100rnd Bren Drum Magazine

D

domus.don

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While cleaning an old WWII Bren drum magazine today, I came across a couple rounds of 1943 dated ammunition still in the drum. These two last rounds along with the "guide bullet" were left in the drum from what seems to be the only time it would of been loaded. The wear patterns on the drum suggest that it was not loaded more then a couple times.

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Cool little find that I wanted to share.

Cheers!
 

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x westie said:
I’m not the familiar with the 100 round Bren Mag, was this mainly used in a anti aircraft role
Click to expand...

Someone with more knowledge then me can properly answer this but I believe that when their role as AA became obsolete due to advancements in aircraft technology, they were used on vehicles.
 
I just picked up a full set of 4 in the crate with the loading tools etc about 3 weeks back. They were heavily greased which required full disassembly and cleaning. All 4 had exactly what you show.....3 rounds. I believe they were necessary in order to guide the first live rounds around the corner into the drum.

I already had one, which I would often display on my UC. Most guys think it's a Lewis with the drum installed. One of the photos below is from a Brandon cruise night about a year back....you can just make out the drum on top of the carrier. Of the roughly 300 vehicles there, can you guess which one made the local paper?

 

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I have an empty crate too,,,, I have been looking also for years for the 100 rnd bren drum. So if anyone has a lead on another one,, or complete crate with mags,,, im buying,,,, please let me know
 
In Canada, Kalvinator of Canada made these drums. They also made sten mags, as evidenced by the KC found on most Cdn magazines.

I have an original Kalvinator of Canada packing list from the bren drum chest. Note the date of 1943, which shows these stayed in production perhaps a little longer than most think. The holding tool was also built onto the Canadian mk2 Universal (bren) carrier....further evidence that the drums were still in use this late in the war. Of course, all this was still a while before D-day.

I have several of the Canadian wooden chests for the drums.....they pop up at gunshows, farm auctions, etc. Rarely with the dividers mind you. Who knows where all the magazines went.

I do not have a Canadian Kalvinator drum mag....all mine are British made (I think). Further evidence that I don't get nuthin......:(
 

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the one I had in the past also had 3 rounds. the first one was a steel one then 2 brass dummys, that's how they are supposed to be for feeding, as has been said allready
 
stencollector said:
I just picket up a full set of 4 in the crate with the loading tools etc about 3 weeks back. They were heavily greased which required full disassembly and cleaning. All 4 had exactly what you show.....3 rounds. I believe they were necessary in order to guide the first live rounds around the corner into the drum.

I already had one, which I would often display on my UC. Most guys think it's a Lewis with the drum installed. One of the photos below is from a Brandon cruise night about a year back....you can just make out the drum on top of the carrier. Of the roughly 300 vehicles there, can you guess which one made the local paper?

Click to expand...

That RSM's face is the same as my RSM's face the day BEARDFORGEN was out :p


Edit: damn all the pictures didnt follow
 
the 'U' prefix shows they are inspector's dummies, provided in order to check functioning, rather than drill cartridges for instruction.
 
stencollector said:
In Canada, Kalvinator of Canada made these drums. They also made sten mags, as evidenced by the KC found on most Cdn magazines.

I have an original Kalvinator of Canada packing list from the bren drum chest. Note the date of 1943, which shows these stayed in production perhaps a little longer than most think. The holding tool was also built onto the Canadian mk2 Universal (bren) carrier....further evidence that the drums were still in use this late in the war. Of course, all this was still a while before D-day.

I have several of the Canadian wooden chests for the drums.....they pop up at gunshows, farm auctions, etc. Rarely with the dividers mind you. Who knows where all the magazines went.

I do not have a Canadian Kalvinator drum mag....all mine are British made (I think). Further evidence that I don't get nuthin......:(
Click to expand...

Not surprising, really. so much of WWII procurement went along the following lines:

Step #1: (Frontline command) Oh, lord! We don't have enough of Gadget X! We need Gadget X! We need 1000's of Gadget X, or we're doomed... DOOMED!

(weeks pass)

Step #2: (REMF) I say, old chap, the lads are asking for Gadget X. Do we have any spare? No? Lost all our spares in Dunkirk you say? Tusk tusk. The Lads really should be more careful with their kit. Well, forward this on to the Ministry, and have them take a look into getting some extras whipped up. In the meantime, give the Lads a few of Gadget W we have left over from the last dust up, tell them to make do, we all have to make sacrifices and whatnot.

(weeks pass)

Step #3: (Ministry Office) Request for material, well, the Minister is awfully busy at the moment. Terribly busy man. Very important you know. Has the Ear of the Prime Minister, and Tea with the King. Not sure we want to interupt him with some request that's worked its way up from the Other Ranks. What? Oh, an Officer asked for it? Well, why didn't you say so. We'll get that put on the agenda to discuss post-haste.

(weeks pass)

Step #4: Various ministerial sackings bury the request in the pile of un-discussed items.

(weeks pass)

Step #5: (the latest Minister finally gets wind of the request while chatting at "The Club" with one of his subordinates). I say! This looks rather urgent. Pencil it in to discuss in Cabinet.

And on and on.

By the time the needed item wends its way through the bureaucracy, funding is allotted, the orders are sent out, factories tooled up, and it goes into production... Years have elapsed and the item has been superseded by something from the Lend Lease program. But the wheels are in motion, money allotted, contracts awarded, etc. so the item gets produced, regardless of the fact that it's no longer needed or particularly relevant to evolving events in the field.
 
Your drum is 100% correct.
The follower last two cartridges are correct . The hard thing to find is the links joining them.
The look like aircraft browning links but are not and the browning links will not work.
The links are a dedicated link to the drum.
Canadian ones were made by Kelvinator in London I believe and they made a piss pot of them.
I believe it was around 125 or 250 thousand.
I cannot get to my records right now.
 
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