Bren MKI Transit case layout - some pictures of mine, let's see yours!

[pitfighter]

Hi Guys,

 

I picked up a Bren Transit case on Gunboards, which I had been sort of looking for for some time.

North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization 

Mutual Aid

To THE BELGIAN ARMY

From THE CANADIAN ARMY

I own a MKI and a MKII Semi-auto Bren, the work was done by Jim Kelly at Ice Works in NY.

I am very happy with the mechanism, you can see a little of how slick and machined it is here.

The MKI is a work of art and really a lot of fun to look at and run.

These are pics of the MKII (it was too dark by the time I got to stripping the MKI) - the MKII was a lot rougher kit and is dirty here from a heavy day defending myself from bloodthirsty steel plates targets. It runs great, but isn't as polished and machined clean inside. Basically, looking at these pictures I realize have failed miserably to show his skill and will need to do another shoot with the MKI.

Anyway, the MKI fits in the transit chest perfectly, with a nifty area for a spare magazine and another for a barrel beneath the LMG.

The MKII is too long, because of the little attachment on the butt, it required a slightly longer chest.

Unfortunately with barrel, mag and LMG, the box is really awkward for one man to carry, so good for display, but otherwise the guns stay in the safe.

Anyway, just thought I'd share this new accessory.

 

*The fore-grip on the MKII is anachronistic I know, but, is better handling than the barrel handle. I have a little IPSC course at our range that is fun to run with ridiculously heavy old weapons.

** The canvas barrel cases are dated from right to left: 1943 (sand) 1945 (Olive) 1953 (green) 

***All spare barrels are MKI barrels - they are not fitted to either gun, and head-spacing is key to cycling the semi-Brens, so they are just for display. Shooting semi-auto I don't need to switch out barrels. Apparently, the non-matching barrels issue was also the case with the FA Brens.

 

Edited November 10 by pitfighter

[tricky9914]

Very nice transit chest and nice set of Brens! I have a transit chest for my Bren as well, but not in as nice of condition. Thanks for sharing!

[pitfighter]

22 minutes ago, tricky9914 said:

Very nice transit chest and nice set of Brens! I have a transit chest for my Bren as well, but not in as nice of condition. Thanks for sharing!

Post a pic, I would love to see it.

I am always interested in seeing how others display their Brens.

"I posted under someone's thread at the USMilitaria forum (I had a similar knife to his OP), and the dude almost had an online heartattack, getting his knickers truly in a twist, threatening me with banning, for reasons lost on me, but I guess as my knife was a cleaner example than his, he felt it constituted "showing off."

Anyway I encourage as many bren owners as possible to bomb this thread, lol. Preferably with much nicer Brens than my two cheapo rebuilt welded semi-autos.

Let's see them!

Edited November 10 by pitfighter

[johnsonlmg41]

Some of my Bren stuff..... Of course it all has to be upside down for some reason?

Edited November 10 by johnsonlmg41

[APEXgunparts]

I remember shipping out a BREN case that was marked like that to one of our customers.
It was very distinctive lettering.

 

Here is my BREN case.

Richard

[pitfighter]

Love those pictures! -

JohnsonLMG,

Do the ZB26 loaders work with Bren mags, that's really cool, I see those around, presumed they wouldn't would be very useful!

The drum mags are of course really cool too!

Is that an AA sight?

I see some variations with the padding and box design, really interesting.

Richard, 

Yes, mine could have come from you, the seller didn't specify where it had originated. Just that he had no further use for it.

I like your set up, very clean Bren.

I see I have to get some of those wooden dowel gas tube cleaners.

[johnsonlmg41]

Hey Pitfigher,

Those are not ZB loaders, they are both styles of Bren.  The one clamps to the magazine chest as pictured, and the other stores in the front of the chest as you can see in Richards photo as well.   Granted they look the same, but you are correct in that the ZB loaders will not fit Bren mags.  I have a ZB loader for my ZB and if I recall I bought it assuming it was for the Bren since I couldn't tell the difference at the time.  I wish the loaders were as common as the ZB loaders, but they indeed took quite a while to find.

The sight is a fixed line sight and what looks to be a binocular case is the case for it with a wooden insert that the sight goes into.  Not pictured is the light box setup and stake that is shared with the Vickers.  The sight slides into the front dovetail in a MK1 often referred to as a "double dovetail".  That was fairly quickly eliminated since it's only purpose was this sight and the dream of the No.32  scope mount that would fit into the front dovetail that never materialized.  Machining this beast was complicated enough and later marks got rid of the dovetails altogether. 

The chest is unfortunately Canadian, so technically not correct for this Enfield, but so far it's the nicest one I could find.  I've seen a lot of British chests, but they all so far, have not been that nice or there was a shipping issue on the nice one's I did find.

I had always assumed a Bren would be out of reach since prices when they come up are very high, but on a sheer quirk of luck at an auction, there were few bidders I and stumbled into it.  I'm not sure I've ever seen another early Bren like this come up for sale publicly?  The gun came out of a museum, as did the sight in a separate lot.

You guys need some cleaning rods in those lids!  Same as the Vickers IIRC?   Without the Bren gun saga, I wouldn't have gone half this far, but I think I am only missing one or two items from memory?   I think only the MG34 is worse for accessories? 

[APEXgunparts]

The Portuguese MG34 transit chest does have a good amount of fittings for items, but not as many as the combo Vickers / LEWIS chest.
It is hard to find detailed guidance on what goes where in these boxes.

Richard

 

 

At least the ST-61 chests had instructions on the inside of the lid!

[pitfighter]

JohnsonLMG, I will be looking for one of those Bren loaders, that could actually be useful, I must say I do not know how to tell the difference. Interested to see how it governs the .303 rims, I have to make sure the lower cartridge always overlaps the one above when I load. 

The fixed line sight is very interesting. I'd love to try mine with a telescopic sight.

I agree the transferable Brens are quite rich now. Yours is a fantastic example. 

Yes, I do need the proper cleaning rods (wood and steel), will find them. I have the Bren Gun Saga, it just adds fuel to the addiction.

Apex, yes, old machine guns offer endless ways to spend money and waste time hunting for tools and accessories you'll never use, lol!

I was a little disappointed the interior of my case wasn't that lovely bright orange color, looks so neat.

Although, saying that I really found the "Bren tool" very useful for stripping my two, though, for all other cleaning duties I used a modern Brownells cleaning kit.

 

 

[johnsonlmg41]

Some magazine loader info.

The upper left is a British 303 loader that mounts on the mag chest and loads from stripper clips only.  Stores inside a mag chest as pictured AFAIK.

Lower left is a British .303 that will load loose rounds with the partition, or remove the partition and stack stripper clips.  Stores inside the gun crate in a special spot allocated for it.  The loader mounts on something, but I forgot what? 

Upper right is a ZB39 that will load strippers or loose rounds.

Lower right is a ZB26/30 loader that loads from strippers only  8mm.  This one is an IMA repro turd and is going to be replaced.  The  storage pouch is good.

Like many, I was duped into buying the ZB39 loader assuming it was for the 303 Bren.  The mags will not fit.  This one was an easy find, the price was right, and then I got it and eventually figured out what it was.  They are difficult to tell apart other than the Brit loaders are all mfr. marked and the ZB loader is unmarked.  The good news is, it is ready when I do a .308 ZB39 conversion on my gun....some day.  Have the loader, a few mags, and 308 barrels, so it all worked out in the end.  Also of note Bren 303 mags do not fit in the ZB loader.  Probably not much of stretch to carve it up to make it fit though?

The .303 loaders are now tough to find and the price usually reflects it, unless you luck into a deal.  IIRC both were over 4-500 years ago, but they were the only ones I found at the time.  I recall seeing one for sale since.  I assume they became scarce as they were tossed since the mags load free hand pretty easy?   I have not searched in a quite a while, but best of luck on the hunt!

 

 

[APEXgunparts]

An interesting run down of the ZB and BREN loaders.
I own both of the BREN loaders.
The hopper type loader on the lower left of the picture.
Where exactly does that stow in the BREN gun wood transit chest?
 

Richard

[johnsonlmg41]

In this chest it stows in the front and is held in by the swiveling wood arm and the shelf in the front.  While this chest has it, I've always wondered how many chest "variations" existed over the years with all the Mark revisions?  I'd guess the chests got simpler as time went on?  I probably spent a day researching where all the bits go in the chest and I still can't figure out what goes into the square recess in middle on the bottom?  I tried every oil can, but that's not it?

 

 

 

[pitfighter]

That is an awesome break down on mag-loaders, thank you, really helpful, thank you, Johnson1941, and for taking the time to photograph and detail the idiosyncracies so carefully.

I apologize for my tardy response, have been "buried" working on this last project.

I do have the Bren book and I also bought a Canadian and Brit manual on-line, but they don't really deal with the lay-out of the transit crate.

I'll buy a .303 loader when I see one (I'll be sure to make sure there is a mfr. mark), but, honestly these are some really "gentle" mags to load (as you mention) and as I shoot semi-auto I don't run out as quickly as you chaps.

I quite like the look of the natty AA canvas spent-case catchers that are around, too.