Photo Of The Day and today we go full auto in a rare rare caliber and firearm. Rare is of course a relative term, as over 43,000 units of this light machine gun were produced. For practical reasons, I think I’d prefer my BREN in 7.62×51mm NATO, how about you?

Here is the caption from Cinematic Arms:

Introducing the CHINESE 7.92×57MM BREN: A WWII Connection!

Discover the fascinating link between the iconic British Bren light machine gun and China during WWII.

The Bren, celebrated for its reliability and quick-change barrel, originated from the Czech Zb vz.26. In China, this powerful firearm gained prominence in the Second Sino-Japanese War, becoming a symbol of resilience.

As allies, the Chinese Nationalist Army received arms, including the Bren, amidst conflicts. Canada’s John Inglis and Company stepped up when the Czech factory fell under German control. They not only produced Bren guns for Canada but also modified them for the Chinese, creating around 43,000 in the 7.92mm caliber.

These Chinese Bren guns played pivotal roles in the Second Sino-Japanese War, Sino-Mongolian clashes, and the Chinese Civil War. By war’s end, Inglis had contributed a total of 186,000 Bren guns to history.

You can read more about John Inglis and Company here. I had no idea that they fairly recently became Whirlpool Canada.

All images by Cinematic Arms, used with kind permission.