bren light machine gun

The final.303 British version, the Bren, is widely regarded as the best magazine-fed light machine gun ever made. Bren LMG Accessories; Lewis Accessories; BAR Accessories; Machine Gun Accessories and Spares. The Mark 4 model had an overall length of 42.9 inches (109 cm), with a 22.25-inch (56.5-cm) barrel. Production of a 7.92 mm round model for the Far East was carried out by Inglis of Canada. The major changes were in the magazine and barrel. BREN Light Machine Gun & Variants. New Zealand : WW2 and L4 post war、Vietnam War, Yugoslavia: Yugoslav Chetniks during World War II; some remained in stockpiles until Balkan wars of '90s. The Vickers-Berthier was later adopted by the Indian Armyand also saw extensive service in World War II. [2] A further three Bren guns were issued to the Admin platoon of each rifle company[citation needed]. A complicated tripod mount was available to allow the Bren to be used as an indirect-fire weapon, but this was rarely used in the field. The BREN Light Machine Gun was the standard light machine gun of the British Army and Commonwealth forces throughout World War 2 and beyond. Its name originated as an acronym from Brno, where the Czech gun was made, and Enfield, where the British adaptation was made. The most notable use of the Bren by Irish forces was in the Congo Crisis during the 1960s, when the Bren was the regular army's standard section automatic weapon. The barrel needed to be unlocked and slid forward slightly to allow the regulator to be turned. The British issue L4 magazine is of 30-round capacity and has a slight curve. It had a cyclic rate of fire of 520 rounds per minute, weighed 19 pounds (9 kg), and had an effective range of about 2,000 feet (600 metres). The Bren light machine gun entered service with Britain prior to World War II and served until the Falklands conflict. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry light machine gun (LMG) in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the latter half of the 20th century, including the 1982 Falklands War and the 1991 Gulf War. In general, the Bren was considered a reliable and effective light machine gun, though in North Africa it was reported to jam regularly unless kept very clean and free of sand or dirt. The British Bren Light Machine Gun was introduced in the 1930's and used extensively by British & Allied Forces throughout WW2. During the early 1900s, the British Army subjected several designs of light machine gun to competitive trials. The Bren was also used on many vehicles, including on Universal Carriers, to which it gave the alternative name "Bren Gun Carrier", and on tanks and armoured cars. Chapter 1, Section 1, para 102, Australian Army Manual of Land Warfare, Part 2, Infantry Training, Vol 4 Pam 6, Machine Gun 7.62mm L4A4, Australian Government 1979. Care needed to be taken when loading the magazine to ensure that each round went ahead of the previous round, so that the .303 cartridge rims did not overlap the wrong way, which would cause a jam. Bren light machine gun: Royal Small Arms Factory.303 British 7.92×57mm Mauser … It was redesignated as the L4 Light Machine Gun (in various sub-versions) and remained in British Army service into the 1990s. During World War II it was produced in .303 calibre for British use, and it was manufactured in Canada as a 7.92-mm weapon for Chinese Nationalist troops. The Taden was belt-fed with spade grips and would have replaced both the Bren and the Vickers machine gun. [9] It came with side by side barrels and was chambered in the 7.62x39mm round fed from AK47 magazines. During that period, it gave fire support in two major wars—WWII and Korea—as well as various counterinsurgency conflicts. [5] On occasion, a Bren gunner would use his weapon on the move supported by a sling, much like an automatic rifle, and from standing or kneeling positions. After the war the Bren gun was modified to fire the standard 7.62-mm NATO rifle round. Almost certainly it was the best light machine gun ever used by any army in large numbers. Based on the Czech ZB Vz.27, the Bren saw extensive use by the British Army during World War II, during which it earned a favorable reputation for its reliability and accuracy. The flash suppressor was changed from the cone type of .303 variants to a slotted type similar in appearance to that used on the SLR and L7 GPMG. summer desert, largest at low temperature, e.g. [3] The 66-man "Assault Troop" of British Commandos had a nominal establishment of four Bren guns. Bren LMG (Light Machine Gun) parts. The 30-round magazine was in practice usually filled with 27 or 28 rounds to prevent jams and avoid wearing out the magazine spring. Corrections? By 1938 when Hitler marched into Czechoslovakia, over 120,000 of these handy guns were sold to two dozen countries around the world. In 1921, the Czech firm of Zbrojovka Brno, (ZB) began experimenting with a compact light machine gun that fired a full sized round from a 20-round top-mounted box magazine. Netherlands: The Netherlands Royal Army during World War II and thereafter until 1964, the Netherlands Royal Army Reserve Corps from 1948 until 1989 and the Royal Netherlands Air Force from 1945 until 1964. Using the sling, Australian soldiers regularly fired the Bren from the hip, for instance in the marching fire tactic, a form of suppressive fire moving forward in assault. It was the Long-Range weapon of the Gurkhas. Such "semiautomatic machineguns" are legally considered rifles under US Federal law and the laws of most states. The barrel was also simplified by means of a non-stepped removable flash hider and in some cases, a barrel fore-end that was matte instead of highly polished. During World War II, the Bren gun became the backbone of the British infantry. The Bren Light Machine Gun is one of the few MG's that does not start off with a 100 round magazine, along with the Legion. The bipod was simplified in design as well as not having extending legs. 26 and its descendants, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. Following these trials, the British Army adopted the Czechoslovak ZB vz.26 light machine gun manufactured in Brno in 1935, although a slightly modified model the ZB vz. The Bren gun, usually called simply the Bren, was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. The large ammunition pouches on the 1937 Pattern Web Equipment were designed around the Bren magazine. The Bren, usually called the Bren Gun, was a series of light machine guns adopted by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1991. The Bren gun is considered to be one of the best light machine guns ever produced and served with distinction during WW2, Korea, Borneo, Malaya and was still operational during the 1991 Gulf War with second line units in the British Army, having been rebarreled to 7.62 NATO during the 1960s. Following these trials, the British Army adopted the Czechoslovak ZB vz.… The name Bren was derived from Brno, the Czechoslovak city where the Zb vz. Sub-Machine Gun Accessories. Gas operated, air cooled, selectively fired, this gun became fully fleshed out by 1926 and was adopted by the Czech army as the ZB v26. The Bren Light Machine Gun has the smallest ammo capacity in a magazine out of all machine guns, but its total amount of ammo has 10 … Without any shadow of doubt, the Bren has to be the finest light machine gun ever made. By employing different projectiles and successively improved chemical propellants, the dual goal of most arms designers has…. [4] It was popular with British troops, who respected the Bren for its reliability and combat effectiveness. The top-mounted magazine vibrated and moved during fire, making the weapon more visible in combat, and many Bren gunners used paint or improvised canvas covers to disguise the prominent magazine.[6]. L4 Brens can easily be identified by their different magazine. winter Arctic). From September 1937. Generally, the Bren was fired from the prone position using the attached bipod. Bren gunner of the Royal Scots in the Netherlands, 1944. The Vickers-Berthier was later adopted by the Indian Army and also saw extensive service in World War II. Every soldier would be trained to fire the Bren in case of an emergency, though these soldiers did not receive a Bren proficiency badge. 26 had actually been submitted for the trials. Surplus Brens have been imported to the United States for sale to collectors, but due to US gun laws restricting the importation of automatic weapons such guns must be legally destroyed by cutting up the receivers. An infantry battalion also had a "carrier" platoon, equipped with Universal Carriers, most of which carried Bren guns. 27, ZB vz. The carrying handle above the barrel was used to grip and remove the hot barrel without risk of burning the hands. In the 1950s many Brens were rebarrelled to accept the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge and modified to feed from the magazine for the L1 (Commonwealth version of the FN FAL) rifle as the L4 light machine gun. Every infantry section of ten men (equivalent to an American rifle squad) and its combat tactics were built around the Bren light machine gun, with the section’s riflemen tasked with augmenting the firepower of the Bren. A licence to manufacture was sought, and the Czech design was modified to British requirements. Its name originated as an acronym from Brno, where the Czech gun was made, and Enfield, where the British adaptation was made. [10][11][12], Watched by two small boys, a member of the FFI (French Forces of the Interior), poses with his Bren at Châteaudun, 1944, Bren without the magazine fitted used by Polish Commandos. As with the Mk3 but this was a conversion of a Mk2. The machine gun…, Small arm, any handheld firearm. 30, ZB vz. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Each British soldier's equipment normally included two magazines for his section's Bren gun. Most Mk2 bipods resemble a simple 'A' frame and were more 'soldier proof'. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/technology/Bren-machine-gun, Australian War Memorial - BREN Mk 1 Light Machine Gun. 32, and finally the ZB vz. There were also several designs of less portable mountings, including the Gallows and Motley mounts. 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