BREN Mk1 Carrying Handles (by Peter Laidler)

[Badger]

With thanks to Advisory Panel member Peter Laidler, a new article has been added to the Technical Articles for Milsurp Collectors and Re-loaders (click here).

BREN Mk1 Carrying Handles (by Peter Laidler) (click here)

Peter Laidler has accessed the whole Bren archive and pictorial library plus their magnificent collection of fully serviceable and operational Bren Guns at the Small Arms School and as a result, has written the whole 'warts an' all story of the the Bren from the first note from Major Oxley, the Military Attache in Prague (where it was undergoing trials with the Hungarian Army) to the last guns being withdrawn from front line service in February 2002. Astonishingly, a further 6 guns were found, oiled up and still in working order in a secure store 2 years ago.

The whole 260,000 word story plus never before seen archive photographs, flow charts and line drawings are in the process of being published by Small Arms Review as we speak.

Peter tells the story here of how to repair Mk1 carrying handles ...............

Article Extract .....

This short article is to show those Bren owners just how we were taught to repair the early Bren carrying handles. As you know, the Mk1 wooden handle was much wider at the front end and protruded out from the left side a bit more than it really needed to. As a result, the front edges got well and truly battered. As apprentices, we were taught how to repair these with the use of wood patching and a bit of lathe work.

Another method of repair I learned of recently was what I’m going to call ‘the Ishapore’ method. As you’re aware, the motto of the Indian REME must surely be ‘….waste not, want not’ because they don’t seem to waste anything…….and quite right too!

Here it is, a complete handle assembly as removed from a Bren barrel. This is a Mk1 grip with the distinctly curved female form. To the purist, this grip was paired with a Mk1 barrel but Armourers didn’t bother too much about the niceties, a grip was a grip! What is interesting is the thought that this handle assembly contains 14 individual parts including two springs, two nuts a screw and two pins… phew!


(Click PIC to Enlarge)

As with reading any kind of article, whether it be traditional paper magazine based, or in this case an electronic format, it's sometime difficult to gauge the reader's interest level. Peter has requested that if anyone has any questions on his current series of articles, comments or additions for inclusion in his articles under the "Collectors Comments and Feedback" section of the MKL article, or ideas for future topics, that they please leave feedback for him in the appropriate announcement thread.

Regards,
Badger

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