The Tank Museum

Simple and effective, the Bren was the premier light machine gun of the Second World War.

Built under license in the UK, its name was a combination of the location of its Czech designers, Brno, and British manufacturers, Enfield.

Canada built the Mk I(M) variant, pictured here. It was based on the British Mk I with only minor variations. Unlike the UK, who moved to the cheaper Mk II following Dunkirk, Canada kept producing these throughout the war.

The Bren remained in British service in the mounted and dismounted roles until 1992.

3 days ago | [YT] | 4,301



@dmoreoboe

That's a very interesting tank, never seen one quite like it

3 days ago | 74  

@whatsmynameagain691

The Bren gun was so special they named the vehicle that carried it after it.

3 days ago | 95

@HarrowsThoms

The 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it" of light machine guns

3 days ago (edited) | 53  

@awesomehpt8938

This machine gun made the Bob semple unstoppable.

3 days ago | 38

@johnmboon

My father in law used one of these in a Bren Carrier when German tanks first arrived in the desert and put Britain on the back foot. On one occasion that meant frontally charging the tanks with the order to fire at the enemy turret rings to try to jam their turret traverse by lodging bullets between turret and hull. He survived, to his own surprise

3 days ago (edited) | 4  

@S.e.e.t.e.u.f.e.l

The Bren gun was popular among German soldiers as a captured weapon. The Czech (original) model (ZB vz. 26) was also used and further produced by the Wehrmacht.

3 days ago | 30

@aaronswarhistory

My Dovetail mk1 Bren is smiling back at me as I hit like!

3 days ago | 15  

@yellowprime8491

L4a4 Bren guns of the Royal Marines helped take down a Puma helicopter and riddle an Argentine Corvette's bridge in the Falklands / Malvinas. 💪

3 days ago | 14

@ardshielcomplex8917

We Aussies were still carrying them in 7.62m right up to the late 1980s.

3 days ago | 8  

@icky_mack

"why that's my bren".

3 days ago | 14  

@gameking50P

Good, easy to use, rugged, easy to maintain, cheap and easy to build and not too bulky to carry! Pretty much the perfect LMG

3 days ago | 2  

@boydsinclair7606

"What's that?" "This? It's my Bren gun, init."

3 days ago | 1  

@garyoksanen7988

Canada also sent Brens to Nationalist China. They had Chinese markings. Likely got there by the Burma Road.

3 days ago | 15

@bryant7201

On the triangle of armor, mobility, and firepower, this leans heavily into firepower.

2 days ago | 0

@seanlander9321

Same with Australia, it stuck to making the Mk1 version.

3 days ago | 4

@DrSabot-A

A weapon so influential, several languages called "machine guns" in general as "Bren gun" for a good chunk of time (Indonesian, Malayan, Cambodian)

2 days ago | 1

@terrym3837

My old dad used one between 42-45 and he said it was a good weapon keep it clean and all was well

2 days ago | 0  

@davey7452

The Valentine tank had a Bren gun mount on the turrent for the tank commander, it looks like a small overhead crane connected to the Bren by overhead wires and capible of using a 100 round drum magazine.

1 day ago | 0

@mikelamothesr.8998

My mother assembled Bren guns during the war.

2 days ago | 0  

@sharpe67

Beautiful

2 days ago | 1