Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

Pre 1945 action rifles. Muzzle loading.

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MrD
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#31 Post by MrD »

kennyc wrote:at this point I would love to show the Bren gun scene in Carry on Sergeant, where Bob Monkhouse assembles one from parts in an admirably short time.....unfortunately some bugger has had it pulled because of copywrite wallhead
It's really noticeable in the 50s/60s war movies how familiar most of the actors were with wearing the equipment, handling weapons and behaving like servicemen/women - eg being able to correctly stand to attention, salute etc. Although some are quite cheesey, I like that feel of authenticity. I know 'The Longest Day' has factual errors, but the fact that a lot of the crew had personal involvement in WW2 make it almost have a documentary feel.
Really pees me off that in most modern films, no one seems to care about the correct weapons/uniforms or behaviour. With CGI it's as easy to get the details right rather than wrong. I couldn't make myself watch all of the 2017 version of Dunkirk, whereas the 1958 version, albeit full of 'stiff upper lip' is still worth watching.

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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#32 Post by GeeRam »

MrD wrote:
kennyc wrote:at this point I would love to show the Bren gun scene in Carry on Sergeant, where Bob Monkhouse assembles one from parts in an admirably short time.....unfortunately some bugger has had it pulled because of copywrite wallhead
It's really noticeable in the 50s/60s war movies how familiar most of the actors were with wearing the equipment, handling weapons and behaving like servicemen/women - eg being able to correctly stand to attention, salute etc. Although some are quite cheesey, I like that feel of authenticity. I know 'The Longest Day' has factual errors, but the fact that a lot of the crew had personal involvement in WW2 make it almost have a documentary feel.
Really pees me off that in most modern films, no one seems to care about the correct weapons/uniforms or behaviour. With CGI it's as easy to get the details right rather than wrong. I couldn't make myself watch all of the 2017 version of Dunkirk, whereas the 1958 version, albeit full of 'stiff upper lip' is still worth watching.

Donald
Very true.

I did a bit of extras work on WW2 films 20 odd years, and some of my friends from Living History groups did a lot more than me, and often were in a battle with the film directors/etc about what was correct and what wasn't.
A lot of the time, they simply didn't care, and other times they have employed someone as historical advisor, who actually often didn't know jack and didn't like being told they were wrong by a bunch of extras.
As you say, its for this reasons that 40's/50's era WW2 films are way more authentic in terms of actor behavior and attitude.
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Strangely Brown
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#33 Post by Strangely Brown »

GeeRam wrote: I did hear that the ever enterprising Aussie's increased the rate of fire of there's, I think from memory by replacing the return spring from something else, from what exactly has escaped my dulled aging memory though.... 8-)
Apparently the spring from a Mills 36M grenade was used due to its stiffness, I doubt any of us from my service timeframe would have the guts to tamper with the L4A4!
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#34 Post by Strangely Brown »

Andy632 wrote:
Ralph wrote:My farther used to say they used to bang their hand on the side of the gun wile it was firing to spread things about a bit,
he also told of cutting trees down with them, He also said they had brackets on their 25 Pounders that they fitted a bren to
for 25 pounder practice.

Can't believe that one either, when I fired the L4, both hands were fully occupied and it was easy to sweep it about to change targets. Can't image the No.2 gunner having time to do it either.
Yes it really did exist!
Often used for anti tank practice on 30 metre barrack ranges, you have to remember that the 25 Pdr went out of front line (regular) service in 1963/64 but was retained for training and territorial units until the late 1970's.
One was fitted up for the cadets to use at Larkhill day in 1966 and from memory this was still a feature in the early 1970's. The target they used at Larkhill was an old armoured Humber 1 ton (Pig) just before they were pressed into service again for Northern Ireland.
However the fitting I remember as a young army cadet in the early 1960's in our local TA unit had a No.8 Lee Enfield fitted to it. The targets were hard rubber model tanks about 5" inches in length.
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Dark Skies
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#35 Post by Dark Skies »

I can't ever imagine that being the case. The ordinary soldier couldn't even use the gauze in his cleaning kit without permission from an officer, let alone tamper with issued weapons.
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#36 Post by GeeRam »

Strangely Brown wrote:
GeeRam wrote: I did hear that the ever enterprising Aussie's increased the rate of fire of there's, I think from memory by replacing the return spring from something else, from what exactly has escaped my dulled aging memory though.... 8-)
Apparently the spring from a Mills 36M grenade was used due to its stiffness
Aah yes, that's it.
Thanks for filling in the gaps in my decaying grey matter cheers
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Dark Skies
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#37 Post by Dark Skies »

kennyc wrote:at this point I would love to show the Bren gun scene in Carry on Sergeant, where Bob Monkhouse assembles one from parts in an admirably short time.....unfortunately some bugger has had it pulled because of copywrite wallhead
Never mind. How about this instead?
http://thumbpress.com/british-sten-gun- ... 2E6YN.dpbs
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kennyc
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#38 Post by kennyc »

Dark Skies wrote:
kennyc wrote:at this point I would love to show the Bren gun scene in Carry on Sergeant, where Bob Monkhouse assembles one from parts in an admirably short time.....unfortunately some bugger has had it pulled because of copywrite wallhead
Never mind. How about this instead?
http://thumbpress.com/british-sten-gun- ... 2E6YN.dpbs
closest I can get

hqdefault.jpg
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GeeRam
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#39 Post by GeeRam »

Dark Skies wrote:
kennyc wrote:at this point I would love to show the Bren gun scene in Carry on Sergeant, where Bob Monkhouse assembles one from parts in an admirably short time.....unfortunately some bugger has had it pulled because of copywrite wallhead
Never mind. How about this instead?
http://thumbpress.com/british-sten-gun- ... 2E6YN.dpbs
:D

I see that a suitable heavy 'gentle persuasion' device is close to hand......

Probably the only tool required for STEN assembly lol
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breacher
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Re: Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

#40 Post by breacher »

I remember reading another similar story in a novel I read years ago. Set in Vietnam, the author referred to using a round file horizontally across the muzzle of his M16 to create what he called a "boars tooth". And this was supposed to make the bullet tumble a LOT. Now, that one surely must be myth or creativity on the part of the author ?
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