Bren transit chest plans?

[sinder357]

I just got my bren mk1 and its a dream come true so natrualy i like to show it off but packing it into a normal gun case is chalinging at best so i would like get a transit case for it but i blew all my money on the gun itself so im hopeing to buld one but i have no idea ware to start so i was hopeing someone out ther would have some plans, measurements or pics that i can use or evan better if someone had a real one i could barow and replicate. if i can find something to help me buld one i would be more than happy to make a few of them. so thything helps

Information

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[21IPC]

SARCO, in Easton, Pennsylvania, was advertising beat-up BREN transit chests good for parts for $75.00 (I believe) not too long ago. They have a few chests in good condition for about $200 or so. Their phone number is 610-250-3960. A phone call can find out if they still have them.

Cheers,

21IPC

[LesterH]

The transit chest is a good place to keep your Brengun. However it is very heavy when containing a Brengun and tools. Need two people to pick the chest up.
If you are going to build a chest. Build it long enough to contain an Inglis MKII Bren. This was the longest Brengun made.
There was also a short chest to fit the MK III short barrel airbourn version.

I have my Inglis MKII 1943 in a British chest. It only just fits with the flat butt plate fitted.

My other Bren is a Inglis MKIm 1942. This lives in a Royal Navy/Royal Marines 7.62mm Brengun chest. Fits OK. The MKIm is about 2" shorter than the MKII.

Both of my Brengun transit chests were nearly fire wood and had to be sympetheticly repaired. I paid £10 for my British Army chest and £40 for the RN chest.
http://www.cgmilitaria.com have got one on sale for £250. Which is expensive!
Hope the info helps.
Kind regards, Lester

[Peter Laidler]

The original Bren chest was slightly modified to take the Mk2 Bren with the slightly overhung butt plate. If you look under the felt packing at the end, you'll see a slight chamfer in the wood and this chamfer will compress the butt slide buffer, closing up the butt slide just sufficient to allow the Mk2 gun to fit.

All of the Mk3 (and L4) guns that I have ever seen in Army service came with the standard length Bren chest. I never saw a shortened one. The boxes used to carry the Mk3 and L4 guns were modified slightly by screwing in a wooden stop to stop the shorter second barrel rattling about and coming out of its cradle and rolling about loose in the chest

I could be wrong, but I'm sure that the Mk1, Mk1A, Mk1m guns are the same length, certainly within half an inch or so.

If you really want to show your crated gun off Snider, why not put a perspex front onto the chest

[WallyG.]

The pile of chests I have (6 or so) have recesses hacked into the end wall to clear the MkII butt plate... with felt still used as padding. Some type of field expedient... not craftsmanly done.

[Brit plumber]

Lester, I think your shorter box for the MK3 maybe due to a certain dealer selling old Indian Mag 58 boxes as Bren Para Bren boxs, as Peter has said, as far as I'm aware, the Mk3 was supplied in the normal length box as that is what we had, and these could be used for all marks with very little modification. Also, the Inglis Mk2 was the same length as the British Daimler/Monotype Mk2, Both used the butt plate with the over hang to start with. I can also confirm that with the exception of the early Bren Mk2s overhang butt plate, all my Mk2s, Mk1s, Mk1As, Mk1ms from Inglis, Enfield, monotype and Lithgow are all the same size to within millimeters.

[tankhunter]

I have a spare Bren transit chest that I would be willing to swap for a 7.62mm Variant, if anyone wishes to do so?

[LesterH]

Brit Plumber. Thank you for the reply. I only saw an advert on E-bay for the short Bren chest. I did not like the look of it. Just for interest my Inglis MKII Brengun has a flat butt plate and not the over hung butt plate mentioned above. My t,chest has got the chamfer modification. I am told by a retired armourer they locally drilled an extra hole in the chest lids to put the long cleaning rod in.

[Peter Laidler]

Tankie, the standard .303" Bren chest was the same as the 7.62mm L4 variant. Or am I missing something? I seem to remember that the difference - although it made no difference to the chest, was that all the L4 magazines came in the mag box instead of the extra one stuck in the gun chest. Or am I missing something.

Lester and others..... The overhung butt plate for the Mk2 was the Armourers worst enemy. Just put the gun down butt first anything past gently and the overhang will chip the top of the butt meaning that it had to be patched. Then it'd happen again, this time it'd take the screw and thread with it. So we didn't undercut the butt plates into the wood but left the butt plate proud where it overhangs at the top of the butt. But the screw is still prone to damage. So you just binned the overhung, useless butt plate and fitted the later flat ones or just took the guns up to Mk3 spec with Mk3 gun butt plates and short barrels.

I forgot to ask but is there a shortage of Mk2 Inglis guns on the deactivation market? Anyone any comments?

[Kev G]

India made short chests that were universal for the VB,Bren and 7.62mm LMG.



Both barrels were stowed in the chest rather than one left on the gun which saves a lot of space and is far more practical.



I can't help but wonder why no one else did this rather than store more fresh air ?

ATB KG