[Rosecity93]

Howdy All

I recently bought a Bren MkII kit and am looking for someone who can put it together for me. I have all the pieces, just not the equipment to assemble it. Any help is appreciated

 

[BobNPrc]

I had mine built by Lyndon Yates (Kiwi's Custom Guns) and could not be happier. A great job, it runs flawlessly, and the work was, in my opinion, first rate and reasonably priced, especially for what I got back. There was a wait, but it was worth it. He does various weapons in runs so you have to get on a list, and if he just finished a run of Brens it could be 8-12 months, maybe longer, before the next one. But once he gets it, he does it and you get it back in 1-3 months. He is NOT one of those "ship the parts kit and a check and hear nothing back for two years" guys. A professional operation. Send him an email. He responds pretty fast. An added benefit- he's a really nice - and sharp - guy. The kind you like doing business with.
www.kiwiscustomguns.com

 

[Rosecity93]

I had mine built by Lyndon Yates (Kiwi's Custom Guns) and could not be happier. A great job, it runs flawlessly, and the work was, in my opinion, first rate and reasonably priced, especially for what I got back. There was a wait, but it was worth it. He does various weapons in runs so you have to get on a list, and if he just finished a run of Brens it could be 8-12 months, maybe longer, before the next one. But once he gets it, he does it and you get it back in 1-3 months. He is NOT one of those "ship the parts kit and a check and hear nothing back for two years" guys. A professional operation. Send him an email. He responds pretty fast. An added benefit- he's a really nice - and sharp - guy. The kind you like doing business with.
www.kiwiscustomguns.com

awesome! thanks for the lead. I just sent him an email

 

[OldSoldier]

Brens it could be 8-12 months, maybe longer, before the next one. But once he gets it, he does it and you get it back in 1-3 months. He is NOT one of those "ship the parts kit and a check and hear nothing back for two years" guys. A professional operation.

I second the comment that Lyndon builds a superb Bren. I have a Kiwi MKI build that is absolutely top notch. I concur that Lyndon's business practices are perhaps some of the best. But, I sent my MKII kit to Kiwi in Novermber 2018 and am still waiting.

 

[Rosecity93]

I second the comment that Lyndon builds a superb Bren. I have a Kiwi MKI build that is absolutely top notch. I concur that Lyndon's business practices are perhaps some of the best. But, I sent my MKI kit to Kiwi in Novermber 2018 and am still waiting.

holy crap that is a long time. Surely there is more than one Bren builder in the whole country?

 

[ActionYobbo]

Finding a builder will depend on the cuts on the receiver. They will all take an IO kit but you will not find anyone who will take an MGS kit.

 

[Rosecity93]

Finding a builder will depend on the cuts on the receiver. They will all take an IO kit but you will not find anyone who will take an MGS kit.

I honestly dont know who the importer of it was. I'll have to take pics of the receiver and post em. good think i already packed it all up nice and pretty -__-

 

[OldSoldier]

I honestly dont know who the importer of it was. I'll have to take pics of the receiver and post em. good think i already packed it all up nice and pretty -__-

Post a picture of the receiver pieces lined up as a complete receiver.

 

[redroth]

As OldSoldier said, post a picture of the receiver. Stan at Project Gun did a tutorial on Bren receivers as he use to weld them up. I think that he was a master at it. While probably almost any receiver can be welded there were many that were cut to an ATF spec that destroyed critical areas of the receiver (locking shoulder and barrel chamber area) which made it a VERY EXPENSIVE complicated re-weld and even Stan would no longer touch those. Hopefully your is an early I.O. cut or torched receiver which are fairly easy to re-weld. I think Brian at BRP Guns also sell very nice Bren sections (see this link): 14: Mk2 BREN Receiver Center Section - M67 Daimler 1943
Go there and study the pictures and you will see what I am talking about in reference to the critical areas that were often destroyed on the MGS complete BREN kits which use to sell for around $150 back in the day.

 

[Rosecity93]

As OldSoldier said, post a picture of the receiver. Stan at Project Gun did a tutorial on Bren receivers as he use to weld them up. I think that he was a master at it. While probably almost any receiver can be welded there were many that were cut to an ATF spec that destroyed critical areas of the receiver (locking shoulder and barrel chamber area) which made it a VERY EXPENSIVE complicated re-weld and even Stan would no longer touch those. Hopefully your is an early I.O. cut or torched receiver which are fairly easy to re-weld. I think Brian at BRP Guns also sell very nice Bren sections (see this link): 14: Mk2 BREN Receiver Center Section - M67 Daimler 1943
Go there and study the pictures and you will see what I am talking about in reference to the critical areas that were often destroyed on the MGS complete BREN kits which use to sell for around $150 back in the day.

Here are pictures

 

[Rosecity93]

Post a picture of the receiver pieces lined up as a complete receiver.

Pictures

 

[ActionYobbo]

Thats the MGS scrap metal. Your receiver has the worst cuts of any of the demils. I am not saying it cant be done because I did one but a comercial builder wont touch that. If you were to get a center section from BRP then that would give you enough usable parts to make a working receiver and you might be able to get it built that way.

 

[Rosecity93]

Thats the MGS scrap metal. Your receiver has the worst cuts of any of the demils. I am not saying it cant be done because I did one but a comercial builder wont touch that. If you were to get a center section from BRP then that would give you enough usable parts to make a working receiver and you might be able to get it built that way.

oh great. a fellow member of this forum sold me this POS too

 

[redroth]

Mr E is absolutely correct, it is possible to reweld these MGS receivers but it takes a LOT of work and most builders won't touch them. Compare the inside of your pieces to the link I sent you and you will see the critical areas for the locking shoulder and the barrel chamber are destroyed. Start with either a BRP center section or wait for a nice I.O. kit.

 

[redroth]

oh great. a fellow member of this forum sold me this POS too

I have to say that I did try and warn you on that post:

"Easy to very very hard, all depends how they are demilled. A jig is a big help, depending on how it was demilled, receiver sections may be required."

I am sorry I couldn't be more explicit but forum protocol says we can't troll for sale posts....

 

[Rosecity93]

Mr E is absolutely correct, it is possible to reweld these MGS receivers but it takes a LOT of work and most builders won't touch them. Compare the inside of your pieces to the link I sent you and you will see the critical areas for the locking shoulder and the barrel chamber are destroyed. Start with either a BRP center section or wait for a nice I.O. kit.

what is a BRP center section? is that a manufacturer or a replica type? are there new-made receiver that I could put all the other bits in?

 

[redroth]

Did you click on the link on my early post??

 

[Rosecity93]

Did you click on the link on my early post??

ya that receiver looked like was cut with a bandsaw and not a torch

 

[redroth]

Not just how it was cut, the critical areas necessary to align and headspace everything are undisturbed in the BRP receivers.

 

[BobNPrc]

what is a BRP center section? is that a manufacturer or a replica type? are there new-made receiver that I could put all the other bits in?

BRP = BRP Guns. Brian, the owner, is a great guy to do business with. He had some nice Bren receiver sections a while back. He will bend over backwards to help you out. I don’t know what he has currently. Like most other old weapons, the available parts supply is disappearing fast and prices are rising steadily. Like many others, what he has available for sale today is a fraction of what he had just a few years ago. Give him a call or email him. Check out his website, he might have some listed.