BREN LIGHT MACHINE GUN MARK 1
During the early 1930s the British Army was searching for a Light Machine Gun which would show some improvement on the Lewis Machine Gun.
The Vickers-Berthier was the strongest contender, but before a decision had been
taken a British military attaché brought the Czech ZB VZ 26 Machine Gun to the army's attention. Specimens were obtained and it performed so creditably under test that it was adopted for service forthwith. The only difficulty was that the ZB vz 26 had been designed for the 7.92mm rimless cartridge, and so it had to be redesigned to accommodate the British .303in rimmed round, which accounts for the characteristic curved magazine of the Bren. Once the nessacary modifications had been made, the gun went into production at the Royal Small Arms factory at Enfield Lock in 1937. 

Entered British Army service August 1938. 

OPERATION
FEED 
COOLING
CALIBRE
CYCLIC  RATE OF FIRE 
SIGHTS
LENGTH  (OVERALL)
BARREL  LENGTH
WEIGHT  (UNLOADED)
MUZZLE  VELOCITY

GAS
30  ROUND DETACHABLE BOX MAGAZINE
AIR
.303  inch
500  RPM
2000  YARDS / 1829 METRES
45.25"  / 1156 mm
25"  /  635mm
22LB  / 10.15kg
2440  fps / 744 mps


 

REFERENCES

1. MILITARY SMALL ARMS OF THE 20TH CENTURY 4TH EDITION
By Ian Hogg & John Weeks 1981 DBI BOOKS ISBN 0-910676-28-3

2. MODERN SMALL ARMS
By Major Frederick Myatt MC 1979 SALAMANDER BOOKS ISBN 0-86101-024-8