doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Early post-war Brno rifles

Gentlemen, I have recently acquired a Brno factory sporter in 8X57 caliber that is the full stock rifle version (model 22f),. This one has the factory 4X Optotechnica claw mount scope attached(with coated lenses no less), along with spoon bolt and double triggers,and was mfg. in 1946.I have labored in vain to find an original or copy of any catalog that lists these rifles in that time period.I believe they were imported by the Thalson Co. of San Francisco. Does anyone have any info on these models,along with prices and calibers offered? Thanks, Marcus

I've seen them in the American Riflemen classified ads of that era offered for sale and maybe a display ad by Thalson too.

You might try www.cornellpubs.com

They reprint quite a few old gun catalogs.

Bob

Unfortunately, i haven't been able to find any catalogs from this outfit(Thalson),and no reprints of same,either.Possibly someone has an old ad as stated previously,that they could post. Thanks, Marcus

I'll wager a fair percentage of early post-war BRNO's that came to America did so in the baggage of returning servicemen in the Occupation Army.

I don't doubt some vz-24s came over in duffle bags. However after searching Cornell I found the Brno referenced in the following catalogues -- Bland 1960, Samac, Parker Hale 54-55 and Freeland. I going to order the Freeland just to see the add. sl can you post a pic. of your rifle. FWIW --- John Can.

The 1952 Gun Digest lists the BRNO model 21H and 21F. Caliber's available were 6.5mm, 7mm and 8mm. Price was $167.50 and it shows that they were imported by Thalson Company. No mention is made of factory scope mounts.

H; Good info., the scope mounting / mounts issue has always intrigued me. I have what I believe is a factory scope with integral mount(s) ordered directly from Brno on my 22H. This arrangement seems to be quite rare on the 22 series. You can see it at - Nitroexpress >Mauser Pics & Archive >Mauser Pics. on 2cd page. ? Was it not a 21 (round receiver), usually with claw mounts & then it became the 22 in about 53ish with integral dovetails or vice versa? --- John Can.

Thanks for the info.I have noticed that a large proportion of the Brno commercial rifles seem to be in Texas.Possibly there was a distributor down there that handled them. These rifles were built on a VZ-33 action(small ring 98),not the VZ-24 action,which makes them considerably lighter and trimmer.I have seen one other factory-scoped carbine(21F)in 7X57,but it got away before I could get it.It had the same Czech Optikotechna 4X scope as mine does.I believe that these scopes were mfg. by Meopta,which was set up by Zeiss in Czechoslovakia in the 1920's and given Zeiss manufacturing technology. My scope has coated lenses from 1946,which I think is noteworthy because the lens coating technology was developed by the Germans in the 1930's and was regarded as top secret.The allies did not have this technology until it was liberated at the end of WW2 and many of our military optics were retrofitted with it post-war.

I was always under the impression that the Model 21 was the carbine in half or full stock,and the Model 22 was the rifle version in half or full stock,hence the 'H' or 'F' designation,but i could be wrong about this fact. Marcus

One of the most beautiful full stocked carbines ever made, Mannlicher-Schoenauer included IMHO! Have seen them here in Texas and never cheap. One I know of has numbers on the bottom of the butt stock indicating it was in a hunt club/preserve in Sweden. Many other Swedish rifles in 9.3x57 came over recently when they changed their law to tax each and every one in a man's collection. This was one of the pile, as was a combo gun I picked up. Steve

Beautiful is only beautiful around here when there are pictures!

There is one on gunbroker at the moment.
Brno 22F

Here's a few of mine...just added a 8x60s in a full stock

Here's the Hornet...

and the 7x64 Deluxe...

My current deer rifle...7x57 ZG47,ready to roll

Finally, I found someone that has several Brno's with factory claw mts. Tell me about yours and what you know about them. (orig. prices,etc.) Sandlapper

Here's my 1946 Brno 22F, 8x57, with a Gerard scope. These were taken when I first got it and you can imagine the first thing I did to it.

Art