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  1. #1
    Advisory Panel Lee Enfield's Avatar
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    Bren MkI gas system upgrades

    If there were problems with the Bren MkI gas cylinder and gas usage, was there a program of upgrading the early cylinders with the later "improved" MkII and Mk3 gas cylinders during FTR or maintenance?

    How serious a problem was it?
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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    It eventually bvecame a MAJOR problem. During the war the actualk gas cylinder wasn't available as a replacement part. It wasn't the internal walls that wore out, but the external walls that were worn out by the constant swivelling of the bipod sleeve on the outer circumference that were always subject to a constant bombardment by hard carbon fouling the vented through the gas vents. The more it fired and vented (it actually ground itself away.....) the worse it got. Eventually a small arms instruction was issued that the area wasn't to be cleaned!

    Post war, those Mk1 guns that were seviceable remained of course as did those deemed suitable for FTR and were upgraded with the Mk3 gas cylinder but the rest were DP'd or sold on.

    The enigmatic Mk1 was not a happy gun and the worset offenders were the very earliest that we all yearn for now

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    I forgot to add that because the gas cylinders eventually (virtually) weld themselves in place, replacement was a Base Workshop repair and the attrition rate with scrapped bodies was about 20 percent.

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    "Weld themselves in place". Ain't that the truth!! It scared the Hell out of me getting out an original from the 1940 date gun worth 30K here in the USAicon. Pics are on this forum. Red hot heat and brute frigging force was the key but scary nevertheless if it had galled.

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    As someone who has seen many destroyed, usually well worn and battered Mk3's and L4's, I salute your fortitude doing it. But I have a confession to make....... I didn't tell you that there was a chance that it'd all go pear shaped.

    Sometimes you'd just strip the thread right out with the gas cylinder. Phew...., what an arse of a job!

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    Why not bore the old one out until the tops of the threads on the receiver extention just start to show and then slowly pick out the remainder of the gas cylinder threads? That's how we often save expensive parts in the shop- It takes a bit of patience, but no force, or heat is required.

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    Advisory Panel Lee Enfield's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Laidlericon View Post
    As someone who has seen many destroyed, usually well worn and battered Mk3's and L4's, I salute your fortitude doing it. But I have a confession to make....... I didn't tell you that there was a chance that it'd all go pear shaped.

    Sometimes you'd just strip the thread right out with the gas cylinder. Phew...., what an arse of a job!
    OK now that you've moved us off the MkI/I*/Im

    What about a MkII to L4 conversion, keep the pressed and pinned gas cylinder or convert to threaded?
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  12. #8
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    We never converted Mk2's to threadeed gas cylinder spec. Mind you, the Mk2 guns had their own gas problems. The gas cylinders worked loose. You could replace them once but if the taper pin hole had shaken oval then that was the end of the line for the gun

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    I found out about the potential for galling when I removed two others, one a Mk.1 and the other a Mk.3 that I used to fix the gun from cut Bren receivers. The Mk.1 cylinder was destroyed. The Mk.3 cylinder lost about three threads off the end but cleaned up with plenty of thread left to spare. Fortunately, there is a God and the old original came out leaving the receiver female threads perfect. Whew.

    I suppose the old one could have been bored out as you say jmoore but I was instructed the military way and that's exactly how I did it. It's just as well you didn't tell me the bad points too Peter. Luckily, it's not a job that needs doing often.

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    Well,, whenever my little project gets underway it'll be first "heat and unscrew", but not TOO hard. If nothing gives after a hour or so of "gentle persuasion", it'll be time to break out the precision "destruct-o" tools.

    Dang machinists- always cutting up..."stuff".

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