BREN MACHINE GUN

British adaptation of a Czech light machine gun. Its name originated as an acronym from Brno, where the Czech gun was made, and Enfield, where the British adaptation was made. Gas-operated and air-cooled, the Bren was first produced in 1937 and became one of the most widely used weapons of its type. It was produced in .303 calibre for British use and was manufactured as a 7.92-millimetre weapon for Chinese Nationalist troops. Acclaimed as one of the best light machine guns of World War II, the Bren appeared in four models that varied principally in barrel length and total weight. The Mark 4 model had an overall length of 42.9 inches (109 cm), with a 22.25-inch (56.5-centimetre) barrel. It had a cyclic rate of fire of 520 rounds per minute, weighed 19 pounds (9 kg), and had an effective range of about 2,000 feet (600 m). Easy to load, clean, and operate, it had variable-length bipods and a curved magazine. Its barrel could be changed quickly; because machine gun barrels lose accuracy when overheated, they must be changed often in sustained-fire situations. The Bren is no longer in first-line service in the British Army, but it is still used by the armies of many countries.