Bren gun too accurate - myth ?

[breacher]

I remember reading the story about the Bren Gun being too accurate ( for its role ) and WW2 soldiers tampered with the muzzle crown to broaden its cone of fire.

Myth ?

[Andy632]

Myth, no such thing as a too accurate gun.

[Gazza]

I've heard this also. I also heard the rounds were loaded with three different charges so there was some "spread"

[Andy632]

Never heard of the different loads myth before, standard ammo for the Bren was the .303 Mk7 ball round. It would have been a logistical nightmare to have mixed loaded ball ammo.

[BamBam]

Only people who have never fired a light machine gun would ever say it was too accurate.

[GeeRam]

Never heard that mentioned during all the conversations with WW2 vets that were Bren gunners, my late father included.
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....

[waterford103]

I fired both .303 and the 7.62 updated ones both very accurate but not better than the service rifle of the time .I short bursts , double tap or triple it was very consistent and hits on fig 11s were easily possible out to 600 yds but never forget that it was / is , a machine gun firing from an open bolt Barrel changes had to be made frequently when on sustained fire but it was a very reliable gun . I liked the gun but not the weight , you deffo needed a second man to carry all the ammo and spare barrel.

[Sim G]

The L4A4 was a very accurate gun considering the change barrel facility and the open bolt mechanism. I liked it, liked it a lot. But how you could have differently loaded ammunition for the same gun is not believable. I certainly know that wasn’t the case with the L4 and WW2 production of ammo, no way...

The recent thread on a scoped MG42.... would be an interesting comparison.

[Webley]

On the ammo loading comment I recall reading somewhere that for the manufacture of some military rounds, the machines were calibrated before each run. The first X number of rounds were given to the snipers, then next part of the batch to the general infantry and the last of the batch went for the machine gunners. The theory being that the machines would get out of tolerance over the course of the batch running through. I can't recall which ammo/country/time period this was though.

Matt

[WelshShooter]

There was a scene in "Siege of Jadotville" where the Irish UN Peacekeepers were defending a compound and decided to use their Bren gun in single fire for a long distance shot instead of using their No4 Mk1 (T). Not sure if it's true or Hollywood "artistic licence" but thought it would be interesting to add to this thread.