Just a snippet of Bren info for you Bren fiends............

[Peter Laidler]

I expect that you have all heard of the problems with the first Mk1 Bren guns. Basically, and without boring you to death, the gas deflected from the barrel and gas plug hit the head of the piston. In an effort to get rid of the crud and shi...... er, metallic fouling and carbon, there were two lots of 6 holes to allow it all to escape. Alas, one set of holes was under the rotating SLEEVE, Bipod which after 25 or so rounds, solidified on the outside of the gas cylinder. So, to free it off, you twisted it left and right a few times. The trouble was that in doing so, the hard carbon quickly wore away the outside diameter of the gas cylnder and the inside diameter of the bipod sleeve. Allowing so much gas to escape that the gun failed to work!

Maybe Kevn G the photo maestro could show us the offending gas cylinder again, close to a bipod sleeve and point out the offending gas escape holes

Anyway........., are you still with me? As a result, the Army issued this instruction. Dated 8th March 1940, even before the guns had been in any sort of fierce action. Annex A (4) states
'Rotation of th gun in the bipod sleeve to break down the fouling should be carried out only when the firer feels that the gun is tight in the bipod sleeve as it is essential that the inside and outside diameters of the gas cylinder and bipod sleeve and the outside diameter of the nose of the gas block (on the barrel) should be maintained. Otherwise loss of power will result. (You bet it will..........). For the same reason scraping with any steel impliment or abrasive substance is strictly prohibited. The bore of the (bipod) sleeve will only be cleaned similar to that laid down for the gas cylinder'.

There were many even more dire problems to face the Bren before they were finally ironed out but it got worse before it got better because later, instructions were issued that if the gun was functioning OK and the bipod sleeve was jammed onto the gas cylinder, then you weren;t to clean it at all!

This must be the first and only time in the world of firearms where a soldier has been told NOT to clean his gas parts!

These instructions were issued as Weapon Training Memos and gave the training instructors more detail. Appendix C, issued on the same date gives instructions for the SIGHT, fixed line, Bren MG Mk1 and the POST, aiming, Bren MG Mk3, and LAMP, aiming, Bren MG, Mk3. It was this fixed line sight that was to be fitted into the front dovetail housing on the left side of your early Mk1 Bren. It didn't last long because shortly afterwards, fixed line firing reverted back to the big boys with their Vickers.

Hope that was interesting......... or even a little bit interesting!

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