The Bren MKII, The Best Light Machine Gun of WWII

The Bren Gun (Brno-Enfield) was a series of light machine guns (LMGs) made by the United Kingdom in the 1930s and was used in various roles until 1992. While it was best known for its role as the British Empire force's primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the latter half of the 20th century, including the 1982 Falklands War. The Bren gun was commonly fitted with a bipod, but it could also be mounted on a tripod or be vehicle-mounted.

Designed by Vaclav Holek, a gun inventor and design engineer, the Bren gun featured a distinctive top-mounted curved box magazine, conical flash hider, and a quick-change barrel assembly. The top-mounted magazine had the advantage of not interfering with the ground when firing from a prone position and boasted an exceptionally high accuracy for a machine gun, so much so that it was said to be capable of sniping from intermediate to long ranges. In the 1950s, many Bren guns were re-chambered to accept the modern 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge and modified to feed from the magazine for the L1 rifle, which was the Commonwealth version of the FN FAL rifle and was designated the L4 light machine gun, and remained in active service with second-line units until the 1991 Gulf War. The Bren gun was then manufactured by Indian Ordinance Factories as the "Gun Machine 7.62mm 1B" before it was finally discontinued in 2012.

Having been used on the front lines for over half a century, the Bren gun, with its rugged good looks and extreme reliability, is still highly regarded among military enthusiasts as the epitome of infantry weaponry that has left its mark on history.

Viva Arms has taken upon themselves to replicate the Bren machine gun in all its glory as a 1:1 Airsoft AEG replica. Featuring a specially designed gearbox system that utilizes standard V2 and V3 gearbox parts! Yes, you read that right! The same gearbox that is used for common AR and AK-style AEGs. This means that, though the gearbox shell and cylinder head are proprietary, you can upgrade most of the internals with the already commercially available plethora of V2 and V3 aftermarket parts, like the gear set (including the anti-reversal gear and latch), motor (V3 short-shaft), main spring, and piston assembly. The gearbox also utilizes heavy-duty 9mm steel bearings, allowing for an extremely smooth, yet reliable cyclic action! The battery compartment is located in the stock and is able to accommodate 9.6v Ni-MH & 7.4v Li-Po batteries and utilizes a Deans connector.

On the surface, Viva Arms made sure that the Bren gun is built to be as durable and robust as possible, all the while balancing the weight to make it more manageable during longer periods of skirmishes. For that, they opted to make the receiver and quick-change barrel assembly using CNC-machined 6061 Aluminum alloy. This allowed for more precise parts fitting, resulting in a very sturdy and stout overall gun assembly. They also went all out with the furniture of the machine gun, using real, straight-grain wood for the grip, stock, and carry handle shroud. The Bren gun also comes with a 180-round mid-cap magazine that is made using stamped steel sheets, giving the user ample ammunition per magazine. Because the Bren gun is a top-mounted magazine design, the sighting system is shifted off-center to the left side, giving the gun its iconic look. The sights are the same on the Viva Arms Bren and feature a set of metal iron sights, with the rear ladder sight being fully adjustable for both windage and elevation.

Viva Arms even replicated the aforementioned quick-change barrel assembly, allowing the user to quickly take down the gun for easier storage and transportation, plus it just looks freaking cool assembling the gun in the ready lobby of an Airsoft venue, and is sure to turn some heads. The take-down procedure is similar to the real Bren gun, where you simply depress the barrel latch located at the top rear section of the barrel assembly. Once depressed, slide the barrel straight forward and out of the receiver, and lift away!

Overall, the Viva Arms Bren (Brno-Enfield) Airsoft AEG light machine gun is an ode to the classic designs of older machine guns, with the Bren gun being one of the most accomplished in history to date, considering that it has been in service for over half a century and was only recently discontinued in 2012. The Viva Arms Bren AEG is a welcome addition to the arsenal of enthusiasts of historical firearms and collectors alike.

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Magazine Compatibility:

• Viva Arms Bren 180rnd Mid-Cap AEG Magazine

Includes:

• x1 Viva Arms Bren (Brno-Enfield) Airsoft AEG Light Machine Gun MK2 (FULL CNC)