Magazines: can Bren mags work in the FAL/L1A1?

[C4]

Ok, I heard from a friend who got it from another, who learned it from his minister's wife, who got it from her hair dresser's boyfriend, who heard it on the street from a demented crack-head that a BREN magazine can be fitted to the much loved FAL.

Is this true, or is it BS..?

If so, is there much modification, or do they pop right in? Is it an inch/metric issue? Or is it a matter of choppinng the top off of the mags themselves and swapping them with a nice little weld?

If The bren mags will fit the FAL, then I want some bren mags! A curved 30rnd mag would look WAY COOL on a shorty.

So, what's the scoop?
Is it true?
If so, how?
And where do I get bren mags?


Thanks.
C4

[mp]

C4

IT'S TRUE!!!!!!.....but you have to use the .308 mag, not the .303 mag. I think these .308 are a direct fit for inch cut receivers, will ahve ot be custom fit for metric. 30 rounds of 7.62 is a lot of weight to ask for the little metric mag tab.

I heard that DSA Arms has the 30 rd Bren mags for somewhere in the area of $60. Hope this helps, and good luck.

[mp]

Just saw the second post--sorry....

[derek huffman, azexarms]

I will modify and refinish in satin black Parkote or any color, your L4A1 bren mags to fit metric FAL for 20 including return shipping. I UNSOLDER the front block. D.

[NZ L1A1 Collector]

Yes 7.62 mm Bren Gun mags will fit into INCH cut receivers without any modification. The 7.62 mm mags must look like the one in the pics, also the magazine is stamped with the following markings:

MAGAZINE 7.62 M.M. L4A1.
9600089. (MFG code)

If it dosn't have this marking then it's most likly NOT the correct mag.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=210590&a=1554435&p=27436145&Sequence=0

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=210590&a=1554435&p=27436144&Sequence=0

------------------
Kevin Adams
Rifle, 7.62 mm, L1A1 Collector & Researcher.
NEW ZEALAND

[Rats]

I recently bought a mag. from DSARMS that has 7.62MM 3A1. It also has the letters S.A.F. 1986 and a # 1005-005710 all of this is on one side. It fits but is Very tight, should this mag. work? And what should i do to make the fit a bit easier? It was sold as a metric mag. the piece in front has been removed and a smaller one that will fit into a metric reciever has been brazed or soldered into place.

[woodie]

on mine, i ran a dremel with a sanding drum bit over the back latch, and tested the fit as i went. now its tight, but not too tight.

[NZ L1A1 Collector]

Rats,

are you able to send me a pic of the mag and it's markings? I think what you might have is a Indian made 30 round mag hence the 3A1

1A is thier FAL rife
2A is the converted .303 to 7.62 mm

so I'm just wondering if it is?

Some of the first L4A1 mags that were made WHERE FAL types with the small beak. and they were called L3A1 magazines. the prototypes mags were called X3A1. Yes there where some 7.63 mm Brens that used the original FAL type mags!

Maybe it is one of these rare magazines?.... If it is DON'T alter it! please http://www.fnfal.com/forums/smile.gif

------------------
Kevin Adams
Rifle, 7.62 mm, L1A1 Collector & Researcher.
NEW ZEALAND

[panzer]

My DSA bren mag didn't fit but some creative dremeling lets it in.It functions flawlessly and is very cool.I almost got tired of holding it before I ran out.to hell with the ban,you only made it more expensive but you didn't take away anything from me.I still have a new pistol gripped high capacity ASSAULT WEAPON!!(well,I don't actually own an assault weapon,since none of mine are select fire,If I want one I will get one and follow all the laws from 1936,so screw you guys,I'm going home.)

[Tango 1Zero]

Anybody got a lead on these other than DSA?

[kfranz]

Tango 1Zero,

Do a search in the marketplace section, as there should be a few posts having them for sale...

[W.E.G.]

moved to FAQ

[Reweld]

I got my 30-rd inch L1A1 mags for $60 each at:
www.entreprise.com/Catalog/Magazines/fn_fal.htm (http://www.entreprise.com/Catalog/Magazines/fn_fal.htm)

When it came time to start grinding on them, I just couldn't. So now I'm cleaning up a pretty good Aussie L1A1 kit and accumulating tools and mags to finish it. :D

[sf46]

I've been told that Bren maching gun 30 round mags will fit right into an inch pattern FAL and can be slightly modified to work in Metric guns. Does anyone know if this is true or how much modification it will take?

[EMDII]

Please read this "EUREKA!" thread in FAQs Forum. (http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60277) Scroll down to the Search mask entitled "Magazines..." and click. Look for relevant text there.

You might :wink: want to bookmark that "Eureka" thread.

[the gman]

sf46, the mags they are talking about are the mags from the 7.62mm converted Brens that the Brit Army used for a long time. In 7.62mm they are known as the L4 A 3 LMG (Light Machine Gun) and the mags they used were especially manufactured for that weapon. In a rare case of insight, the design spec of the conversion called for the LMG to be able to use the 20 rnd L1A1 mag as well as the 30. (just in case the squad gunner is running out of ammo, the riflemen could just toss him some of their mags, brillant idea but that was back when we had sensible men running the weapons procurement programme!) And so vice versa, these 30 rnd mags also work in the L1A1 inch pattern receivers. I used them on my issued L1A1 and I used 20 rnd mags on the LMG as well, both worked very well ( I'm a Brit Army vet) althought the 30 rnd mag on the rifle does make it a bit heavy and less manageable IMHO.
The 30rnd mags were NOT modified from the original .303 mags and these will not work with the FAL either inch or metric.
The mags you should be looking out for should be described as either L4 A3 or just L4 30 rnd mags for the L1A1. DO NOT let anyone sell you just ordinary BREN mags and tell you that they will fit "with a bit of work". If anyone falls for that one, please send their details to me, I might have a bridge in London that I can sell them!:rofl: :rofl: :biggrin: :biggrin: Do a search in FAQ's under something like mag conversions or search the gunsmithing section. Hope this helps.

[Para Driver]

http://www.tapco.com/product_information.asp?number=MAG2435&back=yes&dept=134&last=

[the gman]

All hail the EMD!:bow: :D I knew someone else would be able to give him a link to the info, wuz kinda expecting it to be you! Did ya like the background info from a grunt's point of view? (we were all trained as grunts first before tradesmen, never know when the cav might have to sacrifice a few spanner men to save the troop or squadron!:wink: :rofl: :biggrin:) Reminds me of a something that happened to us out in the Gulf war, attached to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Scotland's cavalry, doncha know....)
It was the second night of the war and one of the the tanks had broken down and our team of 5 engineers was left behind in our M113 to repair it with the tank crew. We repaired it & we were getting ready to move off, when we heard tanks in front of us. On looking thru his thermal sight the cmdr thought they were T72's of the Republican Guard and with cries of "you lot hold 'em off with that 84mm ATW and we'll circle around and ambush 'em!" they roared off into the desert night and bloody left us! We found out later that the panzers in question belonged to one of the Arab units that got lost and they very nearly died about 20 times that night as one unit after another got them in their sights! What happened to our hero & his encirclement? Didn't see the bastard again 'til first light when we hit the squadron harbour area! His response when asked why he left? "Och, I knew you had that crazy bastard George and his psyco mate Eddie, they'd kill anything, you had nothing to worry about!!" (he was talking about me and my mate, we were young and stupid back then 'cos we really would have taken on a T72 with the Carl Gustav 84mm ATW and that would have been a death sentence!)
Kinda nice to know he had so much confidence in us though!:rofl:

Bloody tankers, never around when you need 'em but always the first to grab the glory!:rofl: :rofl:

[EMDII]

Tankers! Bloody puftas, especially when they get the wind up! "The Cavalry bring decorum and sanity to what would otherwise be a bloody and outrageous affair."

I have merged this into the FAQs threads precisely because you added the 'spice' of reality! MOST excellent!

Now, grovel before a Tanker, as you must!
:wink:

[sf46]

So you say that the .303 mags can not be adapted at all or is it possible, but just too much trouble?

[EMDII]

They are the wrong LENGTH, and will not fit into the mag well. Not without SIGNIFICANT work.

[the gman]

sf 46, also .303 mags are curved so as to allow for the rims on the .303 rnds to be correctly stacked in the mag so that they do not jam. (Anyone with charger clips for the Lee Enfield series will attest that you have to stagger the rounds in the clips or you get the most awful problems!) The 7.62mm rnd is, of course, rimless and thus does not require much of a curve at all to stack the rnds.
I hesitate from saying it is impossible (''cos almost anything is POSSIBLE) to convert the .303 mags to fit the FAL BUT IMHO, it is very definitely not worth the time nor trouble attempting it. Honestly. Save your trouble, work overtime at your job the equal # of hours you would have struggled to try to make this work and you will have saved at least enough to buy another kit and several L4 mags!:wink:HTH you some more.