Good idea............

[Peter Laidler]

One of the earliest pictures issued of the 'new' Bren for the British Army in 1937 shows a Bren in its chest, properly packed with the kit. What was spectacular was the fact that the front of the chest had been cut away and replaced with a sheet of perspex. Where necessary, the internal wooden chocks etc. had been screwed to the perspex. It looked pretty impressive. So impressive in fact that I re-created a latter day version of it at Warminster to display a crated Bren.

Seems like a good way of keeping the gun crated and on display too. Mind you, only a good (?) idea if you've got a Bren chest and they seem to be creeping up in price too!

Does it warrant a thread photo when I can get around to it?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Badger]

Absolutely ...

You guys have me so interested in this old girl now that I may have to go out and buy one, even a decent deactivated one, which is all this awful Canadian government gun control legislation would let me own ...

I'll have to post my story about the Bren on here when I get chance. I actually started my original military training back in the early 60's qualifying on the Bren Gun. Really enjoyed shooting her ..

It was long though before they came along and switched us over to the FNC2 as a replacement, along with the Sterling SMG which they used to reaplce the Sten Guns we trained on.

Regards,
Badger

[Peter Laidler]

As a matter of interest, what does a deact/dewat/demil Bren have to comform to in Canada to be a deact?

[WallyG.]

Yes, please post a picture of the "display" chest. Also... do you have any information about the bright orange primer/paint found on the inside surfaces of many surviving chests and barrel crates? And while we're on the subject of Bren crates... where did all of the chest cleaning rods go?

[Brian Dick]

How many cleaning rods would you like? They are the same as the Vickers and Lewis rods as far as i know. I've got plenty of Canadian made ones marked HWC in an oval. The same company that made rear sights for the Ross rifle! Email me directly off forum if you want one. Brian

[Peter Laidler]

All I know about the chests was that in the UK, they were made by Elliots of Newbury who also made Horsa Gliders and that they were made in 'KD' form. I put a letter in the local paper there and got a great reply from a young lad who operated the wood cutting dovetailing machine who told me that KD form meant 'knocked down' as in made as tops, bottoms, ends and sides, complete with the internal fittings and all painted up internally, but another company assembled them up.

The bloke also told me that he didn't actually know what the boxes were! But once he was called up for national service he soon learned!

I suppose the orange paint was just a wood preserver sort of stuff. It obviously worked because they seem to have lasted so long. It shoudn't be hard to match up

I'll photograph the Warminster box when I get a chance.....................

[Kev G]

Just had a bit of a clearout on the transit chests as I just haven't got the room.One of them was a 1940 UK made chest by Beautility Ltd (Furniture)
Shame to see it go.

While on the subject of transit chests a Canadian collectors transit chest has a typed CES attached to the lid which has the the bipod clip listed....never seen that listed before.

ATB Kevin

[Peter Laidler]

I guesss that there'd be loads of different makers for the chests, The Elliots (of Newbury) chests have an EON 1944 logo on the end.

[tankhunter]

[Seems like a good way of keeping the gun crated and on display too. Mind you, only a good (?) idea if you've got a Bren chest and they seem to be creeping up in price too!

Peter, The reason they are going up in price I think is this.
I know well, A number Of Sec.5 Dealers in the UK.
When they bought in Brens complete at 25-45 at a time. That was a LOT of storage space used up! Some dont have that sort of space available!
So the guns were removed from aforementioned chests. All accessories too. Spare barrels were cut up or, (When you could at the time) exported to the US as spares for shooters. The guns were Deacted, SPW's sold off seperately & the chests were Dumped or more usually Burned! At the time, a lot of collectors did NOT actually want those chests, hence they were worthless & only took up valuable space. NOW, trends have changed & they ARE collectable! Hence demand & supply will never catch up!

[ZGB]

Guilty as charged your honour. I remember back in the day having pallets of empty bren boxes nobody wanted.When we had de'acted the guns the boxes were left behind here because there was'nt much intrest in them they took up too much room so we had to dispose of them.Did not like doing it but there was no call for them funny how things change.A gallon of diesel made sure work of them.They were all from the Australian batch that came in.OH DEAR.