I have long wanted to build a practical 404J rifle to hunt with.

[LIST]

Will the Brno 602 (270 Win) be a suitable action to build such a rifle?

What are the modifications that will be required?

Any help would be appreciated.

"When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick."

The Brno 602 is ideal for a .404J, especially the earlier version with the "pop-up" peep sight in the receiver bridge. However, the 602 was NOT chambered in the .270W, that is the 600 model and it is NOT a "magnum Mauser" as is the 602.

IF, the action you are going to use IS NOT a 602, then, find a CZ-550 action, have it slicked up by someone who has a clue about stopping-DG rifles and then have him build on it. This is a nicer action in exterior finish than any ZKK I have ever seen and I have 40+ years with them since my first in '68.

An inexpensive .375H&H old 602 CAN be an excellent basis for the Jeffrey round, but, it will need skilled work and new bottom metal to make it worthwhile and that does not come "cheap".

Look at the new Heym Magnum that Ralf Martini re-designed, this impresses me as maybe the most "value" sound bigbore now available and superior to any post-1957 Brno or CZ.

what bottom metal is available that you know of, Dewey?

I would use a standard length Mauser action to build a 404. Most original 404s were built on standard 98 Mausers. A long action like the ZKK602 is unnecessary.

Since a standard length mauser will work, why won't the ZKK600?

The only bottom metal I know of is what comes with the action and it needs work to hold and reliably feed rounds with greater case shoulder diameters than the original .375 H&H. So, this, to me, after it is done properly, is "new", sorry my late night reply may have caused confusion.

Such work, done correctly, does not come "cheap" and in my humble attempt to reply to the original query, as posted, I tried to stress that, rather than suggest action options, as Mausers, or, the relatively "easy" Classic Mod. 70s.

You have to go trough a lot of trouble building a 404 on a std M98; new mag/bottom metal, lenghtening the bolt travel, removing metal in front AND in the back(making the action weaker...)making it feed properly etc.

The best way is using a CZ 602. Here in Norway they're rather cheap. I built my 460 G&A from a .458 mod 602(using 404 brass)
Works wonderfully!

M

Metric,

If you have a line on 602's with the pop-up peep sight, let us know! If they're cheap I'll bet there are some buyers here.

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
Metric,

If you have a line on 602's with the pop-up peep sight, let us know! If they're cheap I'll bet there are some buyers here.

You bet, they get snapped up real quick.

That was a great feature of the 602's.

quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
what bottom metal is available that you know of, Dewey?

Duane Wiebe (Sound Metal Products) is building a unit for a standard M98 that will hold four down (and is not a drop box). Pretty slick.

Parker Hale made their M81 African Classic in 404 calibre. If you use a search engine you will find a couple for sale here in UK. I am sure that export would not be an impossible problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
An inexpensive .375H&H old 602 CAN be an excellent basis for the Jeffrey round, but, it will need skilled work and new bottom metal to make it worthwhile and that does not come "cheap".

About 25 yrs ago I built a 416 Rigby on a ZKK 602 which was originally in 375 H&H. I lost one cartridge capacity in the mag, it fed as slick as the original with almost no action work at all, I was surprised but thats a fact. It was a cheap & easy conversion before the rest of the world discovered 416s. I can't see a problem in doing the same with a 404J.
Steve.

but is it for the cz 550 forrest as I think that will generate some significant interest!

602 has a trigger attached to the bottom metal .. a bugger to replace, at least the last time I built one. -- which was a 470 mbogo

safety is also backwards.. pull back to fire

might be a replacement these days.. that was in 2001 ... AHR does NOT make a replacement.

the action is HUGE .. same size as the cz550 magnum, which shares several components.

its standard gunsmithing to make one on a mauser 98 varient .. get duane's bottom metal, and a great stocker .....

In fact, just commision Duane to do it.. or Jim Kobe

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
I have long wanted to build a practical 404J rifle to hunt with.

[LIST]

Will the Brno 602 (270 Win) be a suitable action to build such a rifle?

What are the modifications that will be required?

Any help would be appreciated.

If you are from the Naki I would suguest giving Allen Carr on the Kapiti Coast a ring and in the South, Hugh Bradley from Staeger Sport. Hugh built mine on a 98 action and it feeds and functions flawlesly, using the origional but slightly altered mag, follower and bottom metal.

Von Gruff.

Naki hunter, I think you and I are looking at the same rifle, if its the trademe job. Don't think hes knows what model he's selling, but i'd say its a 600. IT got me interested at the starting bid price.