Making Do: South Africa's 7.62mm NATO Bren Gun Conversions
This video details the fascinating South African conversion of the British Bren Gun from .303 British to 7.62mm NATO. Facing wartime shortages and embargoes, South Africa opted to convert their existing Bren stocks rather than exclusively relying on new FN MAGs. The process, undertaken between 1972 and 1976, involved significant mechanical modifications including new barrels, extractors, and magazine catch blocks, with varying success due to the condition of the donor guns. Unlike the British L4 conversion, these were often hand-fitted, leading to parts interchangeability issues. The video highlights the unique challenges and ingenuity involved in this wartime arms adaptation, comparing it to the British L4 conversion and mentioning other contemporary conversions like the Vickers and M1919 Browning.
