BREN GUN MAKING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23829, 3 December 1940, Page 9

BREN GUN MAKING

AUSTRALIA'S ADVANCE; PRODUCTION VERY SOON MAGNITUDE OF THE TASK SYDNEY, Nov. 30 The Minister for Munitions, Senator Mcßride. lias announced that production of the Hren gun would definitely begin at- the Commonwealth Small Arms Factory at Lithgow early in 1941. "This is a triumph of Australian craftsmanship over seemingly unsurniountahb difficulties, ' ho said. "It also indicates the extent to which expansion of the munitions effort has been rendered possible by the development, within Australia, under emergency wartimes conditions, of a machine and precision tool industry. "The magnitude of the work involved in the manufacture of the gun may be estimated by indicating that there are .'(!•'< components in each unit, comprising gun and tripod. The manufacture of each unit calls for separate hand or machine operations, "To establish manufacture, no less than 72,.)44 tools, gauges, jigs and fixtures are necessary, each made from high-grade steel to a precision ranging from one-thousandth to one-ten-thousandth of an inch. The total cost exceeds £200,000. "Having regard to the limited resources of Australia for tool and gauge making, it was decided before the war that orders should be placed in Eugland for all the gauges, and a proportion of the remaining production equipment. That work was proceeding when the war broke out, after which_ much equipment on order for Australia was diverted to meet urgent demands in Britain. "Establishment of Brcn gun manufacture at the Small Arms Factory was affected by urgent service demands for increased output of rifles, and three types of Vickers guns, as well as Lewis gun parts which bad never previously been made at the factory. A further handicap was a shortage of experienced labour at the factory, which could only be met by training semi-skilled men on fhe job. "While output was being 'stepped up' in the body of the factory the toolroom was set to work at high pressure manufacturing precision equipment which was no longer available from England. Commercial engineering establishments were also pressed into service, and the work has since been

spread over 27 shops in four States. Unfortunately, the operations covered by the missing tools did not follow anv particular sequence, so that while there might be several gauges on hand for a particular component, those required for the early operations might lie delayed. "Thus manufacture could not he begun until the Australian substitute equipment was received. These difficulties have now been overcome. By concerted work between the Small Arms Factory, the Ministry of Munitions, and the engineering industry, the Bren gun shop is within measurable distance of being fully tooled-up." Senator'Mcßride said that the British War Office spent no less than four peacetime years in preparatory work before ft Bren gun was produced. The Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, manufactured no more than about 75 per cent of the gun, compared with which the Lithgow factory had been called on to manufacture every component, and had been the focal point of manufacture of production equipment.