Brno

[Johan]

Grumpy

Which model do you have in mind, the ZKK 602? I had two, one with build in peep and one without. Six rounds of 375 H&H in the magazine, very impressive and comforting!! It's not a true mauser, lacks a few designs from mauser and got some features that resembles Winchester model 70. Compared to CZ550 I think they are pretty much the same in terms of quality, ZKK trigger is "over engineered" varying fit and finish, lightning cut on the left side of the receiver did not improving it looks. CZ550 got the ugly bill board text, over engineered trigger and mediocre quality control. Safety’s isn't to my taste, either mauser flag or win 70 style. Both got ghastly looking bolt shrouds. With Winchester being "absent" CZ got a great opportunity to take a larger share of the market, if they copied the model 70 trigger, safety, removed the bill board text, plastic parts and a better stock pattern it would be a attractive rifle, even if prices went up. There are few rifles from the assembly lines that I could think of buying,… I don’t get any warm and cosy feelings while handling Sako 85, Tikka T3, Blaser r-93, Savage, Steyer, Ruger 77 mk2 or Remington. Most I wouldn’t touch with 10 metre stick.

ZG-47 and Brno 21/22 are top notch rifles, hopefully the tooling is there

Cheers
Johan

[mehulkamdar]

Johan,

I have seen some of the 602s and they seemed very nice rifles apart from the silly looking straight trigger and the unusual safety. I certainly did not think they were bad, though, of course they were not true Mausers. There have been all kinds of complaints about the big bore CZ 550s these days though I have no idea how many are true.

Yes, a true Mauser actioned rifle would be very nice from Brno, especially if they could make their custom guns with the Damascus barrels like they did during the company's pre takeover days but I suspect that they would not make the Mausers abymore as they would compete with the CZ 550 medium bore rifles especially now that CZ has a custom shop as Grumpy rightly points out.

I guess there are already several companies producing MAuser actions and rifles on them, though it would be nice if someone could find a way of making newer Mausers that were affordable.

Cheers!

Mehul

[Grumpy]

Johan I have no idea what model number the Brno Magnum Mausers were - I just know that they were very highly regarded amongst PHs in Southern Africa.
CZ finish and bluing isn`t as good as Brno in my opinion. There are plenty of designs of stock in the 452/527/`Standard` 550 ranges but just the one the Magnum 550.....which the catalogue illustrations show with two stock bolts but everyone that I`ve seen just has a single stock bolt. The 550 magnum stock just isn`t up to the job - they crack after just a few rounds fired. I happen to think that the Mauser stock bolts are an anachronism and unnecessary in an effective design.
The oversize lettering is a direct copy of American rifles such as Remington and Ruger and I agree it is very ugly.
CZ triggers just aren`t very good.......but as good as any mass produced American design apart from Savage.
I like Mauser 96/98s.....but don`t think that they are THE best action designs. Nor do I see any problem with `improving` them. A decent flag safety is a must - and is a one of the reasons that the FNs are so desirable. My S&L 30-06 is basically an FN Mauser but is far better finished and engineered than any CZ or Brno - and will outshoot them. Of course its` cost new was several times what an equivalent CZ or Brno would/would have cost. The barrel is superb and the rifle is actually more accurate than the custom built 7.62 long range rifle that I used to have.
Controlled feed is a nice feature but not essential - I can`t think of one non-Mauser centrefire rifle that I`ve had that has had feed problems.
The Remington 700 is a good design......unfortunately to realise the accuracy potential one has to spend a large sum of money on `tuning` the rifles. Fit and finish aren`t very good and the triggers suck ! The Howa 1500 is effectively a modified 700 but the engineering is far better and the rifles are more accurate.......and the trigger is very good........and they cost less than a Remington. It`s a shame that they don`t offer a decent walnut stock.
Designs such as the Steyr Mannlicher SBS and Sauer 202 are excellent. The styling isn`t to everyones taste but that doesn`t detract from the engineering.
I know what you mean about the lack of `feel` with many of the new breed of rifles ( and shotguns if it comes to that. ) I like the character that a used gun acquires but most new designs have no character and just get tired looking when used. You can`t develope character from nothing I guess.
I`m planning on building a stainless Howa 1500 in 6.5x55 with a composite stock. It will be a very accurate all-weather rifle but will be a tool rather than a joy to own.
I`m trying to think of any reasonably priced production rifle that I`d really like to own......it`s not easy. Maybe the SHR90 ?