Can someone educate me about different types of BRNO rifles. As I understand ZG 47 and Model 21 i suposed to be the very best. I have option to buy an early 90`s ZKK 601 BRNO. I can see that safety is not on the bolt but on the side, any other differences?

THanks,

STIG

Different bolt release too. The ZKK's have more in common with the CZ 550's than mausers.

Nice rifles all the same.

Terry

The biggest difference is the amount of manhours on them.
Most has the 21, then the 47, and so on...

With manhours comes fit, feel, quality and looks.

BRNO made three identical rifles apart from action length. These were the ZKK601 for cartridges based on the 308. So it was available in 308, 243 and 223. Next up for cartridges based on the 30-06 or the Mauser military cartridge length. The ZKK600. These were in 30-06, 270 Winchester, 7 x 64 and 7 x 57. I don't think there ever was one in 8 x 57 but who knows! Finally the ZKK602 for the 375 H & H and I think 458 Winchester Magnum.

Now within these three "sizes" were three distinct styles. The early ones were like a classic Lond made stalking rifle. Sling swivel on barrel band, slim rounded "splinter" fore-end and no "monter carlo" and no "tips" to either fore-end or pistol grip.

Later ones had that awful "California 1970" bastardised Weatherby look. Wood grip caps, white line spacers, tip to fore-end again with white line spacer. And a typical "square" profile fore-end. Horrible! The third style was as "Weatherby" like but had the sling swivel on the fore-end.

Again early ones had a flip up rearsight on the rear receiver ring. Later ones did not. These later ones may also be sold as CZ 537 which is about identical.

Safety is on right hand side. Push FORWARD to apply, pull back to take off. The oposite of any sensible idea used by anyone else IMHO!

Here's a picture of a later one, a ZKK600 in 270 without the receiver peep sight:



And one with that also has the just plain ugly "set" trigger:



Then below is an earlier ZKK601 in 243 that belogned to me. It has its dedicated BRNO 'scope mount with its dedicated Carl Zeiss Jena ZF4/S 'sight. Now that makes it something else altogether.

A far, far, superior mounting system to anything and everything that has EVER come out of the USA or UK at anywhere even near the price!



The beauty was that the 'scope mount was specifically made EXACTLY for each length action but the 'scope was common to each of the three mounts. Perfection...except that the optics in the 1970s and 1980s were still based on German WWII technology and could not really compete on equal terms even with a Leupold or similar as the windage was on the base and the elevation by moving reticule without any "click"!

I still have my 270 with its Zeiss 'scope it is the early one and really does look like those classic London made stalking rifles of the interwar period.

They are all FIVE shot IN THE MAGAZINE...except the 223 which could take SIX IN THE MAGAZINE. Again much superior to any Model 70 IMHO and the quality of the woodwork? Well look at my 243 if you want some figure!

Lastly they came with an awful "set" trigger that was best thrown away and a "standard" trigger. Not many "standard" triggers survive. I sold my spares to Australia and USA. But in both the pictures I've posted the guns are wearing that "standard" trigger.

Hope it helps? Anymore questions then please post them or PM me.

To the best of my knowledge, the ZKK series were actually built by CZ as early models of the current 5xx series. At the time, the communist government had consilidated firearms management under the Brno moniker, and so they were marketed as such.

The ZG47 and 21/22 were built by Brno. In the '90, Brno resumed making commercial 98s using surplus vz24 actions. The nicer wood stocked ones were sold in Europe and Canada, but EAA imported some matte/plastic ones into the US.