WWII BREN GUN MK1M

In 1930 the British set out to replace the Lewis Gun, the result was based on a Czech design made by Brno the Zb26 resulting in the Bren, being the first letter of Brno and two letters from Enfield where the Royal Small Arms Factory was located.
The first gun was assembled in 1937 and Enfield maintained sole British production of the Bren. In 1940 Inglis of Canada began producing the gun as well, and by 1943 some 60% of Bren production was eventually carried out in Canada. Lithgow in Australia also built Bren Guns during the Second World War, it had a 30 round magazine, usually only holding 28 to save the spring, and fired 500 rounds per minute. Underneath the weapon is shown the Canvas Case Catcher Item No A1002. This weapon is fitted with a Mk2 barrel.

Your comments:

• When in the cadet force, we had a CSM who was involved with the development of the Bren...
  to watch him strip it by removing the pin and "belting" it with his hand was a wonder to behold!
  
  He also managed to get hold of an unflared barrel from a Wombat aiming gun...
  this, apparently, was the barrel originally intended....
  but was too accurate...
  he demonstrated this at the range at RAF Bentwaters by writing letters of the alphabet...
  in capitals...
  in some old aluminium plates from the store...
  he then stood up and cut some in half...
  firing from the hip!!
  All this at 100yds....
  very impressive, the memory has stayed with me for fifty plus years.
  .......... Ross Munro, Leeds, West Yorkshire, 14th of January 2015
  
  
• The 60% of production at Inglis is totally incorrect, total production by the end of 1943 for Enfield was 230,000 and Inglis 140,000 guns.
  
  Total production for 1943 by Enfield was 60,000 all Mk1 and total 1943 production for 1943 at Inglis was also 60,000 (17,000 Mk1 & 43,000 Mk2). If you add the 30,000 Mk2 built by the monotype scheme in 1943, Inglis were only producing 40% of Brens for 1943.
  
  The Bren Mk1 shown is a Lithgow Mk1 upgraded model. The Mk2 type barrel is totally correct for this model from 1942 onwards and was retro fitted to all FTR'd guns of the 1950s (Of which this appears to be)
  
  .......... Chris Hall, Sleaford, Lincs, 7th of January 2012
  
  

A0379