As discussed in the main introduction, the Bren was first produced at the RSAF Enfield in 1937.

Each gun weighed 22lb 2oz (10kg), was 45.5 in. (1155 mm) long and had a rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute.

It fired the .303 in (7.7 mm) standard British rifle round.

The barrel was 25 in. long with a concentric, right handed, six groove rifling which offered one complete rotation for every 10 in. (total of 2.5)

Sights were a bladed foresight with an aperture rear sight.

System feed was a vertical box magazine of 30 round capacity (usual practice was to only fill to 28 in order to prolong the spring's life); each magazine weighed 17oz (0.48kg) empty and 2lb 12 oz (1.25kg) full.

The following photographs are of our 1938 dated A series, which is correct in every detail as how it would have gone to war in 1939 (apart from the barrel which is a MkI* which was adopted after the original MkI barrels were discovered to be prone to jamming after prolonged periods of fire, this being caused by an excessive build-up of carbon in the gas regulator). For an example of an actual MkI barrel please see the Trial Gun page.