Mk2 type butt slides

[Peter Laidler]

Just another of those '.....matter of interest' moments. But...... Just looked at a 60's Bren EMER miscellaneous instruction relating to Bren guns '.....and those guns in service with Mk2 type butt slide assemblies fitted with........' Blah blah, but in short, the solid Mk2 pistol grip screw BE4136. Due to the coarse BSF thread of this simplified machine screw that was notorious for unscrewing and causing a loose pistol grip it was recommended that the screw thread be heated and coated with hot animal glue (preumably the old hot bone mix animal glue we used to patch wood) prior to fitting and tightening. This would prevent it coming loose during service.

Hopefully, unlike some lok-tites, it'd be easy to break free if and when the Armourers needed to do so! Just another useless bit of info if you have encountered something like this old crud on yours and wondered what it was.

The interesting bit of this, in a nerdy sort of way, is that it confirms what we already realised from pictorial evidence is that any mark/type of Bren could have a Mk2 type butt slide fitted.

Information

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[TactAdv]

Peter, what is the difference between the Mk I wood grip and the Mk II?? I presume nothing more than the screw hole shaft diameter???

Any reason a NOS Mk I grip couldn't be opened up to fit a Mk II frame??

TIA!

-TomH

[Peter Laidler]

Feeling a bit lost here........... Mk1 grip has a large dia bolt hole for the original Mk1 pistol grip screw that was initially designed to incorporate an oil bottle.
Mk2 pistol grip was a cheapened version fitted to the butt sliode with a approx 5/16 stock sized cheese head bolt. Slightly different top/internally to cater for the slightly different machining of the butt slide mounting point/interface

You can't open up a Mk1 p/grip to fit a Mk2 gun. You will have to sleeve the bolt hole in a Mk1 grip DOWN to take the new narrow 1/4" BSF (or is it BSW) bolt and bolt head and slightly configure the inside slightly. Easy to do if, like us occasionally, you were short of one or the other. We wouldn't let the lack of the correct grip or butt etc etc hold us up if the answer was a reasonably simple fix

I suggest that you get the little Skennerton Bren SAIS booklet

[Brit plumber]

I've got a few examples of the Mk1 grip bushed for the Mk2, very tidy and dare I say........ easy job!

[Peter Laidler]

An easy and simple bit of bush trimming as they say in polite circles BP!

Further to this thread, I am meeting with some retired SASC Officers tomorrow, one of whom was the on the standardisation and codification trial board of the L4A2 to A5 programme. Should be interesting. Well it COULD be if anyone else is interested! Don't worry, I will be bringing up the old 'was or wasn't it' saga of the one or two barrel A3/5 enigma

[TactAdv]

So....glue a wooden dowel plug, then drill for correct screw size?? Reason I ask is there are t really any good sources of decent Mk II wood grips I can source here, but there are several NOS Mk I grips around.

Yes, Peter, I was confused...this is my first foray into Brit guns. Learning fast. Thanks for all the help.
-TomH

[Peter Laidler]

If I was you I'd bore the new bush through FIRST while it's in the lathe chuck then counter bore the recess for the Mk2 bolt head THEN machine it externally to fit into the existing Mk1 pistol grip. I'm sure BP or one of the others will post a picture of the finished item. Don't use oak as something in the wood attacks steel.

[TactAdv]

Actually, I was envisioning just align boring the existing Mk I hole to a common larger drill number, then inserting/gluing in a simple full-length dowel plug. That restores the grip center to a uniform filled area.

Center drilling for the std Mk II screw to finish.

[Peter Laidler]

It ain't going to work like that I'm bound to say tactadv! Just do it your way - then come back for advice on how to correct what you done wrong!

[TactAdv]

Pardon my ignorance, and the potential for further offending you, but how, exactly, does that differ from how the grip was originally manufactured??

Uniform, homogeneous wood....then drilled through in a fixture, correctly located. Taking that original wood grip and putting the hole and cut in there......is the same act....once the dowel plug filler is permanently bonded.

So I'm asking, because you haven't yet explained WHY what I proposed would be "wrong". ;-))

-TomH