The restoration, (BDL FTR), of a Bren Mk.1

[Brian Dick]

The restoration, (BDL FTR), of a Bren Mk.1 receiver/body manufactured at RSAF Enfield in September 1940.

I took in this repair from a friend and client last Fall and finally completed the project last month. Special thanks to Peter Laidler and the other REME Armourers both current and retired for their tireless guidance and patience helping me through this project from long distance. There were some VERY tense moments, especially while removing the worn gas cylinder. The result is nothing short of PERFECT.

The work completed includes changing a worn Mk.1 gas cylinder to the much improved Mk.3 type, refinishing the receiver/body with Parkerizing, spraying and baking on Suncorite 259 paint and last but not least, (the fun part), reassembling and test firing the gun.

The first photo is the receiver/body freshly degreased, glass bead blasted and with manganese phosphate applied. Note that it's a rewelded receiver brought back from the scrap yard prior to the U.S. ban on new manufacture transferable guns in May 1986. Also note the newly installed, excellent condition, Mk.3 gas cylinder which cures it's low gas problem with some left to spare.
Attachment 8830
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The second photo is the receiver/body with Suncorite 259 paint applied and baked to MoD specification.
Attachment 8831
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The third photo is a close up of the RSAF Enfield markings
Attachment 8832
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The fourth photo is the gun assembled with a parts kit and barrel I had on hand here for test fire.
Attachment 8833
(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Information

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[gunner]

Great work! The guy can be glad to get such a extrem good looking Bren!!! From that i only couldt dream :-(

Regards

Gunner

[Kev G]

Very nice indeed.Any tips on applying the Suncorite (apart from not inhaling !)

ATB Kevin

[limpetmine]

Suncorite, to be applied properly, must be baked on at a specific temperature and time. I think Brian can do that sort of thing.

[Brian Dick]

Thanks for the compliments.

The Suncorite is slightly thinned and sprayed using a medium size spray gun. An airbrush is too fine for a sizable part like a Bren body. I wear a respirator while painting. Bake it for an hour at the correct temperature, (200C or 400F), and you're good to go.

[jmoore]

So when's the tutorial on swapping the gas cylinder coming out? My poor semi BREN had to have all the exhaust ports covered in finest Bubba fashion to function properly.

[Peter Laidler]

That's a superfine job there Brian. We'd call that an 'apprentice job'. That's when an apprentice knows that he's being critically marked for a stage in his training and he makes sure that it's perfect. It looks to me like that gun was what I'm calling in the forthcoming book, a Bren Mk1 1st stage intermediate. That's the first stage of its morphfication from an original, early, all singing and all dancing Bren into the subsequent, cheapened Mk1A Bren gun commencing in the 'F' prefix serial number range. Anyway, well done Brian

J-M and others, there's only one reason for a Bren Gun not to function properly and that is broken down into two parts.
1)Not enough gas or
2)Too much friction.

We used to call it too little and too much!

Is there anyone who wants me to elaborate on any of this over the course of the next six months or so?

[jmoore]

Please do!

In my case, its not enough gas to work too many springs! (Dad-gummed cobbled-up ATF approved rewelded striker-fired semi-auto, w/ a horribly eroded gas cylinder!)
Just couldn't justify spending $30-40,000 on the real deal even when I had that much liquid cash! Ain't happening again for a while, I suspect.

[Brian Dick]

The external erosion of your gas cylinder is the problem. Either shim it, (temporary fix only), or replace it. These guys producing these semi-auto models ought to be ashamed of themselves letting them out of the shop that way. I guess it's all about getting your money. Don't they test fire them? I'll do the work for you if you want but it's not cheap because it entails cherry red hot heat and the finish will be ruined so you'll be paying for a correct and proper refinish too on top of the mechanical work involved changing the gas cylinder. At least go to the manufacturer and get him to give you a nice Mk.3 cylinder as a replacement and a new taper pin too just in case. These parts are in short supply unless you have a bunch of kits stashed away someplace.

[Peter Laidler]

Brians picture shows the body engraving of the transitional Bren from the full ENFIELD - Crown- DATE format to the simplified, quicker and cheaper later format of Mk1 - DE - date. This was because originally it took 12 minutes to engrave the crown, the word ENFIELD and figures 1940. Then there were the words BREN Mk1 to engrave too. Then you had to turn the gun over to engrave the letters A - R - S above the change lever .........., then turn it again to engrave the serial number! Now the right side was clear and the word BREN was not featured.

The photograph shows the format plate from the Bren line for the last period (August 1940) of the FULL engraving format. This is an exact replica of that taken from the factory managers office when the Enfield factory closed. I couldn't manage to 'liberate' the original but borrowed it long enough to make a replica.