A Left-Handed Bren at last!

[MGMike]

For decades this has been the source of frustration to left-handed people like me who can’t stretch over the Bren far enough to align the sights on the far side. The acquisition of an East German Doctor red-dot sight and a stray 30mm scope ring provided inspiration. As it happens a short section of the Bren barrel has an outside diameter of 30mm, so no alteration was necessary (from the beginning this was an absolute requirement.) The problem was to rig a mount as far to the rear and as close overbore as possible, and far enough forward to clear the sliding magazine well cover but without interfering with the carry handle.

The attached photos show the prototype.

The POI was astonishingly close at 175 yards (though the Doctor sight is parallax-free only to 40 yards), well within the burst dispersion of a Bren. No sight adjustment was necessary to shoot the wires off the 12" gong. The unit did not loosen from full-auto vibration. All in all, worthy of further development-- even if it’s about 40 years too late for military application.

M

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Ovidio]

Oh my God. Short from a rape! ;-D

[Kev G]

Nice Czech made body too !

[MGMike]

Here's a couple more pix.

The vertically-split ring is clamped upside-down on the barrel, with its base holding a short section of rail (likewise clamped upside down) cantilevered forward, just long enough to attach the Doctor sight base with its protective wings. The underside of the rail was thinned to be symmetrical in cross-section with the top, and a slot filed to mate with the cross-bolt in the ring.

Initially I tried this rig cantilevered rearward, just forward of the receiver, to maximize the field of view through the glass. I quickly discovered that it blocked the sliding magazine cover. I considered removing the cover just for this installation, easy enough --but then decided to simply reverse the rail. The ring was rotated as close to vertical as possible (beyond which the receiver obstructs the view) in order maintain correct cheek weld and to simply the adjustments for zero. There is still minor interference with the carrying handle if it is raised fully upright, so yes, there will be a Mark I * version.

M

[Ovidio]

Envy is a bad feeling, but you're baiting me in that direction.........
I'd pay to be allowed to own and shoot my old MG.
God bless the 2nd amendment you can exploit so well!

[CINDERS]

Whats the go Ovidio where you are like us here no S/A's allowed and weapons like the Bren even in semi auto mode would be on the restricted list I speak for Western Au guys some of the eastern seaboard brethren are luckier than us here.

[Ovidio]

We actually can buy a semiauto reproduction of the MG 42, but it's extremely expensive and not even close to the real thing.
It also fires with closed bolt.......

[ActionYobbo]

whats the story with that rear sight set up? thats the first time I have seen that

[MGMike]

whats the story with that rear sight set up? ...

Everything but the barrel and magazine (and the left-handed sight, of course) are Czech.

M