Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Bren gun  (Read 4333 times)

Offline jakel

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Bren gun
« on: Thursday 29 March 12 10:17 BST (UK) »
Can anybody give me any information about the the two backsights on this weapon. It is stamped with the makers name BRNO. Have fired this weapon many times, but have never seen sights like this before. Many thanks

Offline mmm45

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,230
    • View Profile
Re: Bren gun
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 29 March 12 11:33 BST (UK) »
Think its Bren Mk1 sights
Brno was the place in Czechoslovakia that the weapon was originally Concieved hence "Bren" gun

Ady
Lowe(Lower Gornall-Castleford)
Blackburn (Castleford)
Sidwell(Ledsham)
Fairburn(Hartshead)
Wood(Liversedge)
Tallon (Whittington Lancs/Hartshead West Yorkshire)

Researching all Great War soldiers from the Spen Valley of West Yorkshire Especially lads from the Cleckheaton Company of 1/4th West Riding Regiment.

Offline alanmack

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 664
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Bren gun
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 29 March 12 11:40 BST (UK) »
As Ady said the Bren gun was a licence-built version of a Czech weapon. It also appears to be sitting in the hull of a Beaverette mk4 light armoured car(probably ex Irish Army with the roof cut off). Czech built weapons might have been more acceptable to them or possibly a different version of sights supplied.

Alan
Glamorgan - Carpenter, Chamberlain, Ellis, Watkins, Rees, Bevan
Wiltshire - Carpenter, Chamberlain, Ellis, Merrett
Essex - Burdon, Taylor, Menzies
Canada - Burdon, Parkinson
Australia - Carpenter, Burdon

Offline genechaser

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,744
    • View Profile
Re: Bren gun
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 29 March 12 11:56 BST (UK) »
Hi

Take a look at this site.

http://www.thegunner.net/brenrecg.htm

Offline jakel

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Bren gun
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 29 March 12 23:15 BST (UK) »
Thanks for the info guys, but I'm still no wiser about the need for the second backsight. Someone suggested it might have something to do with it being used as an anti-aircraft weapon.
ALANMACK.  You were spot on . Photo taken in the museum in the Curragh Camp. Indeed it is mounted on a beaverette with the roof cut off. Ex Irish army. Well spotted.

Offline John915

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,575
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Bren gun
« Reply #5 on: Friday 30 March 12 00:06 BST (UK) »
Good evening,

The bren gun normally used a collective sight, this folded down flat when not in use. Because of the top mounted magazine and carry handle the sights were offset. The foresight was on a short stalk at a 45 deg angle on the barrel and the rear sight aperture jutted out from the left of the collective sight.
The gun in your picture however is fitted with a dial sight and was indeed for AA use. It is mounted on the green tubular gear which enabled the gun to be swung up to or above shoulder level. The two wheels were then used to adjust the two sight arms so you looked through the two apertures at the aircraft instead of the normal sights. I believe it was considered too awkward for quick efficient use and was rarely fitted by the British army if at all.
I would be interested to know if there are any "old soldiers" watching this thread who may know different. Perhaps there is someone who actually used this system in anger at some time.

John915
Stephens, Fuller, Tedham, Bennett, Ransome (Sussex)
Rider (Fulham)
Stephens (Somerset)
Kentfield (Essex)

Offline Combover

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 21
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Bren gun
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 10 April 12 13:15 BST (UK) »
The two sights are supposed to be quite independent. The bren Mk1 had the dial sight, not the fold down flat (what we call ladder type). This particular gun is a 'dovetail rail' gun which was meant to accept the normal British sight (the one at the back) the Czech type (the one forward) or a telescopic sight.
They were next to useless and were expensive to machine so weren't fitted on later guns, only the rear dial sight remained and then when the Mk2 came along, the dial sight was abondonned for the ladder type.
Pages: [1]