The Bren was also renowned for its accuracy, so much that there is a persistent myth that it was too accurate and British machine gunners would deliberately damage the barrel so as to increase the spread and make it perform better at suppressing enemies. The weapon's low rate of fire (500-520 rpm) allowed it to keep firing for much longer, while changing an overheated barrel was quite simple. Its 30-round box magazines limited its firepower (100-round pan magazines also existed for it, but the original iron sights couldn't be used while they were fitted and they were restricted to anti-aircraft use), but they were much quicker to change, and their gravity-assisted feed made them more reliable, especially when firing prone.
The name 'Bren' is a contraction of 'Brno' (where the Czechoslovak original was developed) and 'Enfield' (where the British version was adapted). 26, with its caliber changed to the standard. The standard light machine gun of the British Empire and Commonwealth nations in World War II, and remained in limited use all the way into the early 1990s and was kept in reserve until 2006, considered one of the finest and most reliable light machine guns ever made.Įasily recognized by its distinctive top-mounted removable box magazine, the Bren was adapted from the Czechoslovak ZB vz.
