POLL: 7.62x39 Bren 2 Failures to Extract / Eject / Stovepipes -- Or Not

[MeatAxe]

OK, hopefully Ive got this polling business figured out.

Want to see where the trouble spots are (if any) with Bren 2 guns in 7.62x39 in their various configurations. Hopefully we’ll get a large response to the poll owing to all the activity and interest in this subject.

No 5.56 guns need apply since they don't seem to be experiencing the same issues as the 7.62x39 guns.

[Scorepion]

Thanks for putting it together. I hope it pans out to something helpful.

 I think Ammo should be an included (at least to eliminate a variable). You could include add directions to participant of a vote to perhaps add .2 cents. For example, (I voted issue 7) w FTF using X ammo brand(s), at # round count. Small blurb on the voters experience only. (hope that won't derail thread) Vote with a one-liner and done.

 One can just go in and click at this point and it'd water down Trolls or self interested voters. 

Nice to also have your Date of BCG & Bren.

BCG should have a date code that either says 18, 19, or 20. 

[America_First]

Bren 2S 11" 2020 model
Round count: 200
FTE count: 5
Ammunition: Yugo M67 (0) - Golden Tiger 123gr. FMJ (5)

[Magsz]

You also need to add "have had issues w/ factory handguard AND aftermarket".

9 Inch Bren 2 MS.

5100 rounds.
Every type of steel cased commercially available 7.62X39.  All ball ammo, no hollow points.
Lost count.  It got to the point where it no longer made sense to catalog my failures.

[keefypants]

2020 2S 11"

330ish rounds
roughly 21 or so FTE, all wolf FMJ polyformance.

[MeatAxe]

LOL - well at this point it's pretty much a dead heat with one vote each per category - only those with Bren 2S guns with no problems w/ aftermarket rails remain unrepresented - admittedly a tiny fraction of the whole spectrum.

All those people who were carping and/or raving about their Bren 2 guns need to chime in and be heard so we can figure out how big of a problem this is - or is not.

Everything is clear as mud right now.

[Aries144]

I haven't had failures yet but, seeing the difference in felt recoil between the standard gas cylinder and running it with my 14" 5.56 cylinder when suppressed, my 9" 7.62x39 is definitely over gassed and IMO it's only a matter of time before I start seeing the same kinds of failures others are seeing. With gas ports that big, and the port located so close to the chamber, I'm willing to bet port erosion is going to be severe.

7.62x39 causes pretty aggressive port erosion on an AK, and an AK's ports are farther from the chamber meaning the gasses are cooler and at less pressure than at the Bren 2's port, so...

[MeatAxe]

I haven't had failures yet but, seeing the difference in felt recoil between the standard gas cylinder and running it with my 14" 5.56 cylinder when suppressed, my 9" 7.62x39 is definitely over gassed and IMO it's only a matter of time before I start seeing the same kinds of failures others are seeing. With gas ports that big, and the port located so close to the chamber, I'm willing to bet port erosion is going to be severe.

7.62x39 causes pretty aggressive port erosion on an AK, and an AK's ports are farther from the chamber meaning the gasses are cooler and at less pressure than at the Bren 2's port, so...

So at this point in time, you haven't had any failures? How many rounds? That would still be a "non-failure" in this poll.

Eventually, all guns are going to fail once in a while. Even the most reliable guns eventually get too dirty or run into bad ammo if they get shot very much.

This poll is for actual failures (and non-failures), especially chronic failures right out of the box, not "anticipated" failures at some point in the future. That's the only way we can get a clear picture of what's going on in the here and now with these 7.62x39 Brens.  We need to document how many are failing and how many are not since their recent introduction into the US.

[Aries144]

I don't agree. My gun is severely overgassed. I have enough experience to know the difference. My gun IS beating itself to pieces. That's an "issue."

[MeatAxe]

I don't agree. My gun is severely overgassed. I have enough experience to know the difference. My gun IS beating itself to pieces. That's an "issue."

Well, I hear you on over-gassing issues. Incredibly frustrating as the only true fix is a new barrel with a properly drilled gas port. I had a Vepr 6.5G that was so horribly over gassed that it was painful to shoot: forget about trigger slap, this had trigger BITE. Fortunately there are adjustable KNS gas pistons  for the AK - none such for the Bren as of yet.

I guess it’s just luck of the draw as my Bren Ms is on the verge of being under gassed: soft shooting and only kicks shells out about 6 to 8 feet or so in the normal gas setting.

Anyway, I know there must be more than 8 Bren 2 owners on this board, so please chime in on the poll so we can try to sort this mess out.

[sneakyhenry]

My old 9" Bren 2s in 7.62x39 was perfectly gassed with about 500 rounds fired with no issue.
I sold it to fund an APC 223 (which I LOVE). I found myself able to purchase an 11" Bren 2s in 7.62x39 last week but haven't shot my 11" yet.

Is CZ Importing more Bren 2s's into the country?

[America_First]

We need to have round count, ammunition choice, barrel lengths reported even for non-issues.

Also, purchase date.  As we know, there were two shipments of Bren 2S's into the country, 2018 & 2020.   

[Magsz]

My old 9" Bren 2s in 7.62x39 was perfectly gassed with about 500 rounds fired with no issue.
I sold it to fund an APC 223 (which I LOVE). I found myself able to purchase an 11" Bren 2s in 7.62x39 last week but haven't shot my 11" yet.

Is CZ Importing more Bren 2s's into the country?

How do you define a perfectly gassed rifle?  What is that to you?

For me, its a rifle that functions properly without malfunctions, ejects consistently to the 3 or 4 o'clock.  Does not beat up cases during the extraction process and "feels" (subjective) nice, ie not violent but pleasant to shoot regardless of caliber.

My 9 inch bren is none of these things although for a 7.62X39, the gun does track fairly well in recoil but I believe that is inherent to the entire design of the system as my 556 gun is also slightly over gassed but also tracks REALLY well.

[sneakyhenry]

My old 9" Bren 2s in 7.62x39 was perfectly gassed with about 500 rounds fired with no issue.
I sold it to fund an APC 223 (which I LOVE). I found myself able to purchase an 11" Bren 2s in 7.62x39 last week but haven't shot my 11" yet.

Is CZ Importing more Bren 2s's into the country?

How do you define a perfectly gassed rifle?  What is that to you?

For me, its a rifle that functions properly without malfunctions, ejects consistently to the 3 or 4 o'clock.  Does not beat up cases during the extraction process and "feels" (subjective) nice, ie not violent but pleasant to shoot regardless of caliber.

My 9 inch bren is none of these things although for a 7.62X39, the gun does track fairly well in recoil but I believe that is inherent to the entire design of the system as my 556 gun is also slightly over gassed but also tracks REALLY well.

It's pretty easy when you've shot multiple guns to understand what a perfectly gassed rifle is. It is pretty much exactly as you have described.

It doesn't have sharp recoil, the ejection parts and other openings don't have excess gas spewing out of it and ejected casings land in the exact same spot about the 3 O'clock position.

[keefypants]

More fishing around for info, but it may be a good idea to get down what date of mfg for everyone's rifles as well.  BCG should have a date code that either says 18, 19, or 20.