!
Mike.

[Brit plumber]

This all comes down to that phrase, 'definate defence to prosecution', obviously the proof master wont put his signiture to somthing he's legaly unsure of. As mentioned earlier, it would need some one to go to court and set a precedent (Even then its not guaranteed), and then if they were to win, it could be done. I believe this is similar to how deacts came around in the first place.

[Peter Laidler]

What you need tankie is an expert witness who has spent a life time with Brens, has the paperwork to prove it, a graduate engineer to boot, who has inspected your replica and will say to whoever asks, that it is JUST that, and is incapable of discharging etc etc etc............ and so on.

After all, it isn't only the proof master who can say that somthing isn't a firearm or and so it goes on. Just a thought............

[Kev G]

tankie , Bren barrels were 'done' at the London proof house about 7 years ago as per your spec with an 8mm slot milled up the length of the barrel.The gas regs were pinned and welded in situ.
They are not 'deac barrels' though, but have been deemed as "scrap-not suitable for repair" As they have been classified as scrap by the proofhouse I would suggest this is the way to go rather than to get them to class them as deactivated.

ATB Kevin

[tankhunter]

tankie , Bren barrels were 'done' at the London proof house about 7 years ago as per your spec with an 8mm slot milled up the length of the barrel.The gas regs were pinned and welded in situ.
They are not 'deac barrels' though, but have been deemed as "scrap-not suitable for repair" As they have been classified as scrap by the proofhouse I would suggest this is the way to go rather than to get them to class them as deactivated.

ATB Kevin

Hi Kev, Yes, I know ALL about those Barrels (And they also pased some MG 34 & 42 Barrels ) I mentioned this & the reply was: 'Yes, we did pass SOME of these, you are correct. BUT, we will NOT pass any more.' Thier argument was as I have mentioned previously. They are componant presure bearing parts. IE. Spec says MUST be pinned, or welded to the reciever. END of! There is NO provision in the Act for Spare SEPPERATE Barrels. I agree with your logic on barrels clasified as scrap. HOWEVER, the Police will not. It is a Firearm Componant as far as they will go under Homeoffice Guidelines, which the Police follow. It is sad how this is interpreted, as a LOT of collectors require a spare Tube for static displays Etc. Also the mention of a Case precedent IF you won it on submitting barrel to Court to get it classified as a Non Componant part is of worthy mention. However: if you lose the case, It is five years for a Firearm offence at Her Majestys Pleasure! (Actually, you would do Two & a Half if you kept your nose clean!) Would YOU want to be the one to put this to the test & risk five years of your liberty?? (AND the Court costs!) I have found from expirience that most county Police Forces differ wildly in thier Interpretation from the guidelines! What is calssified as OK in one county, is NOT ok in another! What happened to everyone reading from the same sheet?

[peregrinvs]

Thier argument was as I have mentioned previously. They are componant presure bearing parts.

Interesting...

Does that mean if I take the deactivated bolt out of one of my Brens, the bolt technically becomes a firearm component whilst it is not inside the gun?

After all, like a deactivated barrel it's still a 'pressure bearing part' even if it's inoperable.

Mark