Removing the butt from the lower reciever.

[blitzkrieg]

Hoping someone can help me, I have a mk 1 butt I am trying to replace but I can't remove it from the reciever, I have removed the butt plate, return spring and rod but cannot remove the butt. I could be just being thick but I can't see how it comes off, can anyone give me some advice?
Many thanks.

Information

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[blitzkrieg]

Problem solved.... I was being thick and I've just used my combination tool for the first time!

[Peter Laidler]

Than combination tool enables you to completely strip the Mk1 Bren. Give that tool to the average crunchie and guess what he'll do.......? Yep, completely strip the gun - which is the very last thing the Armourers shop needs him to do. We say just give him the basic cleaning kit to keep it clean and free from fouling.

Important to know/bear in mind that Bren butts are always hand fitted. There was no such thing as all-round interchangeability then. And while you are there, don't forget to replace the little, easily forgotten clicker detent plate and spring.

As a matter of interest, according to the small arms school committee minutes the butt buffer (the bits that are retained by the sling loop bracket screw) were a frill - if not a complete fraud and were only incorporated into/on the UK Bren gun due to a) the original licensing agreement and b) as they formed part of the 'chinese puzzle' butt assembly. Subsequent guns eliminated this fraudulent total waste of time

[blitzkrieg]

Interesting stuff, thanks for your advice Peter!

[elvis3006]

I have a Mk 1 Bren dewat. The upper and lower receivers are welded together, can I still remove the butt and pistol grip ? And can I use normal tools other than a combo tool ? Thank you.

[Peter Laidler]

In short, yes! While you're there and along the same lines, you can remove the carrying handle and inner sleeve with a normal wide bladed screwdriver too. But watch out as that nut is spring loaded from below.

BUT, replacing it is quite another matter as you have got to compress the spring under the nut and then thread the zillion TPI nut onto the zillion TPI stem. If it's not square-on it WILL cross thread VERY easily. Can I suggest that if you are going down the replace-the-carrying-handle road that you STOP and back-off as soon as you feel something ain't right.

Remove the nut and handle, clean the thread, make sure the nut assembles to stripped stem cleanly and squarely, then start again.

Sorry to ramble on but it's easy to continue to screw beyond the point of no return. As apprentices, we were taught that as Armourers, we would only be permitted to ruin/destroy a carrying handle stem by neglect once during our time. The second time we'd have to pay for our neglect. It was a load of pure bolloc.........., er........ rubbish of course. But it taught us to be careful.

[elvis3006]

In short, yes! While you're there and along the same lines, you can remove the carrying handle and inner sleeve with a normal wide bladed screwdriver too. But watch out as that nut is spring loaded from below.

Thank you Peter I will not remove the carrying handle but definitely need to remove the butt stock and pistol grip, happy to hear that for now I will not need a combo tool, but will get one soon. What ordinary tools can you recommend to use please ?

[tankhunter]

When refitting a carrying handle retaining nut. the following is a simple but effective thing to do. As Peter hast stated, when all the components are CLEAN & LIGHLTLY Oiled.
When you go to fit the retaining nut, SLOWLY screw it on inistialy in reverse. IE: Counter clockwise. If you do this CAREFULLY, you will feel the nut lightly 'Click', as it jumps off the top thread.
Once this has been felt. THEN screw the nut home fully. This way, if you do this, you WILL reduce the chance of damaging that fine thread!

Peter has already stated how fine that thread is. & believe Me, it IS indeed. VERY FINE!!!!......You only get one chance, don't Bugg.......ER....Mess it up!....

[Peter Laidler]

Re thread 7. Just use the screwdrivers that fit properly. The carrying handle screwdriver is a forked - as on the comb tool. But most Armourers made their own to suit.

[elvis3006]

Thank you guys.