Item:
ONJR25MYBG020

Original Cold War Era Italian Licensed .30-06 Bren MkII Display Light Machine Gun by Breda with Magazine and Transit Chest

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very interesting example of the iconic Bren MkII Light Machine gun, as used by British forces during WWII. This example however was made years after the war was over, and was produced in Italy under license for use during the Cold War Era. This is the first time that we have had one of these, and these "Italian Bren" or "Breda Bren" guns are quite rare.

The display gun was built from all original parts on an original BATF compliant non-firing display receiver, making it a 100% legal Display Machine gun. This receiver was created by using portions of the original torch cut receiver, including the barrel bushing, combined with some new made steel portions. It has properly had a 25% section of the total length completely replaced entirely with solid steel bar stock. Meaning a 1/4 length section of the display receiver is solid steel, making this totally legal to own without a license of any kind. Every part on this display gun is original WWII manufacture other than 25% of the receiver replaced by solid steel (as required by BATF).

These little known Breda-made Bren light machineguns were made in Italy from 1959 until the mid 1970’s for the Corpo Delle Guardie (Corps of Guards), a blanket term for paramilitary police. These were responsible for guarding all government infrastructure, serving as bodyguards, making strikes on the Mafia / Organized Crime, and suppression of political radicals. They were all produced in U.S. .30-06 Caliber, however are always marked as 7.62mm, which is exactly .30" in metric.

The very back of the receiver on this example is marked with serial number PS1331, and the model maker marking is still clearly marked on the right side of the receiver:

BREN Mk II Cal. 7.62

Just forward of this marking is the correct BMB stamp, indicating manufacture by Breda Meccanica Brescia, the same factory that designed and produced several machine guns during the WWII Period in Italy. There are no date markings on the receiver, however the barrel is dated 1959, and there are additional markings elsewhere, including another BMB on the magazine well dust cover. The display gun has the correct MkII style butt stock with a bent steel butt plate, which is the version that without a shoulder lip on the top. There is a sling swivel on a bolster on the right side, and the tripod mounting pin is still intact and functional.

The front of the gun has a deactivated Italian 7.62mm MkII barrel assembly fitted, which which was cut up into multiple pieces and had the chamber deactivated for importation. At present it is not easily removable from the gun. It comes with an original Italian Bren magazine, which will be deactivated where required.

The display gun comes complete with an original transit chest, which measures 49 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 11 1/4"x, and is in very good condition. It shows some wear to the exterior, but both of the rope carry handles are still present, as well as the latches on the front for the lid. The internal separators and supports all look to be present, and there is an original aluminum handled cleaning rod on the inside of the lid. There is even the original bolt and gas piston assembly inside, not used during construction of the display gun. The front of the chest is marked as follows:

FUCILE MITRAGLIATORE BREN MK II CAL. 7.62

CORPO DELLE GUARDIE DI P. S. ..

1 1 8 2

Overall it is in very good condition, and will make a great addition to any machine gun collection. Pistol grip and butt stock are in solid shape, with a great color and patina of age, though as with most there is some splitting on the top of the butt stock, repaired long ago. The rear sight is still functional, and the magazine well dust cover is present.

A very attractive display piece for any collection!

The Bren was a licensed version of the Czechoslovak ZGB 33 light machine gun which, in turn, was a modified version of the ZB vz. 26, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. The later Bren featured a distinctive top-mounted curved box magazine, conical flash hider, and quick change barrel. The name Bren was derived from Brno, the Czechoslovak city in Moravia, where the Zb vz. 26 was designed (in the Zbrojovka Brno Factory) and Enfield, site of the British Royal Small Arms Factory. The designer was Václav Holek, a gun inventor and design engineer.

The Bren was originally very close to the Czech ZB vz 30 in construction, with carefully machined lightening cuts, dovetails, and other precision design elements. However, with the massive loss of arms during the evacuation at Dunkirk, the British Military needed a lot more Bren guns, and fast. Very quickly, a modified MkI Bren, called either the MkIM or MkI*, was introduced, which removed a lot of the bevels and lightening cuts that were machined into the original receiver. The complicated front adjustable bipod was also replaced by one with fixed legs. The extra sight dovetail on the left side was removed completely as well.

However, at the same time the MkI Modified was being developed, plans were already in motion for an even simpler redesign for new production lines that were not already set up to make the MkIM This new design involved a much simpler squared rear receiver, and did away with the complicated dial-driven rear sight. Instead a standard fold-away ladder sight was developed. The rear butt stock was dramatically simplified in design, being more of a slab, and it had a simple bent steel butt plate that screwed directly onto the wood. The MkI had a utilized a stamped "Cup" that snapped into special slots, and had a fold-away shoulder rest.

The most noticeable change to the layman however would be the new barrel. gone was the long stainless steel barrel shroud and flash hider that extended to the gas regulator. Instead, the flash hider was now pressed onto the end of the barrel, and was only about 3 inches long in total, with the front sight another piece that was pressed on. All of these changes together dramatically sped up production.

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