Bren 7.62 BF barrel?

[DOD 7.62]

Hi gents, I've come across this barrel which on first inspection appears to be a Mk2 blank fire barrel. However it is chambered in 7.62 NATO. It has a hole through and through the cone and muzzle which I guess held a restriction pin. It appears to have a Lithgow MK1 'A' prefix serial number A5192.D. suggesting it started life as a .303 barrel, I know of another identical barrel with a 1945 date stamp, long before 7.62 existed. It also has the number 11359 and a 10 on the top side under the Mk1 MA handle. The chamber is either polished or chrome lined as it is a lot shinier than the barrel which is well fouled. Is it a .303 barrel converted for use in an L4 for BF only? Anyone know the full story. Images attached include barrel with .303 the 7.62 inserted, last image shows this barrel left beside std .303 barrel chamber face.

Thanks

Daniel

[Peter Laidler]

We had these in Australia. They were shot-out standard Bren barels that had a 7.62mm chamber insert heat shrunk in position. The insert would occasionally work loose but not in the gun. Look carefully and you'll see the insert. The chamber end was machined to suit the configuration of the L4 guns. Someone told me that they were done at the big Base Workshop at Bandiana to use up worn-out .303 barrels but I'm sure that they were done at Lithgow - but I'm not sure

The pin at the end was the restrictor and I seem to remember that it was .250" diameter. This was as a result of a few accidents using pommy L4BFA's on the standard L4 barrels. On these, the full force of the gasses was taken on the BFA which was clamped to the flash eliminator which was only retained onto the barrel by the taper pin. This would loosen and the hard taper pin caused havoc to the slot in the barrel.

Anyway, Oz decided agains the UK BFA and just used these converted barrels on the 1000+ L4's she had. I thought that you couldn't have things like this in Oz? Aren't Brens, even deactivated Brens absloutely taboo?

[DOD 7.62]

Well thanks Peter, that about covers it in full and all makes sense to me. You are quite right about the laws out here, these items are not generally available to the public. However I'm a licenced firearms dealer with the correct endorsements as well as holding several commissioners permits for such things as prohibited weapons and theatrical armoury. Some on these items are near on impossible to get information on and I'm finding this forum an excellent resource of research and information.

Peter do you remember If the pin was solid with the excess gas expelled around it or did it have some form of small restriction hole it it? How was it held in, was it just a press fit? Has anyone got one? If so photo please.

Thanks
Daniel

[Peter Laidler]

It was a solid pin and if my memory serves me right, a press fit. There was a very small gap each side in the bore of course (.25"/.300"). I know that it was removeable because the pin would eventually become gas washed/eroded.

I always wondered why they kept the old original venturi flash eliminator on them if they were converted at the RSAF by my boss WO2 Clive Connors told me that it was an additional recognition feature of the blank barrel........... As if having the front half painted yellow wasn't enough!

I never thought that I'd ever see one of them again or that anyone would even remember them. The poms certainly didn't have them. We just used BFA's or a 1/4" bolt through the flash eliminator on shot-out barrels similar to yours. Probably copied from the Aust variant.

[Kev G]

1/4 inch bolt job -



ATB KG

[Peter Laidler]

That's definately not one of ours KG. There was a strict EMER spec for ours and that for safety reasons the bolt had to go through the sight block of the flash eliminator to ensure that it remained firmly fixed to the barrel.

I don't suppose it'd make much difference pressure wise if the bolt was inserted just ahead of the gas block like your picture but the red paint makes me think India.

I'll see if I can't photograph one of our BFA barrels.

[tankhunter]

Daniel, if you find a BOLT (NOT SCREW!) that is an EXACT fit through the holes in your barrel. & a matching nut for the bolt. Fit it & tighten up, then stake the bolt end on either side of the nut with a centre punch to retain it. This will prevent unlocking during firing.

This if done EXACTLY as discribed above. WILL Enable your gun to function on blanks.

As Peter had discribed, this was the Brit method & was a positive & safety measure.

The correct terminology for the bolt is 'The Choke'.

LOAD! READY, FIRE!.................

[DOD 7.62]

I'm thinking of getting a correct L4 eliminator off Kevin taking off the old Mk2 cone, making up a press fit pin (choke) for the hole and fitting the new eliminator over the top to hide it all. Plan being to create an almost anatomically correct looking BF barrel for movie ordinance use. Just need to ensure there is enough meat left in the barrel sides to safely hold the pin in place, last thing you would want is to turn the restrictor pin into a blank powered projectile. Thoughts and opinions welcome.



Thanks everyone.

Daniel

[Peter Laidler]

Anatomically ou'll need to shorten the barrel and all that that entails with the new flash eliminator before your .303" Bren barrel will look anything like an L4 barrel. But I suppose if you retain the L4 F/E with the choke nut and bolt instead of machining the recess for the ears and boring the taper pin hole, noone will ever notice.

I assume that you have got some L4 guns for the barrel to fit on

[Kev G]

That's definately not one of ours

Thats interesting Peter as I have no idea where it originated from.If it makes any difference it's off an L4A1 ?
Some others (not sure if they all were L4A4) come from NZ.



ATB KG