Bren MK2 Butt repair

[Flying10uk]

Here are a few pictures of a Mk2 Bren (UK de-ac) of mine which required extensive butt repairs because it had split in 4 or 5 places. I have tried to follow Peter's advice on Butt repairs slightly adapted for this application.

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.

[browningautorifle]

Looks like lots of work, don't know if I could make a good job of that. That looks good though.

[Gil Boyd]

Nice job.............pain staking but worth it when you want to keep a piece all together as original.

[Vincent]

Bravo! It looks great! Well done.

[Sentryduty]

That is most outstanding work!

[Peter Laidler]

I note that the butt is split longitudinally along the line of the return spring tube (photos 2 and 3). Don't forget that the butt plate will assist in strengthening the repaired crack especially if you have a Mk3 butt plate, the one without the looped overhang. Go easy when you're sanding down. It's easy to run into and loose sharp distinct edges (photo 4, top where butt bracket sits. Are they your hardwood reinforcing pegs (photo 4) to the rear of the butt bracket recess?

Always good to see nice wood patches. Brings a warm glow to an Armourers heart........

[tankhunter]

Always good to see nice wood patches. Brings a warm glow to an Armourers heart........[/QUOTE]

Because an Armourer KNOWS the amount of work that has gone into executing the job!....

[Gil Boyd]

You guys did your magic quietly in the background, and I often marvelled at the wood repairs on weapons that the armourers did, that had succumbed to falling from "great heights" from personal containers whilst parachuting.
Yet more tales for the future and I am sure Tanky and Peter know of several.............bloody PARA's !

[Flying10uk]

Yes the wood pegs are custom made by self out of oak. The other patches are made from hardwood offcuts that I have saved thinking that they "may come in useful one day". I am intending to retain the horrible overhung butt plate as a good example of poor design but I will try to be careful not to drop the Bren heavily on the butt. My whole working life has been spent in the metal working/engineering industry and so I'm interested to see how metal objects are designed and made and also the differences between manufacturers. Even poor designs such as the overhung butt plate are of interest to me and worth saving.

[Peter Laidler]

In BAOR, where the Mk2 gun was the norm with UK and Cdn forces, those overhung butt plates were virtually banned! There was a local EMER/BAOR modification where they were simply modified by heating to cherry red, flattened and chopped off at the top with the guillotine. Another hole was drilled at the top and the resulting flat plate was screwed onto the butt. Pretty much as per the Mk3 gun butt plate. Saved hours of work patching butts thereafter......