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Mag followers - Bren and Vickers GO 100 round drum magazines
In the Bren role follower was introduced by L.o.C B4876 of 3-7-41(approved 15-12-39) as part of "Equipments Bren 100 round Magazine, Mk I.
So they had a 100 round mag for the Bren and the Vickers.....
They were very similar in design and production.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...43979609-1.jpg
So I should think the application of a magazine like this when fitted to the Bren would most likely be in a role from a fixed firing point or in the AA role, looking at the pic in relation to the size of the unit and the mag cover it would certainly make the Bren very top heavy and I for one having carried one around the fields up hill and down dale would find it rather heavy and cumbersome.
It was purported that they only loaded 97 rounds into them as the mag follower had a set up like 3 dummy rounds to keep tension on the mag follower as it emptied to the last rounds.
Really appreciate the pics as it is something I did not know was a part of the Bren make up and a little known fact and only stumbled across it in B.A Temples book on .303 dummy rounds. :thup:
With the drum fitted there were no sights so aiming, such as it was, was with tracer rounds, hosepipe fashion. The use of the Bren for AA fire ceased in 1940 following reports that there was somethjing quite uncomfortable trying to hose down aircraft that were up there just looking for trouble - and you were giving them some! The down side was that could fight back - and inevitably did with 20mm cannons at 2 miles away!
The Bren was soon relegated to doing what it did best. Indeed, it excelled at..... A section machine gun.
There's a little bit of irony in this fact. The little stud at the front left side of the butt slide, that retained the gun into the tripod AA mount was retained right up until the very last Mk3 gun butt slides were produced/cast as spare parts in 1976. Somebody forgot to tell them to delete this redundant feature from production.
Not a lot of people know that..........
I'll bet it was cheaper to just leave it in place. To change the machines would cost more...as you pointed out in one other thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
The Bren 100 round drums were tried out during the Dieppe Raid, and their failure led to the deaths of many Bren Gunners...after that there was no more talk of using them for direct Combat.
They were still issued to fixed AA Positions and on small sea craft.
The Vickers K gun ( and F as well) used a thinner, and larger diameter Magazine ( similar feed system...but different Mouth sections.
The K ( gas op) and the F( Recoil) were 1920s-30s aircraft Guns...only the K got large Porduction numbers ( I have one in the 2x,xxx range, as well as earlier three ands four digit numbers.) The Mag only holds 67 rounds(?)
Vickers Mag design was also used by Degtyarev (Tank and Aviation Guns) and the Japanese ( T89 Flexible single gun).
DocAV
My late father was stationed in Dover castle for a few weeks.
There was one Bren on an AA tripod and 2 weeks leave had been promised to anyone who shot down a German.
First time an aicrraft was seen there was such a rush for the Bren it was knocked over and never got a shot off.
He also remembered being chased round the Keep by an Me 109.
Eventually he finished up in Somaliland after the Italians had been kicked out and never fired a shot in anger. When the Italians had attacked there was a great shortage of military stores. After they were kicked out we used a lot of their stuff. Everything Dad had was Italian except his truck, radio, rifle and revolver.
Then the stores flooded in. A year later he had to help to destroy them as they were surplus and it was feared they would fall into the hands of the tribesmen. He told me they took a load of Brens out on a barge, fired them till the barrels got too hot and chucked them over the side.