Bren L4 / .308 build

[Peter Laidler]

Britain/Enfield ripped the Australians off over Brens. In Malaya, with pooled ordnance resources, the Australian Infantry were equipped with the L4 Brens. They did have some L2's but the Infantry wanted the 7,62mm Brens. Australia were more than capable of converting their own guns to 7.62mm but mainly had Mk1 guns in the 60's plus a smattering of Mk2's and 3's. But Enfield wouldn't allow them to convert their 303 guns because the conversion was covered by strict patent laws....... Nope, they had to buy them from Britain. The barrel and magazines weren't covered by the patent rules so Oz did what they do and made their own replacements. They also made everything else that was interchangeable, such as the woodwork and other parts.

We certainly had them plus the old 303 guns but by the time I left, the L4 was the Infantry gun alongside the M60's - soon to be replaced by the L7/GPMG..., The General

A similar thing happened with the little F1 SMG. Australia wanted to use the superb Sterling curved magazine. But Britain said NO! Buy from us. James Edmiston got to hear about this and thought to himself '......just a minute, I own the patents for these magazines and I say who can make them.....' So he did no more and tell Australia (actually, it was the Defence attache at the Aust High Commission in London, over lunch) that hey could make the magazines without any payment or royalties. One condition that they were not sold abroad.

Not a lot of people know that......