Are my Bren receiver sections Fubar?

[Walkingfunk]

I just bought one of those Sarco Bren L4 parts kits and the cuts in my receiver seem pretty hardcore. Are these usable? If not, would I be able to use Bren mk2 receiver sections? The receiver shows an old crossed out marking for a mk2 and a 1945 date, so it seems logical that one would be able to modify the sections like the original receiver was? Thanks!

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

From the looks of things I think it would have been easier to machine a new receiver than to try to rehab the pieces you have. Just my $.02 worth.

 

[hso]

Are you trying to build a display only gun? If so, you'll invest in a lot of machine shop, precise welding building up the metal to machine, and then careful park. I would think you would save a lot of money just having a dummy receiver machined to accept your parts.

 

[Walkingfunk]

Awww man.

I was wanting this as a functional piece. I didn’t realize that the sarco kits would be more melted than cut.

Does anyone even still make Bren 80 % receivers anymore?

 

[Walkingfunk]

Preliminary research ain’t looking too good

 

[CapnMac]

Does anyone even still make Bren 80 % receivers anymore?

Not sure that "80%" Bren receivers were ever made.
Especially sine the MG Registry was closed in '86, well before the notion of "80%" ever surfaced.

The only way to "letter" this would need an SOT--as I'm not entirely sure a semi-auto, closed-bolt, Bren version ever hit the streets. But, I could be wrong--have been before.

 

[Robert]

The only way to "letter" this would need an SOT--as I'm not entirely sure a semi-auto, closed-bolt, Bren version ever hit the streets. But, I could be wrong--have been before.

Semi Bren's have been made, but they never really worked right and were super expensive to boot.

 

[Walkingfunk]

Kiwi Custom Guns makes semi auto Brens, it’s a thing. Waiting for a response from Philadelphia Ordnance cause I read on an old forum that they used to make 80% semi auto only Bren receivers. (All the denial bars and such already incorporated). But I don’t think they have made them for decades. Fingers crossed.

 

[AlexanderA]

If anybody could make a semiauto Bren, it would probably be Ohio Ordnance. They do a good job with semiauto BARs, although they are expensive as heck.

Bob Bower at Philadelphia Ordnance is somewhat picky in what he makes. If you want to contact him, go to this page: https://philaord.com/contact-us/

Notice that his "wish list" on that page doesn't include the Bren.

 

[MoscowMike]

Len Savage from Heritage Arms built me a semi-automatic L4 Bren (7.62x51), using a torch-cut SARCO receiver. Don’t know if he’s still doing that. From what I understand there are a couple of approaches to dealing with the wide cuts, either using two receivers which have the cuts in different places or carefully building up the cut-out sections. Takes someone who knows what they are doing.

It’s an interesting piece. Too heavy to go hunting with and my eyes would be happier with optics than the aperture sights, but I’m glad I have it.

https://flic.kr/p/RBeQG8