Wanted: Ideas on how to lock the magazine in place

[browningautorifle]

Very nice!

[Peter Laidler]

Bren disassembly and a big slice of its history............. There's a book due out shortly that tells ALL. But for a good ready reckoner type book, I'd say get the Skennerton ID series

[tankhunter]

Hello Beetle, Ah, so you DID adopt my suggestion as to how to mod the Mag catch! Looks good dosent it? Simplicity itself, but with a Pin Punch 'Tool' inserted. Easy to opperate as well! Excellent stuff!
Another lucky Bugger gets to actually legaly own, & be able to SHOOT one!.........

[Peter Laidler]

Unbelieveably we could own semi auto Brens in the UK too until fairly recently. I'll have to get my tissues out as I'm apt to burst into tears............. You could own a live .303" Bren that had been converted to single shot fire but better still, you could own a Bren, totally free of ALL accountable and traceable paperwork too. Provided that the barrel was bored out so as to JUST remove any trace of the riflinbg, it was deemed to be a shotgun.

Some say that you had one of each and when the .......................... anyway, that was before about 1990- or so

[beetle]

had a few free moments to play around with the Bren and was able to separate the upper and lower half. I have to admit, I'm impressed by the design of the Bren -- pretty easy to strip. The more I study it the more I'm impressed by the thoughtful design.

anyways, I don't know how the original internal parts look, but here are a few of my modified semi auto. Is it enough for you experts to figure out how it was converted?

The part where the spring attaches to looks new to me.


The Bolt


No "A" mode for me


I got a couple of PMs asking who the builder was. I bought the gun from Rick @ SMG guns (SMG Guns). He'll either sell you a completed gun (like mine) or build one from your kit. I have no relationship to SMG, other than being a happy customer. Check out his FG42 project (nearing completion)

Let me know if any other pictures are desired.

[tankhunter]

It would APPEAR that the added block & the relieved area of the piston post. Indicate that this has become striker fired. The cut down butt slide welded in, would prevent a normal Buttslide from being inserted with a NON modified selector also. It appears that a pin has been inserted to block the selector from being pushed into the Automatic position. ( I used to grind off the bottom portion of the 'D' shaped lug. That went through the 'window' of the sear. This prevented auto fire & alo welded the head of the axis pins of the trigger & Sear. Thus preventing removal of the semi -modded componants) As it is now a closed breech fired weapon, Cartridge Head Space is even more critical! Nice conversion, & neat tidying up of the appearance finish. Well done you lucky begger!

[tankhunter]

Unbelieveably we could own semi auto Brens in the UK too until fairly recently. I'll have to get my tissues out as I'm apt to burst into tears............. You could own a live .303" Bren that had been converted to single shot fire but better still, you could own a Bren, totally free of ALL accountable and traceable paperwork too. Provided that the barrel was bored out so as to JUST remove any trace of the riflinbg, it was deemed to be a shotgun.

Some say that you had one of each and when the .......................... anyway, that was before about 1990- or so

Yes Happy days indeed Peter! I also had a MKI, MKII, & a MKIII all smooth bored & trig mech moded for semi-auto fire. Each one had a box of mags as well & a Tripod also! I sold them all when the law changed with the introduction of the 1988 F/Arms Amendment Act. Which effectivley prevented the ownership of ANY semi-Auto weapon over the calibre of .22".
This act of course, has had no significant effect on Armed Crime & subseqently penalised law abiding shooters of course!......Better stop now, or I will be accused of getting too political!....

[tankhunter]

Had a little thought about what I suggested for your Mag locking conversion.
If it were effected as I discribed previously. IE: Cut the catch off & drill a hole into the lower half to take a pin punch TOOL.
When approved & installed. On the Range Etc, what you could also have to make the set up look more realistic, & asthetically give it the Original Look.
Is, the upper discarded half of the Mag Catch could also have a Hole drilled into the section area which was cut off the Original catch.
Then, a pin, long just long enough to seat & bottom in EACH hole drilled in Either half. Could be fashioned & ONE end be a few thou Thicker than the other. The THICKER half could be driven into the UPPER half of the catch. Thus permanantly seating it there.
Then, when required, the upper half could be seated on TOP of the Lower half installed on the gun. It works as a complete mag catch, BUT, is INSTANTLY removable in a Micro second if need be! (I wouldnt submit THIS option to the BATF approvers! BUT, it would work for your own purposes in Recreational shooting!) Just a thought on 'Tidying up' the conversion!