The Bren Light Machine Gun: Introduction

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While this video deals mostly with British and Empire/Commonwealth usage of the Bren during the Second World War, there is an incomplete post war history contained as well. Mention of generalities is of course included, but an exhaustive listing of second line and reserve use into the latter decade of the 20th and the early 21st century is not complete... Australia and the Republic of Ireland are two such countries where the Bren in either 7.62 or 303 remained in ever decreasing numbers in various armouries and military locations into the 21st century... Please pardon the incomplete listing of these examples...
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26 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 1 тыс.

@kenlansing1216 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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

@VonTurtle8282 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

@@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.

@cynderfan2233 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

And the Lewis before!

@TheSpritz0 8 месяцев назад

@@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 8 месяцев назад

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.

@dakiler2028 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

@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 9 месяцев назад

@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 9 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing!

@kbjerke 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

So sorry for your loss respect to your late father

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Thank you for sharing.

@kevinmullner4280 8 месяцев назад

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 8 месяцев назад

@@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 4 месяца назад

Incredible History Great Vibe

@72mossy 7 месяцев назад

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 7 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing!

@Rkolb2798 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

I'll say!

@allyreneepenny9447 9 месяцев назад

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

@wodens-hitman1552 7 месяцев назад

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

@dreww3810 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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

@HaloFTW55 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Indeed.

@merekgrimaldus9865 9 месяцев назад

Can we not overlook how slick the rifle firing was 👏

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@Schlachtschule 10 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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

@exploatores 9 месяцев назад

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

@mistermurtad2831 9 месяцев назад

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

@stevenbridge 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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

@terryharris1291 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Such a long service history...

@christopherreed4723 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Nice!

@msngrpat 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@bootyssweatlodge2411 9 месяцев назад

"...Two smoking barrels... *slow head turn to stare at camera*" I felt the collective "nice" resonate around the globe.

@SnakebitSTI 9 месяцев назад

It really Snatched people's attention.

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Haha!

@cedhome7945 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

I must admit I do not remember that discussion point.

@muhammadnursyahmi9440 9 месяцев назад

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 8 месяцев назад

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.

@BoerChris 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Nice!

@SmittyMRE 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

My father was in the CBH, B company

@SmittyMRE 9 месяцев назад

@@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 9 месяцев назад

Great! Thank you for sharing!

@williammoss6142 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

@@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.

@davekrab3363 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing!

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Lots of range time yet to come!

@Dav1Gv 8 месяцев назад

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.

@vickersmg 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers, Rich!

@MarksmanTV 9 месяцев назад

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 8 месяцев назад

Thank you kindly!

@Robin6512 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@MerihemXx 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

I'll say!

@HarryFlashmanVC 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing!

@joearledge 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Very kind. Cheers!

@dcnumber9 9 месяцев назад

Well, Christmas came early

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Ho ho ho!

@andyedwards9222 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

All kinds of stories! Cheers!

@thesalopian1389 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Very kind.

@WPZCobra 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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

@andrewsema359 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@remko1238 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@MrOlgrumpy 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Haha! Cheers!

@88porpoise 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

For sure!

@howelltaylor6774 9 месяцев назад

Merry Christmas everyone and a happy Bren new year!

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@aaronleverton4221 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Bluey probably needs another no 2 by now.

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Used all over the globe.

@SnoopReddogg 9 месяцев назад

That Bren footage was a set up just for footage.

@aaronleverton4221 9 месяцев назад

@@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.

@tastesofhistory4560 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thank you kindly!

@fhsreelfilms 3 месяца назад

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 3 месяца назад

It will all come in time, for sure!

@sherwoodforester4666 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@CheaplyAnimatedLenin 7 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 7 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@CheaplyAnimatedLenin 7 месяцев назад

@@britishmuzzleloaders cheers

@jamesl5455 10 месяцев назад

fanastic vid, well done!

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Glad you enjoyed it!

@stevenbridge 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing!

@ekim000 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Thank you!

@lib556 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Indeed, yes.

@Chiller11 8 месяцев назад

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

@coling3957 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing!

@mpersad 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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

@matthewfish6113 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

And to you!

@Treblaine 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Indeed!

@gannonwoods2456 5 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 5 месяцев назад

I'll get to it eventually!

@jondavidmcnabb 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Maybe one day.

@hankcuccina5260 21 день назад

I remember that you had to be careful of hot shells being directed down the front of your shirt. Also, if i remember correctly, you had to have your legs and feet together ,as when shooting ,it pulled forward. It used 303 rounds too.

@britishmuzzleloaders 13 дней назад

Yes, the approved Bren firing position!

@johnsmithh662 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Thank you kindly!

@bbainter7880 8 месяцев назад

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 8 месяцев назад

Would have been an interesting conversation!

@boozeandbullets2084 9 месяцев назад

ho ho ho now i have a machine gun

@rayoung74 9 месяцев назад

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

@mattigator600 9 месяцев назад

Yippie kie yay muzzle loader

@joebuettner7689 9 месяцев назад

You beat me to making this comment.

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

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

@HarryFlashmanVC 9 месяцев назад

Now that David Fletcher has finally retired from the Tank Museum in Bovington, we need to petition King Charles III that the title of 'Keeper of the Imperial Moustache ' should be awarded to Rob!

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Haha!

@jakublulek3261 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thanks for sharing!

@jon2bec2 8 месяцев назад

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 8 месяцев назад

Glad you enjoy things here on the Channel! Cheers!

@Alcochaser 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Haha!

@vickersmg 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

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

@robertsantamaria6857 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Weird, eh?

@williampascoe7954 Месяц назад

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 28 дней назад

Cheers!

@SKNAZIR-sx1th 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@NickSchoonwinkel 7 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 7 месяцев назад

Wow!

@nicktrueman224 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

It was a grand time, yes.

@patrickholt2270 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@davidhobson7652 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thank you for sharing.

@davidhobson7652 9 месяцев назад

@@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

@vladimirputin7975 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Cheers.

@demos113 9 месяцев назад

Lovely work. 🙂👍

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Cheers!

@BerndFelsche 22 дня назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 13 дней назад

Thank you!

@kub998 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Thank you for your viewership!

@Able_Are 9 месяцев назад

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 9 месяцев назад

Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!

@kearnsey64 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Most welcome!

@larpingtonboogecke 9 месяцев назад

Outstanding video, cheers. And happy Christmas

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

And to you!

@eariamjh71 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Ta-Dah!

@martystacey4429 21 день назад

Oh happy days👌😎 As a former Sapper in the '70s, my first promotion (to L/Cpl) was greeted with the LMG to manage. I was like "wow thanks a million" (sarcasm) Quickly I learnt that I was blessed😉 Wonderful documentary and beautifully filmed and researched. You made an old man very proud❤🤍💙🇬🇧

@britishmuzzleloaders 13 дней назад

Cheers!

@blackhill6426 9 месяцев назад

It’s me Bren gun 😂. Love it .

@EXO9X8 9 месяцев назад

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

@britishmuzzleloaders 9 месяцев назад

Indeed!

@ascot4000 8 месяцев назад

Ah the sight of a British trooper, riding on a horse, with kit carried on donkeys, carrying a .303 Bren through the dust and rocks of the Hindu Kush. Truly a timeless sight to behold... the only oddity being the satcom 'tree' antenna and the bulky laser designator atop of one of the donkeys. I felt the urge to check my watch just to confirm I was still in the earliest part of the 21st century.

@britishmuzzleloaders 8 месяцев назад

Timeless...