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Post by SfcMigs on Nov 4, 2014 19:22:14 GMT -5
Just got this beauty from Evike.com today. www.evike.com/products/48033/In case you didn't know, this gun was the precursor to the British Bren Gun and was used before and during the War. Here is my review: The gun is ALL steel and real wood, it is solid and real heavy. It is simple to use and will give any side that it's on excellent LMG support. It shoots around 400FPS with .25's and has a great rate of fire and excellent accuracy with a 9.6v mini battery. The minor flaws in the gun is as follows: 1)The carry handle is a bit loose when moving it around and isn't real practical to use to carry the gun. It may differ from model to model, but on mine, it's too loose. 2)The butt plate is only attached by a latch on top and can easily fall off. I will be using good old OD duck tape or electrical tape to hold it in place. This butt plate obviously covers where the battery goes, so you don't need to access this regularly. 3) Mags use a separate "wind up" key to wind the mags. The mags wind just fine, but I can see it being very easy to lose the key at some point. I'll probably attach it to the gun with a twist tie or twine. BTW, they give you two keys. 4) The Bi-pod when folded up doesn't lock into position, it'll just dangle. When deployed, you have to make sure it's forward all the way as it can collapse on you. Other than these 4 items, the gun is great. They are all minor and easy to get around. This gun is well worth. Can't wait to use it on two weeks! Migs
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Nov 16, 2014 15:46:07 GMT -5
Awesome insight. Great new addition to the WW2 arsenal. I would think the carry handle would be a worthwhile feature. Too bad it isn't more solid.
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Post by LϟϟAH1944 on Nov 16, 2014 18:00:21 GMT -5
Mine came with the stock too small to fit the plate on, and the stock was cracked. not terribly impressed; for $330, it should at lease be solid. the stock was also terribly wobbly.
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Post by SfcMigs on Nov 16, 2014 19:08:42 GMT -5
First action with the gun yesterday. It performed real well. the first battery died early in the battle as it didn't have a full charge or the cold got it. Once I put a charged 9.6v mini, it really performed above and beyond.
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Post by gunner79 on Nov 17, 2014 16:55:57 GMT -5
I was able to obtain this model ZB26 from HK, before it went to commercial release. The four deficiencies list in the opening post were all present in my early release model (in fact, this was an excellent opening post that I cannot improve upon)!
I was/am particularly irritated with the carry-handle and bi-pod issues. The carry-handle itself merely rotates freely through it's orbit and thus is completely unusable for it's intended purpose (though looks nice while posed;). The bi-pod simply hangs free and no provision made to lock it back while in transit (transport) mode. The owner will need to STRAP it up against the gas tube in order to prevent it's swinging wildly around while running, etc. Both these gaffes are technically easy fixes for the manufacturer but they simply ignored both issues and went to market with these problems unattended to - which is lame at best and shows a real lack of concern for it's intended audience!
My ROCk/Inokatsu ZB26 is the better gun all around except for the fact that the supplied magazines (you got four well-working mid'caps) are based on the'training' magazine and not the common 'battle mag' and thus the look is just not right (although operation/dependability is great). The ROCK also has an undersized bi-pod - but at least it works as it's supposed to (as does the carry-handle/barrel exchange handle. Also the ROCK is twice as expensive, not surprising since Inokatsu manufactured it basically (and thus it's overpriced as a result - but at least is collectible and good performer).
Wish these gun/airsoft companies would get their collective act together but, after all, most are too busy looking to get their product to market rather than getting things 100% right (shocking, I know;).
Great review!
G79
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Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
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Post by Dracul on Dec 2, 2014 20:17:40 GMT -5
Obviously, this isn't the Bren, like what a lot of online sites claim it to be. Call me dumb here, but what would need to happen to turn this into a proper Bren gun for a Commonwealth impression?
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Post by SfcMigs on Dec 2, 2014 20:36:12 GMT -5
Obviously, this isn't the Bren, like what a lot of online sites claim it to be. Call me dumb here, but what would need to happen to turn this into a proper Bren gun for a Commonwealth impression? Yes, it is not the Bren, but like I said, it's the precursor to the Bren. The Bren was designed taken right from this gun. Without getting technical, the obvious difference is the mags. The Czech model uses the mags shown with this gun and the Bren gun mostly used the curved mags similar to that of an AK47. You can actually find some youtube videos comparing the two. Cheers, Migs
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Post by LϟϟAH1944 on Dec 2, 2014 21:03:27 GMT -5
Bren = Brno Enfield
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Post by volkssturm on Dec 2, 2014 21:28:32 GMT -5
The other obvious differences, besides the magazine, is that the Bren barrel doesn't have fins running the full length, and the gas take off sits closer to the bipod than the muzzle. With a bit of work you could turn a VZ. 26 into a Bren. More work than I'd want to do, though. www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=61
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Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
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Post by Dracul on Dec 3, 2014 0:56:12 GMT -5
Ah, okay, that clears up a lot. Thanks!
Yeah, trying to remove all those fins/ribs on the barrel and reposition the end of the gas tube would be a pain, on top of modding the mags. Oh well, getting a full Commonwealth team impression for my team isn't happening anytime soon, so hopefully someone will release a proper Bren by then.
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Post by volkssturm on Dec 3, 2014 12:13:30 GMT -5
I think moving the gas block wouldn't be too hard. The fins though could be a problem. You might be able to fill them in with epoxy rather than removing them. I don't know if that would make the barrel to thick.
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Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
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Post by Dracul on Dec 11, 2014 11:35:37 GMT -5
Just wanted an idea. Too much hardy work for a guy in an apartment. Could just be easily used as a "captured" gun.
Anyway, question for Migs here. How is the HiCap mag thats included? Does it work? I have a grand distrust for HiCaps. Since all the ones I ever owned from stock guns, never worked. So, I was wondering how this one worked.
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 11, 2014 12:56:33 GMT -5
I'm with you re Hi-cap mags. Personally I can't stand the 'shoot and frantically wind' silliness. That being said - the HC that comes with the gun works reasonably well. I believe I get about 50 or so shots off before having to wind back up with the little butterfly key :/
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Dracul
Master sergeant
Posts: 1,341
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Post by Dracul on Dec 11, 2014 15:56:48 GMT -5
Thats good to hear to though. 50 shots before winding its pretty good. How many winds does it take to get it to that?
I'm generally amazed when hicaps actually work.
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stuka
Sergeant
The one and only
Posts: 1,205
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Post by stuka on Dec 11, 2014 15:57:24 GMT -5
that sounds rather frustrating and inefficient. maybe that gives a reason to have a "crew" for it so somebody can wind it for the gunner?
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 11, 2014 23:59:00 GMT -5
Thats good to hear to though. 50 shots before winding its pretty good. How many winds does it take to get it to that? I'm generally amazed when hicaps actually work. Oh - say eight to ten full turns of the key.
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 12, 2014 0:02:40 GMT -5
that sounds rather frustrating and inefficient. maybe that gives a reason to have a "crew" for it so somebody can wind it for the gunner? That's why I like my ROCK/Inokatsu model. You get four mid-caps that hold about 168 rounds each and they feed flawlessly. Also, the gun is slightly less heavy overall - can carry around all day without too much fuss (using the actual carry-handle - what a shock;)
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Post by SfcMigs on Dec 12, 2014 23:45:45 GMT -5
The Hi-caps on the gun work just fine. It takes about 6-8 turns to get it complete. No big deal. The only thing I mind is the fact that there is a key to wind it up. I can see how someone will loose this key during a battle. I attached my key to my sling via a leather shoelace so I wouldn't drop it somewhere. They do give you two, but you never want to misplace these things. Mags are useless without them.
As far as Hi-caps in general, I'm surprised to hear of so many issues with them. Besides occasionally getting dirt or sand in them, mine has always worked flawlessly. I like both mids and HC, but I appreciate the HC's when were out in the field for awhile.
Anyway, over all I do like the gun and it does add to our game play as a legit LMG. Looking forward to using it next month.
Happy Holidays to you all.
Migs
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