I have a Mk1 receiver with a Mk2 barrel, Bipod and stock. I am not having much luck sourcing Mk1 Parts other than a barrel. I thought I heard someone was making the stock, Grip, and Carry handle? I will also need the Mk1 stock hardware.
Thanks
Ralph
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I have a Mk1 receiver with a Mk2 barrel, Bipod and stock. I am not having much luck sourcing Mk1 Parts other than a barrel. I thought I heard someone was making the stock, Grip, and Carry handle? I will also need the Mk1 stock hardware.
Thanks
Ralph
PM me if you don't get a response from closer to home. The grip (do you mean the pistol grip?) requires a different grip bolt that might not be compatible with the thread on your butt slide. The actualk grip can easily be modified to suit. Carrying handles also need a larger diameter PLATE, grip. This large diameter made them vulnerable to damage that we had to endlessly patch-repair. There is a LOT of superflous crap on a Mk1 gun butt, believe me!
Generally speaking, the Mk1 and 2 parts will and were made/designed to interchange but only as complete assemblies. But let me inject a bit of realism into this. In the real world of users and Armourers, we didn't worry about whatever the mark/type was. The guns came in, were repaired/rebuilt with what was available on the shelf or from Ordnance, range tested and sent out again. Certainly in the later years of the Mk1 and 2 guns, they came in as Mk1's or 2's but went OUT as all-but Mk3 guns!
Ralph,
Try here for repro bren wood:
Gunville Gun Stocks and Silver Hill Co.- Gun Stocks and Gun Parts
Here are some other suppliers. You will find it is hit & miss for MKI parts, probably for the reasons as described by Peter:
Bren I and II : Military Gun Supply, SSAR-15, Parts Kits, Surplus Guns, And More!
BREN Parts
Sarco, Inc. - Bren MKI MKII
Search results for: 'bren' ima-usa.com
Sometimes parts show up on gunbroker.com
Joe
Wow.......... don't they know how to charge!!!!!!!
Ralph,
Also try:
APEX Gun Parts
Joe
---------- Post added at 01:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 PM ----------
Peter,Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
They sure do. Since you can't import machinegun parts without an import license; once the parts are in the U.S. they've got you.
Joe
Dont forget CPU that fitting parts on Brens is done using the old fashioned long forgotten method. That of hand fitting, especially the butts and the components. I say that but really, everything was a bit long winded to get it right! But once they were up and running and on-song....., they were unstoppable!
If I were you I'd invest in the little soft cover SAseries book about the Bren gun. It's probably the best little 'ready reckoner' type booklet you'll find. Cheap and available from Brian at BDL Ltd in SC
Silence from CPU. I don't think we'll hear from him again. That's how to look a Mk 1 parts gift horse in the mouth!
LOL... No no. I did not add this thread as auto notification so did not know if anyone replied. Then I replied to it yesterday but must not of hit the submit button?
Anyway I wanted to tell you alll thanks so much for sharing all of this great info with me. I put together and own a running MK2! I did have help though:) I have always wanted a Bren with dial sights. Thats why I bought this kit. I will post pics of the kit as soon as it gets here. I would like a more informed opinion on where it came from and the configuration it might have been. Here is a link to the auction.....http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=418305832 I have found barrels for $100 and bipods for $130. Can I buy parts from canada? Are the internals of the MK1 different? Thanks again guys you have been a great help! BTW does anyone know of a good weld service. I know project guns did them and Wiselite does or used to?
CPU,
Looks like a good kit. It does have a MK II barrel and butt-stock as you know. It's an older de-mill but is has a cut through the gas tube rather the barrel nut area. It's a more difficult weld to make than a weld in the barrel nut area. I'm pretty sure all of the internals are interchangeable between a Mk I & II.
As far as Canada, and I'm assuming you are referring to Marstar; I called them a while back. MG parts - no shipping to the US without import license. Parts that are not required for firing the weapon such as stocks could to shipped to US. You will have to call them.
Here is another builder, but last I checked he was not doing any new Bren work. you will have to call or email:
SMG Guns
You might check with Len Savage. A number of forum members have Brens built by him. Len is referred to in this thread :
Bren Mk 2 Recoil Spring Issues
OR -- Get a cheap TIG welder from Harbor Freight and do the welding yourself as I did.
Joe
Attachment 53570
Is your Mk1 a runner Joe?
As for the CPU's parts Bren I'd say that the 'gas cylinder' re-weld/repair is FAR simpler/easier to repair than a barrel nut area repair. I say this because the gas cylinder where it is cut isn't actually the gas cylinder per-se at all as the actual gas cylinder is only the first 3" (from the front) of the gun. It is in this first 3" or so, within the actual gas cylinder that the gas has imparted all the energy that it's going to, to the face of the piston as by then, the bullet has long left the bore and there ain't no more gas. In fact, just another inch or so to the rear are gas vents and once the face of the piston has come level with the most forward of these, then the gas in the barrel, gas cylinder and remainder of the tube have equalised to atmosphere.
You could call the round area behind the actual gas cylinder 'a round tunnel like tube section to guide the piston back into the gas cylinder' as that's all it does. The fit of the piston in that part is what I'd describe as a sausage in the high street!
If I had to repair this I wouldn't be too accurate about alignment. What IS important here is DISTANCE and radial alignment for the barrel locator and gas cylinder spigot.
I haven't had to do one of course
Thats why I bought the kit! Even though its a mismatched mess (pricey for what it is)! The receiver is gonna be much easier to fix. I even thought of getting some Bren chunks to use as filler. My other build had a cut barrel lug. It took alot of filing to make right!
Anyone rent weld Jigs? I bought my other gun badly put together. Did not fired was a butchered mess. I replaced Bolt, Post, made it semi compliant. I did everything but weld it. I am worried about shrinkage with the welding. Getting the right length and no warping!
Anyone know anything about the receiver from the pics? Where its been and used? How it should have came?
Thanks for the links I will check them out!
Body is a 1943 Enfield
Piston is Mk2
Lower slide and butt are Inglis Mk2
Bipod is Inglis Mk2
Barrel looks like a Lithgow Mk2 (Fitted to their Mk1s from 1942)
Barrel nut looks to be the early barrel nut as fitted to the Mk1 DD guns (Nice find).
If you can get some scrap receiver parts to use as fillers I'd get them because some of the gaps are very large. The videos I've seen of Bren rebuilds tend to be done a jig to set the correct dimensions and to help prevent the receiver twisting and deforming. They also only do a little bit at a time and alternate between sides which must work quite well as they appear to work fine afterwards.
Oh, I should add that, as Peter will say, all the bits will work fine with each other even though they are differing marks and manufacturers.
Keep in mind that your parts kit may have looked just like it is before it was cut up. If you look at pictures of Brens in combat you will see just about every combination of parts imaginable. As Peter said, the only thing that designates what Mk the gun is, are the makings on the reciver. Butt, slide, barrels, etc. didn't have to match. Brens were built with a mix of parts, it was war no time to be picky...
Having said that my kit looked very similar to yours. I left the wood as it was, but it did find some nice mk1* barrels. I also picked up the adjustable style bipod, its nice to have when shooting on a bench.
some pictures and discussion here,
Did my civic duty, saved a Bren from the scrap pile.
BRP and Sarco ar good sources of parts.
Yes fully operation in semi-auto only.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
Joe
I think Stan at Project Guns still does them. He sells a jig also.Quote:
BTW does anyone know of a good weld service. I know project guns did them and Wiselite does or used to?
I think there's a loaner in the Weapons Guild tool crib.Quote:
Anyone rent weld Jigs?
I am going to call project guns today. See if he has any jigs for sale or rent. I am also curious if he has any Bren receiver chunks. Does anyone know if MK1 receivers are the same as MK2 in the gas tube area and mag well? It seems the MK2's are more common and tend to be scrap. Good for me if I can use MK2 pieces to fix mine. On another note my gun appears to be 4 different guns! Which seems more common then I thought.
Externally there are many differences but internally, they are all basically the same. I say basically - in that all of the internal parts will interchange.
If the chunks are from 4 different guns it would have been nice if they were overlapping but I guess you can't have your cake and eat it.
All the parts look correct for an Enfield gun, if you pass me the serial number I'll tell you if it's correct for the year on the side of the centre section. They all look pretty well matched (Excluding the cuts) so it's a good start. Do you have a milling machine?
Brit plumber
Can you tell me anything about my....
Mk2
SN:T6922
Side Rcvr:M/67 1943
I believe my MK1 is the same year. Its at my friend house as he files the slag off he is a machinist and dear friend. I will get that info tomorrow. We do have access to a old bridge port mill its just 30 miles away.
Any idea where to buy chunks?
cpu77,Quote:
Originally Posted by cpu77
I'd give MGS a call. They sold a lot of the later de-mills which were very difficult to re-weld and were cut in different locations than the early de-mills. I bought some receiver sections from them as fillers for my MK I. You will have to call as they no longer have the full sets.
Parts : Military Gun Supply, SSAR-15, Parts Kits, Surplus Guns, And More!
Also try Weapons Guild. Somebody over there may have some pieces.
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Joe
Joe,
Thanks for the help I am making calls as we speak......
I thought I would post some pics of my receiver.....
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...014/06/1-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...014/06/2-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...014/06/4-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...014/06/5-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...014/06/6-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...014/06/7-1.jpg
You mentioned that the body was T-6922, a '43! F-7078 above is an Enfield 1940 'last stage intermediate'. So that gun is definately a mix-and-match of body parts
Sorry the T6922 is actually my MK2 gun. The F-7078 is my Mk1 kit shown.
F.7078 would be a 1941 gun, very early 41.
I've got the intermediates with the rib on the right and the fluted gas ports as F.300 to F.5721
I've got the final intermediates as F.7492 to F.9140
So F.7078 is right in the middle of an unknown section of numbers unless Peter has some other numbers that can indicate the change over a little better.
Thanks for the info Brit Plumber. Think I should try to have the center restamped 1941. Then the gun would look more correct? Might be easier to restamp a Serial number that fit the other pieces though (And look right). Its not like I am trying to pass it off as anything more than a reweld anyways.
There's a complete new Mk1 butt on that auction site. Sorry if we're not allowed to say that!
Will check in to THAT.
My last 1940 Bren recorded is F5152.
Earliest 1941 gun is an unknown number, a DP/L54 reallocated number SA63-A2253 that is a 5th stager with ribbed gas cylinder and strengthening web on right of magazine well.
First 1941 with a real number is F-8084