Bren gun Mk1 Modified
A recent purchase of mine was a Bren Mk1 (Modified). The 'Pattern A' guns with the double dovetail are now extremely difficult to obtain, and even the simplified version made by Enfield is going the same way. Even the UK/EU spec guns are now going for silly prices. so when I saw this example being sold at a very reasonable price by a well known Cheshire arms dealer, it was too good an opportunity to miss.
Following the disastrous losses of weapons at Dunkirk, the Enfield company re-evaluated the way they produced the Bren gun 'Pattern A', and came up with a simplified version that helped to increase production by around 5%. The second dovetail and some of the machining used to reduce the overall weight of the gun were dropped, and the Mk1* barrel with better gas regulator was introduced. generally speaking, there was little change to the appearance of the gun. Although designated the Mk1 Modified, it didn't appear to be referred to as that.
This particular example is quite worn, the numbers to the butt group and body group do not match, but both are in the 'H' range for 1941 production. Much of the bluing to the body group is there, but that and the butt group have a worn coating of olive drab paint. This would suggest to me that even though butt group and body group are a mismatch, they have been together a very long time. The non adjustable bipod is of the Mk1 design, but is of John Inglis production - as is the drum on the rear sight - although the rest of the sight is all Enfield manufacture. It could be an indicator of field repairs, but you can never be sure... maybe just wishful thinking on my part! There is also a repair date stamp of '43' just below the original '41' stamp. Deactivation is to the new UK/EU spec, but it has been done so sympathetically as to be sailing very close to the wind. The portion of the breech block seen through the magazine housing has only two very small blobs of weld to supposedly stop a loaded magazine being inserted, it does do that - but only just! The piston assembly is also largely intact, so there is no empty space seen when the gun is viewed from the underside via the empty case ejection port.
Average life expectancy of the barrel was between 12,000 and 15,000 rds, and generally speaking, the weapon was extremely reliable. Magazines came in a metal box which held 12 magazines, with the handle of the box offset so that two could be carried in one hand - although with a combined weight for two boxes at over 70lbs, nobody was going to carry them much more than a few yards! Each magazine loaded with 28rds weighed 2.75lbs.
One of the last variants of the .303 Bren was the Mk3 which was introduced in 1944. With a shorter barrel which was also thinner in profile, and various lightening cuts to the body, the weight of the gun was reduced to 19lbs 5oz. But weight saving came at a loss in other area's, and the thinner barrel was only good for between 7,000 and 10,000 rds. I've pictured my Mk1 next to my Mk3 for comparisons. There are also some further pictures of my Mk3. Click on images to enlarge.
Cheers,
Steve
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by Rescue190
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