What is your experience in adapting other tripods or mounts to work with a Bren?

I'd like to add a tripod to my Bren gun setup. Bren-specific tripods are pricey and uncommon.

I already have a tripod for my Browning 1919 that I'd like to use. German Lafette tripods designed for the MG34 or MG42 are readily available. Not to mention the various vehicle mounts available for belt-feds.

So has anyone done work on adapting a tripod for a Browning 1919 or a German Lafette MG42-type tripod or any other type of mount to work with a Bren?

I'd be interested to hear the experiences of others. I'd rather not re-invent the wheel if I can help it.

Not had to do it myself but I do have the D.D.(E.) for a Bren to Vickers tripod adapter. Also got the drawings for various other Bren mountings like for the Pedestal, Motley etc.

I've not loaded my files onto the new computer so can't say exactly what . Kev, Do you have a list of the mounting DD(E) ? I know theres the Indian para Bren tripod that was a rip off of the M1919A4s so that may be of use.

ATB

Tom

India did indeed use the M1919 tripod to take a Bren. Will be simplicity itself given a bit of savvy, a lathe and a bit of nous I'd say. Where there's a will, there's a way. Or as the smart Indians say with an eye on their wallets, where there's a will, there's a SIMPLE way...........

I have a copy of the Indian mount drawings which are dimensioned if i remember tight but they are on a disc at the moment and we don't even have paint shop pro or whatever installed yet for me to cut and paste etc the relevant sections and the files themselves are going to be the huge as scanned in versions so not suitable for putting up.

Does anyone have a copy to hand who can oblige?

I vaguely recall copying the Indian , what are they called, like a List of Changes entry? Announcement that they were available to issue, in the Leeds Pattern Room Library.

Sorry, not with it today. Probably should have worn a mask when I was turning some yew earlier...

ATB

Tom

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Originally Posted by tombear

Probably should have worn a mask when I was turning some yew earlier...

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:rofl::rofl:

I saw an adaptor on Ebay that fit's onto the top of the German Bundeswher AA Tripod. I THINK it was a parts seller in Greece who was selling them? Looks VERY simple to make. Just a round bar bored out enough to fit the spigot
on top. A retaining plunger made & fitted also. The top was filed flat on either side to fit in between the twin runners underneath the Butt slide. & a hole bored to take the front mounting pin.

These are marketed as genuine Foreign Army issue adaptors. But to my mind, would be VERY simple to make one yourself! ;)

Okay, here are some pix of the new adapter made to fit a stock Bren lower onto the common Bundeswehr MG3 Flugabwehr Flak-Stativ......stand-up mount.

We all much prefer to shoot whatever the Hell we can adapt to these MG3 tripods, as standing up is much easier to traverse against random ground targets at a shoot, plus the only reasonable way to support most LMG's for shooting at model airplanes.

This is a VERY simple design, made by a local here....you could surely copy one by just looking at the basic form pictured, but for the couple bones he's asking ($40.00), it isn't worth my time to do the set-ups to carve one up, so I just tossed him the bones for it. It's nice, nothing special but works as intended.

We make up these adapters for anything we can figure out......I attached some other pictures showing various other MG's I have adapted to the MG3 AA tripod. It's a workhorse mount for fun shooting!!

-TomH

Tom (Bear)

Entry from Indian M.G.O.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9qlppq68-1.jpg

ATB Kevin

Those anti-aircraft tripods for MG's aren't unlike the Mk1 Bren tripods. The down-side is that there's a bit of unease about taking on aircraft, stood behind, say a wall or vehicle while shooting tracer at them. The trouble is that by definition, they are up there actually LOOKING for trouble and have 20mm cannons. You pi55 them off at 700 yards with 7.62 and they REALLY pi55 you off at 1mile with 20mm. And they immediately know your position because you've just been shooting at them. Nope........... not a fair contest. I say leave aircraft for blowpipe!

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Originally Posted by MrNatural

Bren-specific tripods are pricey and uncommon.t.

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Good news for those of us who own one. I'm thinking of disposing of mine, a scruffy BSA Mk.1, c/w a Mk.1M Bren in a box with all the bits. I guess I should ask a good price for it.

I'm having one of my rare gos on the old computer that sounds distressingly like a tractor so I've access to my D.D.(E.) files. Excuse me for repeating myself but Ive more details now.

If anyone wants to mount a Bren on a Vickers tripod I've the dimensioned engineers drawings for that D.D.(E.) 2786 (3 sheets) 1941 Lookls pretty simply to a layman like me.

I've also got 3 or 4 versions of Besa 7.92mm to Vickers tripod adapter as well as a couple for fixed iron and adjustable sights for the Besa in ground use and one for the Besa to Bren tripod. Theres also one for Emergency ground use thats a bipod and shoulder stock to be used with the sights mentioned above.

What else? theres some drawings about mounting ZGB to a Vickers Berthier tripod and fitting a VB to a Normal vickers tripod and the czech LMG tripod but they aint fully dimensioned. If any onewants any Im happy to send them down the wire if they pm me a address. If your really ambitious I've full sets for stuff like the Straddle and Motley mountings, Mk II* Bren tripod and all sort of weird AA mounts , quad bren, tree mounts all sorts! I did send one set (a Scarf like mounting for the Bren) to a guy who wanted to fit one to the hole in the roof of his Bedford three tonner but I never heard if he did it.

ATB

Tom

I ended up going with an MG42 AA tripod from whatacountry.com for $296 delivered. Brand new in the factory wrap. The damn thing is beautifully made! Not at all like some wartime contract job. They're sold out of them now, alas. Added a $40 Bren adapter from HellBox Armory: Bren Gun Adaptor Which fit like a glove. Smooth traverse with no wiggle and no rattle. The setup works very well. Most shooter-friendly setup I've seen in a while. I'm planning on getting adapters for some other guns of mine for this tripod.

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Originally Posted by MrNatural

I ended up going with an MG42 AA tripod from whatacountry.com for $296 delivered. Brand new in the factory wrap. The damn thing is beautifully made! Not at all like some wartime contract job. They're sold out of them now, alas. Added a $40 Bren adapter from HellBox Armory: Bren Gun Adaptor Which fit like a glove. Smooth traverse with no wiggle and no rattle. The setup works very well. Most shooter-friendly setup I've seen in a while. I'm planning on getting adapters for some other guns of mine for this tripod.

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......and, this is exactly what I was describing and showed pictures of in Post #7 above!! Glad you like it!

As for other guns using the MG3 AA tripod (it's an MG3 device, NOT an MG-42 item!), take a look at some of the pictures in my post above. Currently to date, I have made adapters for using this with PKM, DP-28, M249, M240B, Jap Type 1/100 (MG15), MG-34, CETME Ameli, Ultimax 100 Mk 3, RPD, M1918A2 BAR, FN-D, IMI Negev , MK 46.....in addition to the original placement for my MG1A1 & MG74 and the pictured Bren MK II posted on. And I have seen done MANY more gun types than those that I have done myself for my own guns.

Some are EXTREMELY simplistic, like the for the Bren, or PKM here:
Shooting the PKM LMG with quick-detach optics mount. - YouTube

To date, the only one that really took any serious work was adapting the Jap Type 1 (MG15 clone) as that required dealing with and making provisions for the gimballing mount on the gun itself, for which the below adapter was devised:Attachment 66804Attachment 66803
Japanese Navy Type 1 Flexible Aircraft machine gun #2 MG-15 MG15 - YouTube
Japanese Navy Type 1 Flexible Aircraft Machine Gun #2 Type 98 MG-15 MG15 - YouTube

Many people also adapt these for the various Barrett .50BMG rifles. They are really adaptable, as you'll soon discover!

-TomH

Back to basics though........... The Bren was made to be the master of all trades and all things to all men. But, alas, when it came to push and shove it didn't excel in the AA fire role, nor the fixed lines role nor any of the other things the designers and trials teams of the 30's wanted of it. Things such as the ill fated fixed lines, indirect fire role, overhead advance to contact fire were to side line the Vickers and 2" mortar but they never could. And while the tripod mounted Bren could be used like this, during military training doctrine and training lessons, these roles were casually preached but never practiced.

Where it did reign supreme until it was only bettered by the equally magnificent true jack-of-all-trades L7/GPMG, was as the section light machine gun. FIRED FROM THE BIPOD. If you have a bipod on your Bren, that's all you need. If you need a tripod, then let the big boys with their medium machine guns, the 2" and 3" mortars (ok..., 60 and 81mm's then) do the job - properly!

Just my opinion. Been there, done it..........

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

Back to basics though...........
Just my opinion. Been there, done it..........

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Hi Peter! Well, I can't argue with anything you said there!! Fantastic commentary on the real-world use of the "tools of the trade", and too, I am always astounded at your level of first-person experience in this realm........you're certainly a "National Treasure" to be able to let us have direct access to your encyclopedic knowledge base.

I know you realize though, that for most of us over here, where we can own and actually shoot live privately owned MG's that our "requirements" pretty much begin and end with shooting dirt, rusty oil drums, and the occasional dead car and model airplane. ;-))

For that reality, many people here have done remarkable things with what we have available.......I have no doubt that it horrifies and sickens strict military-doctrine professionals to see what has been cobbled up over here "for fun", but there is still a large group of people that truly benefit from all this '"garage engineering" energy.

Taken full circle......look at what is on display in the various current hot-spots in the M.E. with the various local Islamist radicals........they're doing the same exercise really, adapting with what is on hand and available to them.....and USING it in the heat of battles.

Granted, over here, at the end of the day all of our privately owned MG's come home and disappear into the basement, or vault room, or similar.....so our actual usage puts the kit we cobble together at best in the league of a hobby or sport, but it matters to many to be able to come up with good, solid, usable solution to mount their various MG's from and enjoy sending a few thousand rounds down range for a fun day. As my old acquaintance Peter Kokalis used to acknowledge, grudgingly, "shooting from a padded potty seat has it merits".

Here's a perfect example of what I'm relating to:

Attachment 66817

.....in the context of where I live, it all makes perfect sense. ;-))

I have enough headaches everyday in my real job dealing with the military/Govt realm, shooting is my way to let off steam and have fun....

-TomH

bump to find

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Originally Posted by tr63

bump to find

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To find what??? Why don't you just ask a specific question instead of bringing these old threads back? That's two you've done for no good point...and no proper question.

Has anyone the extension tubes for the Bren tripod to make it useable for the AA mount ? Has anyone made up these tubes ?

Looking for a clear picture of the Bren Gun MKI AA tube extensions . Must see the way the tubes fit together , the foot that meets the ground , and the shape of the end that slides into the part on the front leg of the tripod when it is in AA position . I want to see if I can make up the tubes to use on my Bren MKI tripod . Any help will be greatly appropriated, thanks .

Is this the tube you mean? there are really no shortage of members here that have these, just hang on and one will show you a close up...

Thanks Jim ,that is the Bren Gun tripod MKI I have , but I am missing the 2 light gauge steel tubes that store inside the right and left side frame tubes of the tripod . These tubes when joined together make up the third leg when the bipod is set up for AA usage . If I could see how they are made I will try to fabricate them . My tripod has the leg your Bren is attached to in your picture , which is the front leg of the MKI or the MKI* .

I'm happy to say that isn't me in that pic. Thank God...like I say, there's a number of members have them here... Here's the pics from Dugleby's book.

Thanks Jim for the pictures . I guess it would be a long shot if anyone had these tubes for sale ?

You can ask over in the WTB forum...again, there are some that have enough of this stuff that they may have a donor. You could always just use your #1 rifle to hold it up...

Jim I want to use the nose guard from a MkIII rifle and attach it to !" steel tube stock. This will fit into the AA retainer on the MKI bipod . I will have to re-fabricate it in order for it to slide into the side tube on the bipod, where it is stored when it is not used as the third leg for AA purposes . I have a nose guard on order from Gunparts Corp. .Cutting and reworking the nose guard will be interesting in the least !!!

tr63
Did you ever make that tripod front leg? If so can you please share a few pics of it?
Also any more suggestions on how you did it.
The problem is that a lot of the folks that I've talked to in our weapons area have not seen the poles. Most of them are gone, long gone.
In GB or France they might be out there just not around here.

Later 42rocker

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Originally Posted by 42rocker

tr63
Did you ever make that tripod front leg? If so can you please share a few pics of it?
Also any more suggestions on how you did it.
The problem is that a lot of the folks that I've talked to in our weapons area have not seen the poles. Most of them are gone, long gone.
In GB or France they might be out there just not around here.

Later 42rocker

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Sorry for the very late come back for your asking for what the out come of my making the upper AA tripod leg . I can send some pictures to your e-mail if you can post them for me , let me know .

Tom,
In searching the intenet I found this post. I'm looking for and adapter for a MG42/3 tripod for a Browning M1919A4. Do you have the contact info for the person yo mention
Thank you.
Dave

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Originally Posted by shootit

Tom,
In searching the intenet I found this post. I'm looking for and adapter for a MG42/3 tripod for a Browning M1919A4. Do you have the contact info for the person yo mention
Thank you.
Dave

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Are you looking for the T&E or just a single adapter piece?

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Originally Posted by djandj

Are you looking

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"Last On 07-25-2020 @ 05:42 AM" This means he hasn't even been back here since July last year...the trouble with resurrecting old posts. Maybe if you go into his profile you can find his Email address and message him.