BREN light machine gun — blank adopter

[Trip_Wire]

An active duty Special Forces soldier asked this question. I posted it here in hopes, that someone here could help him. I will transfer any data that will help him to the 'site where he asked this question. (Professional Soldiers)

Thanks!

I have a question regarding the BREN light machine gun. We are going to be working with a military group that still uses these light machine guns and we are trying to find BFAs for these weapons.

We have tried everything we can think of trying to see if there is even such a thing as a BFA for these weapons. I could really use some help on this matter and I was thinking with all the experience and know how on this website someone might be able to help me with this problem. I appreciate any help with this matter.. thank you in advance.

 

[Gremlin]

Do you mean the Bren (.303) or its derivation the LMG (.762) ?

The LMG had a true BFA to allow it to fire blanks, the Bren did not. Instead it had a blank firing barrel which had a 3/4 metal closure over the end of the barrel. The rounds fired from it were not blanks but live rounds with wooden bullets, which were mashed but the protective plate. By the time I got my mits on one of the latter in 1983 as a cadet, the plate had worn down a bit and firing them was dodgy to say the least! Still the wooden rounds were great for sheep culling!

 

[labrat]

indeed, bulleted blank and a semi closed flash hider

Ratata-tat

Memories!

 

[Gremlin]

indeed, bulleted blank and a semi closed flash hider

Ratata-tat

Memories!

Dammit! That was the term I was searching for!

 

[Trip_Wire]

Do you mean the Bren (.303) or its derivation the LMG (.762) ?

The LMG had a true BFA to allow it to fire blanks, the Bren did not. Instead it had a blank firing barrel which had a 3/4 metal closure over the end of the barrel. The rounds fired from it were not blanks but live rounds with wooden bullets, which were mashed but the protective plate. By the time I got my mits on one of the latter in 1983 as a cadet, the plate had worn down a bit and firing them was dodgy to say the least! Still the wooden rounds were great for sheep culling!

What a weird device! This isn't a WAH is it?

I know the Japanese fired wooden bullets in WWII. In that case they did kill and wound people, as well as made it hard to see on X-Rays. etc.

I'll ask him about the caliber, etc. and give him what you wrote here.

 

[Gremlin]

No WAH - as backed up by Labrat!

 

[Trip_Wire]

Ok! It just seemed weird to me.

 

[Pull-up-a-sandbag]

Some LMGs were issued to Infantry Bns for ops on the border in NI in the mid to late seventies and ISTR that for training the old type SLR BFA could be fitted but had to be adapted with a barrel collar as thier was no bayonet boss. This was the old skeleton type BFA that the army decided was unsafe, withdrew, and issued the big yellow nob shaped thing instead.

 

[armchair_jihad]

Trip, I'm sure that this SF chap and his friends will be trying out the BREN's themselves, I would be interested in hearing what their thoughts are as to its all round performance, in the eyes of today’s generation of soldiers.

Cheers in advance.

 

[squiffy_parsons]

The .303 bulleted blank had a blue wooden bullet and some had the headstamp KYNOCH BREN. They were used with a barrel that had a plate on the end this plate broke the bullets up.

The 7.62mm L4 series LMG (BREN) had a BFA or modified barrel.

Blank firing instructions from an L4 manual;

 

[Trip_Wire]

Trip, I'm sure that this SF chap and his friends will be trying out the BREN's themselves, I would be interested in hearing what their thoughts are as to its all round performance, in the eyes of today’s generation of soldiers.

Cheers in advance.

Yes, I agree with that. I'll post anything they have to say on the subject; however; I doubt if they will say were their doing it.

 

[Trip_Wire]

I downloaded and posted the two pages from the manual on the other 'site.

Here is a quote form that soldier on what there up to with the Bren and the reason for the BFA.:

Quote:

"Trip_Wire thank you for your help. It is the .308 (7.62) version of the BREN. Sounds like there was a reason we couldn't find anything out there about a BFA for the BREN. Thank you for that new website, defiantly sounds like one I am going to register on for future use. (ARRSE)

The reason we are going to be using some blanks is because we are working on I.A. Drills & patrolling in a area that has no live-free maneuver range. We have BFAs for their G3s & MAG-58's (their "heavy machine gun") but not the BREN which they have quite a few of."

 

[irlsgt]

Its been around 3/4 years since I last fired it (and we still have it in stores!! (awaiting MAGs)).

A BFA could be easy for a skilled tradesman to fabricate, problem is getting blank 303 (or even ball 303!)

I've never heard of a BFA / blanks for it taught (and it isn't in our manual).

With regards to what Gremlin described, sounds a bit like the Gustav SMG we used to have.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gustav_M/45
The barrel was removed and the BFA was attached at the top was a what could be described as a funnel with a cap on the end. The blank 9mm rounds had a red plastic top, when they hit the BFA they turned to red dust.

 

[PassingBells]

Trip,

I presume that you have warned your Speshul Forces friend to expect a little rough handling if he registers here

 

[Trip_Wire]

irlsgt:

Apparently, we're talking about the Bren in 7.62 caliber.

Passingbells:

No, I didn't, nobody warned me either.