Bren Lubricants

[Flying10uk]

I think credit should be given to Tom Ready (Bear) who put all the depicted 'red back' display pictures shown.

KG

The pictures which I posted in my post 6 were definitely NOT taken off this site or any other website or the internet and were posted with the intention of helping others. I did ask Tom if he wished to be credited with the pictures which he did not.

[tj214]

Agree the pics are a godsend for setting up the wallet and carryall, even though there are detail differences in both contents and pouch configurations over time.

I'm still hoping somebody can share technical or semi-technical info and practical differences of the lubes themselves, and hopefully modern equivalents since the supplies of originals are drying up or already dry. Obviously we can use any modern gun lubes we wish and get good results, but it would be nice to load up the original containers with stuff similar to what they originally contained.

[Flying10uk]

there are detail differences in both contents and pouch configurations over time.

Are you able to post some pictures of the wallet (pouch) that you have, please, because I just wonder if you happen to have the later L4 wallet with a pocket for cleaning rods attached to the inside of one of the flaps?

[tj214]

Hey Flying

I currently have two wallets, both marked:

WALLET, SPARE PARTS, BREN .303 in M.G. MK. 1

The first one I bought was absolutely filthy when it arrived, so I cleaned it up to where it's fairly presentable (I'll share my lessons if anybody is interested). I can't read most of the third line. If it had manufacturer's marks and a date, they've disappeared with time and no vestige remains, although it does retain the broad arrow stamp.

Attachment 100616

My second wallet was manufactured by B.S.L. Co. 1943 (might be 1949). This wallet arrived here in near-new condition. Obviously both have the same pocket configuration; only the fasteners vary.


Attachment 100614

Neither has the modification for the cleaning rods, as seen in this pic I just pulled off eBay.co.uk.

Attachment 100615

I also own two Bren carryalls. The first one received appeared to be unissued, but stank (and still stinks) to high heaven--the worst smell I've ever encountered from a fabric item. I tried all the internet commandos' suggestions for removing odor, and the damned thing just laughed at me. It's still laughing.

Anyway, it's canvas & webbing, possibly Canadian?, and marked with the broad arrow and 1944. The manufacturer name stamp is very faded and hard to read, but may say Z.I & T. Co. (??). The muzzle end base is hard leather and it has leather stiffeners that run the entire length of the interior front and back.

Attachment 100617

My second carryall was in good shape but dirty when received, but cleaned up easily and has no odor. It's marked with the broad arrow and M.E. Co. 1943. The muzzle end is standard webbing fabric, as are the interior full-length stiffeners.

Attachment 100618

On a completely different note, I received today from TheGunner.co.uk a used but very nice "Bren & Besa Mk 1* Gasbore Mop." It cleaned up beautifully and is now bright white and looks brand new. I can post the simple cleaning process if anybody's interested.

[tj214]

Oops: I should have stated http://www.TheGunner.net (NOT .co.uk, even though Ian is based in the UK).

[Flying10uk]

Your first wallet, pic 1, looks to be of Canadian origin, hence the arrow within the "C". Between us it may be possible to identify the manufacturer from the writing that can be seen on your wallet.

Your third picture of the modified wallet to take cleaning rods is for the post WW2 L4 Bren.

The firing pins seen in the wallets in some of the images which I have posted do have to be ground off short in order to deactivate them and make them legal to own in the UK. This is how responsible dealers should and will sell them in the UK, i.e. ground off short so that they are deactivated.

The images seen below have not been taken off-line and I do have permission to use them.

Later edit: I believe my last pic of 2 similar to your 1st wallet shows 2 wallets by the same manufacturer as your's but with clearer writing. It looks like H&H Auto TO?? MFG(?) to me.

[Kev G]

Flying10uk I am pleased you find Toms 'redbacks' a usefull reference as many others have over the years.
I don't think I said 'you should have credited Tom' but rather 'credit should be given to Tom' as in 'thank you Tom for putting the redbacks together over the years and making them available as a resource.

ATB KG

[tj214]

Hey Flying

Many thanks for the extra photos. Critical to correctly putting my carryall together. I particularly appreciate them since I've been unsuccessfully trying to rationalize all the different variations included in the "BREN HOLDALL AND WALLET CONTENTS/With thanks to Tom Ready" (bren-acc.pdf) document.

Looking at your wallet flap example superimposed on mine, it looks to me like the bottom line says "H & H AUTO TOP MFG" or possibly "H & M AUTO TOP MFG." Has anybody published a list of webbing gear manufacturers we can check our guessing against?

Still hoping somebody can provide a list of modern technical equivalents to the original British lubes first mentioned.

[Flying10uk]

I don't profess to be any sort of lubricant expert but I've never heard of anyone speaking of different grades of "graphite grease"; I've only ever heard of people referring to simply "graphite grease" in the same way as I've not heard of people referring to different grades of "copper grease". I've not enquired as to how many different grades of "graphite grease" are actually available today but I wouldn't have thought that it would be that many. There will, of course, be different makes available but how much difference between them I would question.