Mishap on the Range - Bren Gun

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Aughnanure
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Mishap on the Range - Bren Gun

Post by Aughnanure » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:58 pm

I was just posting 'at another place' about firearms safety training and this incident from the days of my youth popped into the mind (plentyof space).

We were engaged in a Bren shoot on the old ANZAC rang at Holdsworthy NSW.

We were running forward from mound to mound and the drill was to fire the required shots, clear the gun. fire empty ie. working parts forward (for those unfamiliar, the Bren fires from an open bolt).

Put on the mag for the next mound. Safety in the OFF position.

Pick up the gun, by the carrying handle, and run forward, hit the mound, cock and commence firing.

Got the picture. There are ten men in each detail and the mag for this particular bit has 15 rounds loaded.

Our Officer, whom we disliked intensely, is standing at the right hand end of the just vacated mound.

Halfway to the next mound a gun starts to go off full auto and one Alf -------is seen to be staggering around to his right holding a Bucking Bren that is spittin' 'em out an he's turning towards our Platoon Commander who with great presence of mind dives into the very muddy ditch from which the earth of the mound came. There were, as I remember, 3 or 4 blokes to Alf's right who went to ground faster than a blink :roll:

Here I shall pause and give all you old Bren shooters a chance to explain the set of circumstances that combined to cause this potentially fatal episode.(no prizes, just the satisfaction).

Alf didn't forget to apply the safety, this part of the training was in getting the gun into action the quickest way possible.
Self Defence is not only a Right, it is an Obligation.

Eoin.
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