We have an update on the BREN dummy gun. Initially we had hoped the 07 could bring it back to life as a semi-auto. Unfortunately, it may not make sense at this point. And we would be better off just purchasing a new parts kit.
See his report below. —Marky
First off who ever did this dummy gun was an over achiever! They went above and beyond to make sure the parts could never be used again. That’s if you straightened out the receiver.
Receiver:
Cutting it back up and straightening everything back up would be a nightmare. Originally the receiver is cut in a couple of places. Since it was welded up improperly it may have to be cut in several locations, or large segments removed to straighten it up. In short it would be easier to machine a new receiver.
The gas system in the receiver was also plugged. Removing the plug which is a weld, and God knows what else, would be a tooling and set up nightmare. Tooling alone to remove the plug would be a couple of hundred dollars.
Bar stock was welded into the receiver so a BCG couldn’t be installed. It could be removed when cut. But grinding the welds off internally would add hours of labor.
Barrel:
The chamber is plugged with a weld which wouldn’t be an issue if it wasn’t also cut.
The chamber is cut long ways muzzle to breech. That cut is also at least a 1/4” wide. The chamber contains all the pressure so welding that cut up is out of the question. If only plugged the plug could be removed then the chamber reamed. Again complete over kill.
Starting fresh with parts that has only been de-milled once would be much easier. If this was the last BREN on the planet, yes I could make it work. But it’s not.
-M
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
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