bren MK2 sling

[ActionYobbo]

whats the correct way to fit the sling on a MK2
I have the MK2 sling that has only 1 hook
pics would be nice
thanks

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

What sort of bipod does the gun have and what sort of butt. Sorry if I sound a little glib, but a Mk2 gun doesn't necessarily mean that you have a Mk2 bipod and a Mk2 butt

So far as I'm aware, the long Bren sling comes with TWO hooks. One hook on the Mk2 butt butt loop and the other on the cross bar of the Mk2 bipod.

If it doesn't have the hooks OR you are using a shorter rifle sling, then............. There are too many variables to list.........

[ActionYobbo]

its a MK2 butt with a Mk2 bipod. there is no loop on the bipod like the MK1
the sling is the long bren sling. It is NOS but its only got 1 hook and thats how it was in the packaging
there was 10 in the package all the same
thanks

[Peter Laidler]

The plain part of the sling loops rifle fashion onto the cross-bar between the legs of the bipod sleeve. The hook goes onto the sling loop on the right side of the butt. But, to be honest, Bren sling hooks were the arch enemy of Armourers shops because they just dug their way into the butt and chewed it up. That's why on the Mk3 guns and L4's, we welded a loop onto the top of the butt plate (modification something or other - I forget which one now.....) just to keep the hook from chewing the butt up!

The hooks also made a noise too. The Mk2 butt and bipod was made for cheapness so as to eliminate the use of the sling hooks. That's why you can use a standard rifle sling across the bipod sleeve and rifle typs sling loop on the butt. I never realised that you could get a 'one-hook' Bren sling. They were all (?) two hooks for us. I know that while there was a part number for the hooks, they were never available as a spare part through the Ord system

[ActionYobbo]

so I go and fit the sling in the described mannor and first it looks good
I threw the sling over my head and stood up and the first thing I noticed was the rear sight got me in the ribs
I also noticed the bipod is trapped in the folded up position by the sling. is that how it should be or do I put the sling between the receiver and the bipod leg?
thanks

[tankhunter]

Not forgetting, there are TWO patterns of sling hook!
The first is the one known to all, the LARGE hook type.
the other is a smaller, more rounded type, made in Brass & steel materials.
I have a set on a sling somewhere, i cant put my hands on it at present.

Im SURE Kev.G will have some, or a Picture readily to hand!....

[Peter Laidler]

Ah, yes........ We carry the guns on the right side (or the left if you're cack handed of course.....) but the sling is worn over the right shoulder too and not around the neck because if you fall into a ditch or hole, your neck just falls where the gun goes! With the gun slung, it's carried sub-machine gun style so that it can be fired from the waist. Rest it on the top of your pouches is the best method. You can wear it over your neck is you want to crick your neck after 10 minutes or so or even sooner if you've got a run-down to do. When the xxit hits the fan, you're the most popular and sought after man in the section - if not the world!

Bring the sling up between the left bipod leg and the gas cylinder

[LesterH]

Try googleing rifleslinghomepage This is almost the definitive work on rifle slings. Includes LMGs and SMGs. Idiscover this site by accident when having trouble rigging a Thompson gun sling!

[peregrinvs]

Have a look here for info on Bren slings:

Weapons: Slings

[tombear]

Hi Folks, here the text part of a two pager on Bren slings I did back in '08 Theres 11 illustrations to go with it but being a bit of a luddite i've no idea how to get them up.

A short history of Bren Slings

List of Changes B 1523 of April 1938 introduced Slings, Bren Gun Cat. No. AA 1640 (Fig. 1a) comprising a standard 46 inch rifle sling Cat. No. AA 1657 and two Hooks, sling, Bren gun Cat. No. AA 1132. By LoC B 2380 which introduced the Mk I Bren and associated kit the sling was known as Slings, Bren .303-in. M.G., Mk. I. With typical perversity when various slings where transferred from Section A1 to Section C1 in LoC C 415 of June of 1944 in accordance to Army Council Instruction 36 of the same year the Bren one was listed as Slings, Bren Gun again!.

LoC B 5630 of Jan 1942 extended its use to the 2 inch mortar and made the short mortar sling (Introduced in LoC B 4510) obsolescent.
Army Council Instruction 377 of mid 1944 gave instructions for the production of the 3 part, 58 inch sling by the insertion of a 12 inch section into a standard rifle sling, using 2 brass plates and a total of 8 rivets! Officially rifle sling material was to be used but I also had a example where plain webbing tape has been used in lieu.

ACI 1327 of Dec 1945 announced that sufficient stocks of single piece 58 inch slings Cat. No. AA 5663 were available to replace all 46 inch slings still in use. It also cancelled ACI 377.

The long sling, Slings, web, 58-in., Mk. 1, Cat. No. 0737 was mentioned in LoC C 2376 issued immediately post war but with a authorisation date of November 1944 as part of Sling, Bren .303-in. M.G., No. 1 Mk. 2. Cat. No. CA 5663 Until I see some period photos to prove otherwise I seriously doubt that there were any single piece long Bren slings in use before the start of 1945 and possibly not at all in western Europe before the end of the war. Ive seen the odd one with a 44 date but most are 45 or later, reenactors please note...

This same LoC revised the nomenclature for the old rifle sling length Bren Sling to Slings, Bren, .303-in. M.G., No. 1, Mk. 1 and made it obsolescent and revised the nomenclature for the hook to Hooks, sling, Bren .303 M.G., Mk. 1. It goes on to explain that "these slings have been placed in a numerical series to distinguish them from the Canadian pattern slings that have only one hook fitted. Canadian pattern slings have been designated No. 2."

Hence the rifle sling length Canadian model would be Slings, Bren, .303-in. M.G., No. 2, Mk. 1 shown here with the late war none swivelling hook and the 58 inch version Sling, Bren .303-in. M.G., No. 2 Mk. 2 .

Green versions of the sling were introduced late in WWII for use in the Far East and these gradually became the standard types post war. It can be assumed that the alternate versions of the rifle sling, such as the rubber lined cotton version and the 1914 Pattern leather slings were briefly used with Bren hooks in units using that sort of sling with their rifles. Economy versions of the rifle length and 58 inch sling do exist with the grey looking, Sherendised steel fittings as opposed to brass.

LoC C 9501 of 1959 finally made the Slings, Bren, .303-in. M.G., No. 1, Mk. 1 obsolete and extended use of the No. 1 Mk. 2 to the L4A1 and A2 under the revised nomenclature of Sling, M.G., Mk 1 ) Cat. No. C1/AA 5663.

LoC C 9839 of 1961 extended the use of the 58 inch sling to all the L4 series of guns and a year later extended it’s use to the L7A1 MG in LoC D 71.

The sling developed for the L7 , Sling GPMG 1005-99-132-3649 ,w as also used with the L4 series of Brens and a special butt plate was sanctioned for use, with a large loop welded to the top. Finally there was a sling that actually spread the weight out rather than digging through the gunners' shoulder blades.

I have seen contemporary photos that show a long Bren sling made simply from two rifle slings hooked together in a fireman’s grip; although I have not seen the relevant documentation, I have also been told it was officially sanctioned by a reliable source. It seems to be another stop gap method like the 3 piece sling in A.C.I. 337

The Australians introduced a 57 inch Slings, submachine gun, web in 1942 and no doubt they quickly started using them with their Brens as well. A similar length green sling was used with their L2A1, LMGs Sling, Small Arms, cotton web, 59-in long, Mk 11005-66-030-7857 (Fig. 8a) and would have been used with their L4A4s no doubt. Another sling, shown in their 1979 L4 Handbook, Sling, Carrying Ammunition 8465-66-040-0232 with two light weight looking hooks and double D ring adjustment of length was made. A third type of sling was used in the 1970s / 80s which resembled the UK L7 sling but with a sliding camouflaged shoulder pad.

A non swivelling hook is sometimes encountered, mainly on Canadian slings, and maybe that is why there was a change in nomenclature for the "normal" Bren hook, this type being the Mk. 2. If anyone has further details, they would be appreciated.

Other Bren using countries used similar slings to the then current UK sling, such as Belgium. I am reliably informed that New Zealand, with it's L4s, dispensed with slings altogether.

The Bren tripods were only ever carried using a pair of standard rifle slings, or with nothing at all.

The sling on the UK Mk II Brens fitted at the front on the "smile" on the Mk II bipod. Unlike on the Mk I Bren you could completely dispense with the hooks on the Mk II, or Mk III when fitted with a Mk II bipod. Occasionally in contemporary photos Brens are seen being carried with the sling, minus the hook, looped around the barrel; or, especially during the Korean war, with the hooks attached to the front and rear mounting pins (no doubt damaging them in the process).

For most of WWII UK forces where not trained to fire from the hip except in emergencies and hence there was no long sling issued until the middle of 1944 and very few one piece 58 inch slings are seen being used, even in 1945. However from 1942 at the latest Indian Army LMG SATs where showing the gun being used from the hip with sling support, no doubt a result of experience in jungle warfare in Burma.

Trials ZB and ZGB guns were equipped with leather slings fitted with "Bren" hooks of Czech manufacture and can be clearly seen in contemporary photographs.

Finally, just to show what could have been used on the Bren, Pre war Vickers Armstrong produced a excellent sling for their Vickers-Berthier light machine gun which was wide were you needed it and easily adjusted to be long enough to support firing from the hip.


If anyone spots any errors please let me know although my old mate Rog Dennis is doing a far better job at

Weapons: Slings

if you want the last word on the subject

ATB

Tom

PS just noticed that the previous poster directed you to Rogs stuff as I was cutting and pasting the above,!