The Bren Light Machine Gun: Introduction

[@72mossy]

My father was a Bren Gunner in the Congo, saw combat with it, he was a UN Irish peacekeeper with the 34th Battalion Jan to Jun 61, he also had a Gustav out there too. He trained with the Lee Enfield rifle during basic.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@kbjerke]

Dad drove a Bren Gun Carrier at the beginning of WWII. Then he progressed to driving a British QUAD, towing a 17 pounder. During the liberation of Holland, he was piloting a White Half-Track, towing the same 17 pounder, but also transporting personnel armed with Brens and Stens. Dad carried a Sten. R.I.P. Dad. (He survived the War; passed in 2010. )

[@viperscot1]

So sorry for your loss respect to your late father

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you for sharing.

[@kevinmullner4280]

I, as a german, appreciate the service of your dad thankfully. I´m living/lived in a prospering democracy my whole life, thanks to allied soldiers as your dad was one. But, to let you know, this values are under threat again. From the ruZZians as an outside factor and from a new breed of fascists on the inside. Challenging times again.

[@kbjerke]

@@kevinmullner4280 You are so right. Challenging times are here for us all, and evil rises from within. Stay well, my friend, and best wishes to you! Perhaps someday, war will never come again. Thank you for your comment.

[@ComfortsSpecter]

Incredible History Great Vibe

[@dakiler2028]

I shot one in Greece, owned by an old man who fought in the Greek Civil War. Hefty gun, but of negligible recoil for a full-size rifle round LMG. I bet some well-fed British lad could free-hand shoot it as well, making it a very mobile automatic platform for an infantry squad. Provides more sustained firepower than a BAR, is more mobile than a MG-34/42, and is not a piece of crap like the Breda Model 30. Old-timers of the Greek Army praised it for its accuracy and reliability. Thank you for such an informative video! Cheers

[@dakiler2028]

@freebeerfordworkers Of course, the FN MAG is beefy lady to carry. When I served in the Amphibious Raiders in the Greek Army, we had FN MINIMIs and FN MAGs. A loaded MINIMI felt just a tad lighter than a Bren, but the FN MAG was a curse to carry, especially on the 40km march. For a low intensity conflict like the Troubles, I can imagine the Brits preferring to carry the L4 around instead of that beast of a GPMG. You probably won't need a full belt of 7.62 NATO when you're up against a bunch of Irish rioters

[@88porpoise]

​@freebeerfordworkersI can imagine. The MAG's advantage is sustained fire and I doubt sustained fire over expended periods was a critical factor in such patrols. The other thing we have to remember is that LMGs never disappeared, they just changed alongside the rifles. The Minimi (and before it, the L86) provide the mobile firepower of the LMG and are using the standard rifle cartridge similar to the Bren. Although ever since WWII there have been repeated attempts to use standard or modified rifles with automatic fire capabilities to fill this role, they have continuously failed. The GPMG took over some of the more sustained and less mobile roles of the Bren along with the direct fire roles of the Vickers.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@michaelthomas2492]

Make a note. .l saw my bren gunner hold the gun by the hand grip and fire a number of shots. Cant remember how many. This was 1950, a Shropshire lad 1st btn K.S.Light Infantry.B Coy. 5 pltn . I,m now 94. Best wishes to all any of that are left.

[@cynderfan2233]

The Bren is pratically a super power. You'd be amazed how many VC awards start with "and then he picked up the Bren..."

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

And the Lewis before!

[@TheSpritz0]

@@britishmuzzleloaders YES I remember even reading of Commonwealth CANADIAN troops being awarded for saving the situation with Lewis Guns! Sergeant Frederick Hobson is just one of many...

[@Trucksofwar]

Many Gurkha citations start with that one, Don't worry about the little man with the big knife and a smile... the crazy little bugger has a machine gun twice his size and hes mad.

[@aj7419]

you make it sound like the Canadians _weren't_ one of the most brutal and effective fighters of the first and second world wars

[@Rkolb2798]

As a young Helicopter ground crew in Germany during the 80s I was issued a 7.62 LMG . I remember it being very heavy but a Bowser cab made carrying the box of mags much easier . On exercise one day Ken Allison decided to fire it through the hatch of the Bedford cab causing a shower of blank cases to fly everywhere . Fun times 😊

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I'll say!

[@allyreneepenny9447]

Was a fine LMG the L-4( 7,62mmBren) ! Many soldiers mean,that' s much better than the SA 80 LMG!

[@wodens-hitman1552]

And it's deadly little brother called the SLR.I was in Dortmund for 12 years

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Thanks for this Rob, it brings back some great memories. Incidentally when I was a Cadet in the early 80s in Scotland, my platoon had two Mk1m Brens, we were very proud of our wheel adjusted rear sights. As with all Cadet weapons it was still .303 and we would frequently use it with blanks but also live rounds on the range. We eventually had to stop shooting live rounds when our barrels became too worn and we couldn't get replacements. When I moved to University we had NATO chambered late model Brens (by then the LMG) but I did miss the old .303 Mk1m which had the iconic look inculcated into the minds of generations of post war schoolboys in Commando Comics.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@msngrpat]

ITS ME BREN GUN! Love the reference. Well done as always, Rob.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@merekgrimaldus9865]

Can we not overlook how slick the rifle firing was 👏

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@Schlachtschule]

That is amazing! I had thought an automatic weapon in private hands would be difficult to arrange. Fantastic coverage as always, Rob, thank you.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

In Canada, yes,... elsewhere, not so much....

[@exploatores]

I think he made a visit to Northen USA. I think i recognice that rodent in the end of the video.

[@mistermurtad2831]

@@exploatores Guinea Pig. I hope Mae got some trigger time.

[@stevenbridge]

Not necessarily, I was an alarm installer in the 90's and happened to be wiring in the back room of a Vancouver Arms Dealer (not saying who), and I came across a Bren Gun. I had been a Bren Gun operator back in the 60's and 70's. with the Seaforth Highlanders. It was part of his private collection and It was good to see the old friend again.

[@mothmagic1]

@@britishmuzzleloaders That unblacked barrel denotes it as a DP (Drill Purpose) Bren therefore it is deactivated.

[@dreww3810]

Saw a Bren being used in Kenya by the Kenyan army guarding an entrance to a base. So there must still be a good few of them kicking about.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I'm sure that they are all over the world, tucked away into little corners...

[@davekrab3363]

Thanx muchly for yet another excellent presention Mr Rob. My grandfather told me that he found his Bren motivational, as it liked to walk forward on its bipod. He carried a Bren in the middle east\Africa, & a Thompson in New Guinea. Lest We Forget. 🦀🇦🇺✌️

[@kinnellian]

I actually came to ask about that here. My auld man is adamant it used to walk forward on the *edit bipod, and also (opposite to recoil) it had to be really hung onto and pulled into the shoulder. That characteristic is always absent from any discussions/vids I've seen about the Bren. He's also adamant about elements of it's accuracy, and apparently there are myths surrounding that - though I've never read, or watched an actual operator debunk them, so how much is myth, and how much is modern revisionism I don't know. I do know factually, he had been a Bren operator, but then again, I'm not beyond shooting the shit to the kids either - so I'm not sure if the Bren really did "walk" or if he's been winding me up all this time.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Lots of range time yet to come!

[@Dav1Gv]

I only ever fired the Bren on the range in the TA in the late 1950s but it certainly did walk forward. For accurate work we were taught to put live rounds through the holes in the bipod feet to hold it steady. Don't know if anyone did this on active service.

[@awuma]

@@Dav1Gv And in the NZ Cadet Corps, we were taught to keep our feet together with the Bren, as opposed to one leg splayed out with the recoiling Lee-Enfield.

[@jingshelpmaboab]

My Dad was a Bren gunner with the Scots Guards in North East Italy from April 1944. He only spoke about the fighting side very late in his life (he died at the end of 2015) and even then it was about friends being killed, not about him personally. This video is giving me a lot more information about what Dad must have had to do than I’ve ever had before. Thanks.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

There will be more to follow on the training and shooting qualifications! Thanks for sharing.

[@kenfowler1980]

I loved using the L4A4 Bren in the Australian Army in the ‘80’s & ‘90’s. Much lighter than the M60! Cheers

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@SmittyMRE]

Fantastic! My great uncle was a Bren gunner, and was wounded in Dec 1944 near Ravenna with the CBH. Finally have an impression together and this video had much in the way of valuable information. Thank you, once again!

[@williammoss5910]

My father was in the CBH, B company

[@SmittyMRE]

@@williammoss5910 Wow! Did he speak about it much? My great uncle was with C Company and would talk to me about certain things. I'm just reading through The Breed of Manly Men to tie it all together.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Great! Thank you for sharing!

[@williammoss6142]

Hello Smitty. No, he didn’t talk about the war very often, sometimes with old army buddies when they were together. He did tell stories about meeting my mother while on leave in Glasgow with a few buddies. They had to carry their weapons with them at all times as there was still fear of an invasion. He gave me a signed copy of the Breed of Manly Men book which I quite enjoyed. However, he said it was written in a manner that made it look like two companies had won the war as most of the men responding to the call for information were from them! So your uncle's exploits may have been overlooked! Do you know the Canadian author Joseph Boyden? His father, the most decorated doctor in the WWII Canadian army, was the CBH medical officer. It was he that would have treated your uncle and my father after their wounds.

[@SmittyMRE]

@@williammoss6142 Thank you for the response! I could see that. The episode of his wounding ended up in the official war diary, but he wasn't specifically mentioned. He had told me the story, but I didn't put the pieces together until I got his service records, and looked to the diary. I wasn't aware of Raymond Boyden, thank you! Most definitely. My great uncle spoke fondly of the boys getting him out of there and eventually back get treated.

[@terryharris1291]

Great weapon,used the 7.62mm version in the early 1980's with 1RNZIR ,both on the range and carried in the jungles of Malaya.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Such a long service history...

[@HaloFTW55]

From a Lewis to a Bren to a C2 to a C9. Man, Canadian light machine guns changed a lot through out the years.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Indeed.

[@cedhome7945]

When ian mcullom did a talk on the bren he mentioned the odd square fireing pin .I read somewhere that the cartridges had a problem with there primers poping out and jamming the guns.the square pin was designed to squish the primers so that they stayed put helping reliability (anyone know more about this )great to see you having a blast 👍

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I must admit I do not remember that discussion point.

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

Ian did cover a video on how the British Army attempted to convert Bren guns to be belt-feed. It doesn't work, but i wonder what would happened if the engineers have succeeded.

[@chrisbrent7487]

Its more oblong than square really, but yeah an odd shape. I'm pretty sure Browning aircraft .303 machine guns just had a round firing pin and they were much higher rate of fire so I'm not sure if it was due to the primers being penetrated. Could have been but then surely, they would have done it with Brownings and Vickers. I always figured it would have been to keep it in a set orientation radially.

[@MerihemXx]

I appreciated the random Guinea Pig photo in the credit reel. Shows I was pretty engaged the whole time! Amazing stuff!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I'll say!

[@BoerChris]

I loved the Bren. I never fired the .303 version, but I fired the 7.62mm version plenty in the TA in the 1970s.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice!

[@joearledge]

You and your epic man-stache are welcome back in the south for as long and as often as you can manage. I don't know Othais personally, but I personally know that he misses you and your flavor saver terribly. Keep up the good work, and the good fight in Canukistan!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very kind. Cheers!

[@vickersmg]

0:58 Awesome opening pop culture reference! Looking forward to the rest of the vid already.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers, Rich!

[@christopherreed4723]

The Bren Gun was so ubiquitous that it even had a song written about it. Not, mind you, a marching song, or something scurrilous to be sung at the pub or a liberated estaminet. This was a refined little ditty penned by one of the leading playwrights of the time. "Colonel Montmorency who Was in Calcutta in ninety-two Emerged from his retirement for the War. He wasn't very pleased with all he heard and all he saw. But whatever he felt, he tightened his belt and organised a Corps... Poor Colonel Montmorency thought, Considering all the wars he'd fought, The Home Guard was his job to do or die. But after days and weeks and years, bravely drying his many tears, He wrote the following letter to the Minister of Supply: Could you please oblige us with a Bren gun? Or failing that, a hand grenade will do. We've got some ammunition, in a rather damp condition, And Major Huss has an arquebus that was used at Waterloo. With the Vicar's stirrup pump, a pitchfork and a spade, It's rather hard to guard an aerodrome. So if you can't oblige us with a Bren gun, The Home Guard might as well go home!" from Could You Please Oblige Us With A Bren Gun, by Noël Coward

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice!

[@Robin6512]

In the mid 80ks we still had the Bren in 7.62 nato. Very nice shooter. It was a pain hopping around with the crates with mags. The fn mag was very welcome. Not as nice for shooting but much easier in use

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@andyedwards9222]

A great video as always. I remember my dad telling me about his use of the Bren just postwar. As a RAF groundcrew, his Bren skills were less than stellar.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

All kinds of stories! Cheers!

[@WPZCobra]

I hadn't watched really any of your stuff until I heard you mentioned on C&Rsenal. I have to say, this is really well put together! I'll have to check out the rest of the stuff on your channel! Keep up the great work!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you for coming along! Hopefully there is something that interests you here!

[@kenlansing1216]

I knew an old gun collector who used to ride the city bus to the rifle range with just a pillow case over the muzzle of his BREN and even in the early eighties very few people even batted an eye. Once in a while a vet would get on the bus, see the buttstock and say something like: "Hey that's a Mark IV BREN. I used one of those in Korea." and continue on his way. Nowadays people have been trained to be so squeamish they'd practically swallow their tongues at the sight.

[@1337billybob]

I'm so confused why you are surprised that people are "squeamish" when they see someone with an automatic rifle. Even the semi atuo ones can fire several bullets a second. Like why wouldn't be uncomfortable around them? Perhaps some of them were at a mass shooting. Had a neighbor who was at vegas and she hated fireworks and ended moving to some place where I presume she hoped that there wouldn't be people shooting guns or fireworks. So you think people are irrationally afraid of firearms? Why is that. They are quite deadly.

[@mistermurtad2831]

@@1337billybob Back then the nation had not gone so crazy. We didn't have so many mass shootings.

[@VonTurtle8282]

Damned liberals! I can’t even take my section level MG on the bus anymore! This country is going to hell! Take a moment and consider why people are “squeamish” that a random person is walking around with a MACHINE GUN.

[@VikingTeddy]

People have been "trained" by the constant mass shootings. I guarantee you it would've been *exactly* the same back then. 24h news cycle guarantees that not only are people more scared of shootings, they're also more *inspired* by them. Maybe we should remove the source of inspiration. But even that's just a band-aid. The cat is out of the bag. 🙁

[@sullivanrachael]

@@1337billybob- whilst there are some merits to both of your views I do tend to think that the media is biased against guns. A half century ago it would be normal for men of a certain age to have to do military service. Shooting guns would be one of the more fun activities (in training) so a gun would not automatically be viewed with fear. It would be viewed as a powerful tool. The media these days portrays guns as a tool of the criminal and mass murderer, not a basic everyday tool for the farmer or for a humane means to shoot an animal for food. Most people live in cities or urban areas these days and most guns found in a city are designed to hurt humans, not hunt or for military purposes. Antiques in high end collections or military museums are not normally viewed as objects of fear.

[@andrewsema359]

Thanks for such an in-depth covering of the Bren and it's history. Enjoyed all the details and troop formations.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@moalongkumer3232]

Enjoyed this thoroughly! Thank you for taking the pains to condense a long and convoluted history into an enriching 45 minutes! It would be interesting to note that large quantities of 'inherited' 303 Brens of all marks continue to be in active inventory in most state police forces here in India, being just too good and uneconomical to mothball entirely. ....that is apart from OFB 7.62 MG1 Brens that are also in use.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I'm sure that they are soldiering on somewhere in hidden corners of the world...

[@TheSpritz0]

They were built so well they will last another 200 years probably only the wood would need replacement but the metal work was incredible quality...

[@thesalopian1389]

Best episode ever, and that’s up against some stiff competition. Well done.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very kind.

[@andrewwhite6201]

when i was in the TA royal signals . we had a range day at the end of the day we had lots of ammo over . its was not going home with us. i ended up with the box of 12 mag full. we went back to 600yds and run down to 100yds stopping at 5.4 3.2 .100 yds i shot the lot off best days fun i had with the 7.62 bren LMG . great video all the best to you for 2024

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

What a great day!

[@MarksmanTV]

This is a very thorough, well-researched and entertaining video on the Bren. Thank you for organizing your expertise as well as the expertise of others into a very concise and informative video.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you kindly!

[@MrOlgrumpy]

At 29.48, I see the Grim Reaper lurking in the background. Well presented Rob.very fortunate to have access to a working Bren. Thank you C & R !!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Haha! Cheers!

[@tastesofhistory4560]

Every day should be a learning day, and today I learnt something, so thank you Sir for a cracking Part 1 on the superb Bren LMG. Can't wait for the next installment.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you kindly!

[@matthewfish6113]

Thank you to all those involved in the making of another wonderful video, a Happy Christmas to you all.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

And to you!

[@CheaplyAnimatedLenin]

From muskets to machine guns, your channel has come a long way, Rob

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@CheaplyAnimatedLenin]

@@britishmuzzleloaders cheers

[@remko1238]

These videos are always a quality of its own level -- humor / experienced info / great scenery / a deep in-depth background / action and… skilled shooting 👏🏽 Thanks again from Amsterdam

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@minuteman4199]

I took part in an experiment years ago where we fired an MG42 and a Bren gun side by side with thermocouples attached to them. We fired them as quickly as we could but we couldn't let either gun go above a certain temperature (I can't remember what it was), and under these circumstances the practical rate of fire of both guns is the same.

[@snowflakemelter1172]

Basically the same ammunition will create the same heating in the barrel, a faster rate of fire will need to have longer pauses between bursts to keep the same overall heat level in the barrel as the slower rate of fire.

[@zoiders]

Careful now. You will upset the Wehraboos.

[@SnakebitSTI]

Not a surprising result, but not a particularly meaningful result either. The MG42 had a ludicrous rate of fire to improve hit probability when fired in short bursts, not for higher sustained rate of fire. That said, in practice an overheated Bren gun was overheated, while an overheated MG42 would have its barrel swapped. That said, the MG42 could burn a barrel out alarmingly fast if handled without care. I think the procedure was to swap MG42 barrels with each box of ammunition? In short, the MG42 was heavier (GPMG) and the Bren lighter (LMG). They were both well designed, they were just designed for slightly different purposes. Both were very successful designs, and I think it's hard to argue that one was conclusively better than the other. If you want the big sustained rate of fire winner, just look at the water cooled American M1917A1 machine gun. I don't think I have ever seen anyone argue it was a good let alone the best machine gun of WWII, outside contemporary American propaganda films anyway.

[@zoiders]

​@@SnakebitSTIAn over heated Bren can have its barrel swapped. Without using a gunners mitten. Unlike the MG42. Hush now Wehraboo.

[@SnakebitSTI]

@@zoiders I didn't say it couldn't. I said standard practice (as mentioned in this very video) was for the spare barrel to not be brought into combat, whereas the MG42 pretty much needed a spare barrel. I had nothing but praise for the Bren in my comment. What are you upset about? The point of my comment was that comparing only sustained rate of fire with a single barrel was not meaningful for comparing the Bren and MG42.

[@88porpoise]

Okay, this sketch is a winner. I was loving the "Its me Bren gun" reference thinking it would end there. And then you went so hard at it I broke down laughing. Sometimes subtlety is the way to go, but sometimes kicking in the door and blasting with your LMG is the way to go.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

For sure!

[@NickSchoonwinkel]

In 1976 I was a Bren gunner in the Caprivi strip in the Borderwar in South West Africa. The cal 7.62.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Wow!

[@g4joe]

Did you come across a mate of mine Dudley Dawes.???

[@mpersad]

Another outstanding video, of a personal favourite. You are, indeed, part of an incredible community of people dedicated to keeping alive the heritage of these firearms. I look forward to the next instalment.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Very fortunate to be even on the periphery of such a great group of people!

[@johnsmithh662]

What a freaking awesome channel. Production and information are 11/10.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you kindly!

[@ekim000]

This is what the internet is for. Thank you for this incredibly high quality firearms historical material.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@fhsreelfilms]

Very fun! Can’t wait to see what you and C&Rsenal have in store for us! Two awesome channels combining their powers for the good of all!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

It will all come in time, for sure!

[@lib556]

Great episode! I was scratching my head over how you managed to get the film clips of firing an actual Bren being that we live in a country where historical arms are being squeezed out of existence. All explained at the end.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Indeed, yes.

[@Chiller11]

Aha! If one doesn’t have the attention span to get to the end it remains a mystery.

[@stevenbridge]

I just came across your channel and subbed right away. I'm an ex Seaforth and I used to operate the Bren back in the 60's and 70's. I really got to like that gun even though I was the smallest guy in the Regiment. It gave me a lot of interesting stories to tell. like the time we were going down 4th Ave., sometime during the 60's, looking out over the tailgate of our transport and a buddy wanted to check out my Bren. He let a burst of blanks go down the street. We were both rightly put on charge but you should have seen the Hippies dive for cover. It was a different time and of course it was totally irresponsible, but what do you expect from a couple of stupid 18-19 year olds. Don't get me wrong, the time I spent in the Seaforths changed me and I was a totally different and better person when I got out. I look forward to checking out all your videos. Thanks.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jondavidmcnabb]

You make history both fun and interesting. I have been watching your channel for many many years.. It would be so cool to see you and Ian (from forgotten weapons) do a collaboration video.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Maybe one day.

[@tedgoodfellow9103]

An interesting video. You've spent hours researching and producing - well done and thank you. Regards from Blighty :).

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you kindly. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jamesl5455]

fanastic vid, well done!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@patrickholt2270]

A beautiful article of equipment. There's something about those weapons that remained in service for so long, gradually being refined in iterative modified marks. Also the fact that it was only supplanted due to a change in the standardized rifle ammunition, hence not because of any failure of utility of the gun in itself. As with the Lee Enfield, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, it's just that you get a higher rate of fire out of SLRs and Assault Rifles, and the troop can carry more ammunition for prolonged firing in a lower calibre.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@nicktrueman224]

Great vid thank you, this is so great that good people get together to help and equip so we learn far more about such a iconic weapon.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

It was a grand time, yes.

[@allanburt5250]

Brilliant as always Rob thanks for sharing this one with us

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@vickersmg]

Awesome stuff Rob and all involved in putting this together. I’m glad we helped in some way too! - Rich.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

You've helped in so many ways, Rich, in so many projects.

[@aaronleverton4221]

Anyone who watched Bluey (no, not that one) knows that Lewis Gunners were stoic individuals. And Damien Parer captured an iconic piece of footage of a Digger firing the Bren from the hip during an advance in the Owen Stanley mountains in Papua New Guinea.

[@matthewcharles5867]

Bluey probably needs another no 2 by now.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Used all over the globe.

[@SnoopReddogg]

That Bren footage was a set up just for footage.

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@SnoopReddogg Yes, this is even directly referenced in one of the two telemovies depicting Parer's exploits in WW2. Doesn't make it any less iconic a moving image.

[@larpingtonboogecke]

Outstanding video, cheers. And happy Christmas

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

And to you!

[@sherwoodforester4666]

WOW!!!!! That was absolutely brilliant!!!!!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@vladimirputin7975]

I love your videos I watch them at school, I love those little skits you do. I really like your 19th century videos. Keep it up❤😊

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers.

[@SKNAZIR-sx1th]

Nice light machine gun.Thanks for the new video with this gun🎉🎉🎉

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@bbainter7880]

I remember reading on a forum (maybe The High Road?) where a former South African Bren gunner who fought in Rhodesia let everybody ask him whatever questions they had, and answered them in detail. He went into quite a bit of detail about how exactly the Bren was used fighting the communists, how the ammo was carried, etc etc. It was really illuminating from somebody who had actually used one in extensive combat and who was an actual gun guy who could appreciate the finer points.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Would have been an interesting conversation!

[@Alcochaser]

The BREN, Yes. I have been waiting for this episode for years!. Poor Mckenzie.. lol, someone tell him just to aim that thing at the door... and blast anything inside through the door.. Its a damn Bren gun afterall!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Haha!

[@Able_Are]

I thought, “45 minutes, just on the Bren?” Then… What a superb production. Great commentary, excellently illustrated, and the little bits of humour worked for me. A lot of work went into this, and it’s much appreciated. A fine historical document.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!

[@kub998]

Thank you for another great episode. People from Poland are watching you too :-) ❤ It's a pity that in our country the BAR (in the wz.28 modification) won, the Czech LMG was not ready yet (in the first tests, the Czechs sent a tape version). Unfortunately, as far as I know, the test records from Poland have not survived 😢 . Military enthusiasts believe that Vickers-Berthier or MAC 24 would be better than BAR. Interestingly, the French MAC 24 was not tested in British tests 😮

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you for your viewership!

[@howelltaylor6774]

Merry Christmas everyone and a happy Bren new year!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@kearnsey64]

That was so informative and humorous as usual! Loved the movie credits. 😂 Thanks Rob!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Most welcome!

[@coling3957]

My uncle Rob was Bren gunner in Korea.. where he was wounded. Sent to hospital in Singapore, he was released after operation and short rehab, and instead of returning to Korea he was deployed in Malaya , the Emergency, where he took part in patrols, again as Bren gunner.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@English.Andy1]

Fantastic. Very well put together indeed. The knowledge & research - brilliant 👍

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jon2bec2]

You too an excellent job on your videos, I find you funny, amusing, yet your information is serious. I'll give you the highest praise. Keep it up

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Glad you enjoy things here on the Channel! Cheers!

[@TheThingInMySink]

I knew there's was going to be a ''It's me bren gun'' bit in here.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Haha!

[@philipsmith7913]

An excellent and detailed overview of the Bren. My dad told me that the Bren was passed around the section (RAF Regiment WW2) for carrying as it was quite heavy.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

A common occurrence in various ways, yes...

[@eariamjh71]

Was hoping that you would slip in "it's me Bren gun" from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Wasn't dissapointed.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Ta-Dah!

[@chrisbullard8038]

Outstanding!!! Great partnership from all involved. Thanks.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@dcnumber9]

Well, Christmas came early

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Ho ho ho!

[@PLAYINGAROUND]

Absolutely flippin' trebrendous Rob! And all the others, Mae, Othias and all! Wondeful stuff!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@demos113]

Lovely work. 🙂👍

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@whatnowstinky]

I was so pleased to see Veronica Foster made the cut. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Had to have included her!

[@boozeandbullets2084]

ho ho ho now i have a machine gun

[@rayoung74]

Now that is the true spirit of Xmas and it's a hill I'm willing to die hard on!!

[@mattigator600]

Yippie kie yay muzzle loader

[@joebuettner7689]

You beat me to making this comment.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Well, not so much "have",.....

[@williampascoe7954]

Very informative, thank you. I volunteer at the Shuttleworth Collection in the UK and, in addition to a Bofors gun we have two Mk1 Bren guns that are very popular attractions on airshow days. I now feel I have a lot more information - thanks again

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@robertsantamaria6857]

Cavalry with sabers and a Bren. I never expected to see that.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Weird, eh?

[@RichardCorongiu]

Nice research and well presented. I'll use this to make it look like I know what I'm talking about 😮

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Haha!

[@Treblaine]

So soldiers carried far more ammunition for the Bren than their own rifles. The Bren really was a center of the Commonwealth forces firepower.

[@zoiders]

Nothing really changes. Its still common for riflemen to be festooned with link to feed the GPMG.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Indeed!

[@Cpt-Jamsandwich]

Fantastic video, very much looking forward to what's to come!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@SergioGomez-ib2te]

No todos los superheroes llevan capa, a veces se visten de epoca ❤

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers!

[@peterphillips9251]

Fired one on of these in cadets in 303. Had one issued to our section in the gulf war in 762. REME 19sqn RCT. All of us were trained on it. Brilliant bit of kit. Bit heavy but so reliable.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice!

[@davidhobson7652]

My own Grandfather was a Bren gunner mk1 version I believe which is most likely still laying somewhere in the jungles of Papua New Guinea after he got wounded in battle, he passed on in 2018 age 99 and will never be forgotten,

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you for sharing.

[@davidhobson7652]

@@britishmuzzleloaders my grandfathers wartime during Kokoda campaign in Papua New Guinea wasn't just the fighting up until getting wounded but also the survival against the jungle conditions itself there was no immediate evacuation of wounded, there were a dozen wounded along with him that were cared for by two soldiers that stayed behind 25 to 30 days behind Japanese lines, sadly from what my grandfather said that he and one other made it back to Port Moresby the other soldier passed away soon after arriving though, and the two soldiers that cared for them remained friends with him My grandfather did sometimes saying funny thing like how challenging it was trying to hide his 6ft height and stature behind skinning trees in the jungle He preferred the Bren gun and its gunsight over his Lee Enfield wasn't much of a shot using its ironsights

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

Excellent video. I was introduced to the Bren in the Air Cadets in the early 80s. I then used the GPMG in the RAF in the late 80s.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nice!

[@jamesterrynewton4794]

29:46 That’s some rough terrain you are operating in. Kinda like a war zone with all the debris!

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Indeed!

[@gannonwoods2456]

Wonderful job as always. Can't wait for your Lewis footage with C&Rsenal

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I'll get to it eventually!

[@jakublulek3261]

Great-grandfather served as a Bren gun second gunner from 1941 to 1944. His job was to carry all the tools, spare barrels and big bag of spare magazines. He even jumped with all that gear during the Market Garden, and because first gunner got hit while on the plane, he also took Bren gun with him. But he found out ground is approaching a bit too quickly, so at the last moment he let go of the magazine bag to not kill himself. And as an interesting story aside, he was also on the set of The Bridge Too Far as a military advisor/veteran. He and couple of stunt men got drunk, he told them this story and they were like: "Nah, you are pulling our leg, mate!" So he made a bet with them, that he will recreate that jump again, 35 years later. And he survived, with broken ancle and big respect from all the stunt guys. But when production company found out, they kicked him out from the set.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing!

[@gyrene_asea4133]

Top notch presentation. Thank you Rob.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@blackhill6426]

It’s me Bren gun 😂. Love it .

[@EXO9X8]

May you live longer than these tyrannical laws set upon us if you are the owner.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Indeed!

[@BerndFelsche]

Great video that shows how infantry tactics evolved to exploit the advantage of highly mobile firepower, especially at section level.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thank you!

[@Mag_Aoidh]

Good lord, Commandos at 5:22 have 4 Brens, an MP40, an M1 carbine and a Thompson.

[@zoiders]

Go heavy or go home.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

I know!

[@johngreen-sk4yk]

An excellent & well researched presentation Rob , and a subject dear to my heart as former section L4 bren lmg gunner in my distant youth . The ww2 style rifle team and gun group section tactics were still being practiced by the British army right up to the 1980,s , when the advent of the new fangled SA80 weapon system changed things .

[@zoiders]

With the Sharpshooters rifle being introduced it's very much a case that the old gun group/rifle group tactic has returned. Fire teams bounding forward seemed nice in theory but in action fire and manoeuvre by pairs seems to be the go to.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Thanks for sharing! Good memories!

[@helmutgrunther8722]

This is excellent, may i suggest Boys ATR for 100000 subscriber special?

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Wouldn't that be great!

[@evanswinford7165]

My friend built a Bren from a cut up surplus one and a semi auto kit available in the states at the time. You pull that out of the case at the range and everybody stops shooting to look. It's a lot of fun to shoot too.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cool!

[@peternicol3439]

Oh No! He's gone Automatic.😳 Should this channel now be BritishRockandLockers???

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Haha!

[@johnkovalsky9878]

The reenactment at 29:25 is incredible. Well done.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

A bit of a complication with some older footage, but thanks!

[@MrSomethingdark]

This isn't a British muzzleloader!

[@mattigator600]

She can load your muzzle with 500 slugs a minute 😂

[@SergioGomez-ib2te]

Is the chistsmars magic 🤗

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Nope.

[@vincetytler6175]

Excellent introduction, I am looking forward to the rest of the series

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Cheers V!

[@muhammadnursyahmi9440]

I heard in Malayan Emergency, Bren gunners are primary targets of CT (communist terrorists), because the firepower that they bring in a battle. Bear in mind that the CTs are armed primarily with Arisaka rifles that were either confiscated or stolen from the Japanese.

[@Randomly_Browsing]

MCP(AKA Malayan Communist Party) also had many British unsurrender weapons and supplier from Thailand

[@zoiders]

Bren gunners were often the lead scout so I think you may be conflating the incidental with the deliberate. Contact ranges were also very close so the CTs didn't really get to pick their target. Colonial Police patrols were also armed with a lot of M1 carbines. The army and marines acquired a lot of Browning Auto 5 shot guns as well as Australian Owen submachine guns. Even a rifle section armed with the usual mix of No 5 rifles and Brens would be a tough nut to crack. The number of infantry deployed to Malaya was actually larger than the entire British infantry today. The CTs were in for a hiding at the hands of an army that wrote the book on small unit infanteering in the jungle.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

LMG gunners have been and always will be a peculiar target... speaks to their importance.

[@markjennings2315]

Many thanks, this was a great incite to my studies of my great uncle who thought in the infantry right from an 18 year old and Dunkerque across africa and italy and finally being KIA in the assault on Caen D-day+6. He died as a Seargent in his Bren carrier.

[@britishmuzzleloaders]

Wow,... thank you for sharing.