My semiauto 7.62x39 Chinese conversion is finished!

I've been waiting a while, but finally got my 7.62x39 Bren back as a live semiauto. As it happened, it arrived the day before this weekend's 2-gun action match...so I took it right out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS_bM3Xlw7M

I had three malfunctions - one from a bad primer, one from using softpoints, and one failure to fully eject (when firing from the hip). Other than that, the gun ran flawlessly. The only modification it needed was adding a baffle in the flash hider to boost pressure a bit. It's a great gun to shoot, as you might expect from a 23lb gun firing 7.62x39. :) The trigger is long but pretty light, and between that and the negligible recoil it's easy to put 3-5 round "bursts" on target pretty accurately.

I would not have thought that there was enough whooooomph in the 7.62x 39 cartridge to operate the Bren flawlessly as shown here. But there is. Where is the carrying handle? Wew used to have brens modified to take a purpose made second pistol grip like that in Malaya. It was in the same position too, back, under the centre portion of what we call the trough of the butt slide. Any further forwards and the little shortarses or Gurkhas and Malay troops couldn't reach it comfortably. Really shows just how versatile the gun AND that round of ammo is.

Kinda looked like you broke the 180 rule in the first stage with the pistol, you can see you realize it and point down range real quick.

I enjoy your videos,,Wish my body would let me have this kinda fun again...:(

This close almost begs for a Thompson. I know it was an expose' on the new Bren...can you engage some reactive targets at distance for us? That would really be where the Bren would shine... It seemed to work marvellously though. Well done on that one... The ammo was no screamin' hell though was it?

Peter, the carry handle was missing from my parts kit, and I just haven't had the chance to get a new one yet. My front grip was a repro from IMA, which worked quite well. It's still a really heavy piece to shoot offhand, though.

I will be doing a video later on that focuses on the history of the gun and how the conversion works, which will include some longer range shooting. That match was the first time I'd actually fired it, and I'm really looking forward to getting in some more trigger time.

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Originally Posted by ForgottenWeapons

It's still a really heavy piece to shoot offhand, though.

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Yes, a bit un-handy and unwieldy...if you'd have had it slung across and were working in short bursts, it would have been a whole different story...but I know, that's not possible...too bad though. Looking forward to the subsequent vid.

Though I fired them from the waist, never in anger, we were taught to do it with the gun pulled back, across the top of your pouches.

Just be warned when you get the parts for the carrying handle and look at the parts list for correct assembly. That's because the screw thread for the outer sleeve, called the CATCH, carrying hande and the NUT, catch carruing handle AND the STEM and NUT carrying handle (sorry if I've got the nomenclature wrong here but it sounds right!) are a VERY fine -about a zillion TPI - metric thread and VERY easy to cross thread and once it's been X-threaded it is pretty well impossible to make good, believe me! We all had a special home-made forked screwdriver set into a flat hollow barrel that would hold both nuts square against the spring while they were being tightened.

There was an issue tool AND a forked screwdriver in the Mk1 combination tool. DO NOT USE THESE MONSTEROSITIES. They don't hold the nuts square and once they start to X-thread, you're knackered!

As I seem to recall, the HANDLE, carrying only came as an assembly and you couldn't get the internals separately. Not a problem in the Armourers shops as we usually had plenty with broken wood grips that we could use. At the big Field and Base workshops we could and did repair and patch the wood grips. Anyway............

Wondered when you'd show up Peter...

Thanks - I appreciate the insight!

Do you find it difficult to use the Bren as a Left hander? It looks like you have a bit further to lean over the butt to get a sight picture. You do make it look easier than I expected though!

Oh yes............ I've just GOT to say it and don't take offence F-W, but you seem to be holding it like a wuss. Pull the pistol grip and gun backwards into your shoulder like you are....* and twist it. The with your other hand, grip the small of the butt to steady the gun, twisting it against the rotation of the pistol grip. Squash your cheek onto the hand holding the butt, make a small silhouette, align the sights, hold steady and fire. If you are the Bren gunner, you mean business. Because when the section hear you open up, they get a warm feeling that tells them that everything's going to be OK. You can almost hear the collective sigh as they're thinking '....thank xxxx it's on our side....'

*We were taught to hold the Bren and the GPMG like you were pulling a.............. I'll change that to a more politically correct........... like you were pulling a Caribbean car thief out of your car. Phew!

BP - I do have lean a bit over the stock, but it's not that big of a deal. The bolt handle is on the right side, which is convenient for me, and of course the mag catch is ambidextrous. Overall, I really had no trouble with it.

Peter - Alas, I never had a proper education on Bren handling. :) That said, it sounds like the proper technique is largely designed to control recoil - which is a non-issue in 7.62x39. It hardly moves at all when firing, so a looser grip doesn't really cause problems. That said, I will definitely try the correct hold when I have the chance to practice some more - this match started about 16 hours after I first laid hands on the gun.

That looks like a good workout, Ian. :clap: :thup: