I was wondering if anybody was familiar with Brno/CZ shotguns ?? I found one and purchased it today I think it is from about the 1970s (I'm guessing) , it has true sidelocks , sling swivels , continental style cheek piece , 12 ga. 28 3/8" barrels , double triggers , weighs 7 lbs. , it's about 95% and I got a great deal on it . It has "Special Poldi Elektro" on one barrel and "Made in Czechoslovakia" on the other and the chokes are marked 17.6X17.8 what ever that means . Any info would be appreciated . Thanks
stratoliner
Joined
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6,206 Posts
Is it a s/s?, if it is, it sounds like it might be a ZP49.
Czech guns were very common here from the 1970's through the early 1990's.
I had a pretty good raport with some folks at the Canadian importer back then and owned a few of their products.
There were two separate factories, Zbrojovka Brno, founded 1918, in the town of Brno and Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) at Uhersky Brod, founded in 1936.
Both made shotguns and rifles but CZ seemed to be more into rifles and Brno more into shotguns.
Under th communist system, both maker's were exported here under the name "Brno"; I understand the thought was that that name was older and more recognized by buyers in the west. '
The communists were not real marketing whiz's though and did not bring new developments like choke tubes into the line, even though they Brno factory would have likely done a good job on them. They also insisted on making target models with auto safeties, not a good selling point to the average Canadian or U.S. clay target shooter.
The guns were VERY solid, traditionally made of machined steel and walnut. I'm sure the communists dumped them here, you could buy one of these solid, European style s/s for not much more than the cost of a Wingmaster in the 1970's.
With the fall of communism, Brno did not do well in the transition to a market ecconomy, CZ did and that is the name we see today on the excellent rifles, my CZ ZKK 600 .30-06 shoots MOA with factory ammo, for example.
Cz has recently bought the remaining assest of the old Brno factory and are said to be developing the brand for marketing Czech produced shotguns although I have not seen any announcements about making the older stuff like the s/s so far.
As a parting note on the communist days, the importer employed mostly Canadians including gunsmiths that were sent on training sessions to the factories but they always had a Czech in charge of the facitiy. The Czech's were rotated out every few years.
I was told in the late 1970's that these people did not want to return after setting into Canada for a few years. Seems they grew to like their color TV's, barbeques and Buick's, things not common at home in the communist days (I expect this has changed now). Perhaps it was our own small contribution to the fall of communism, corrupting these folks :wink: :lol:
Czech guns were very common here from the 1970's through the early 1990's.
I had a pretty good raport with some folks at the Canadian importer back then and owned a few of their products.
There were two separate factories, Zbrojovka Brno, founded 1918, in the town of Brno and Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) at Uhersky Brod, founded in 1936.
Both made shotguns and rifles but CZ seemed to be more into rifles and Brno more into shotguns.
Under th communist system, both maker's were exported here under the name "Brno"; I understand the thought was that that name was older and more recognized by buyers in the west. '
The communists were not real marketing whiz's though and did not bring new developments like choke tubes into the line, even though they Brno factory would have likely done a good job on them. They also insisted on making target models with auto safeties, not a good selling point to the average Canadian or U.S. clay target shooter.
The guns were VERY solid, traditionally made of machined steel and walnut. I'm sure the communists dumped them here, you could buy one of these solid, European style s/s for not much more than the cost of a Wingmaster in the 1970's.
With the fall of communism, Brno did not do well in the transition to a market ecconomy, CZ did and that is the name we see today on the excellent rifles, my CZ ZKK 600 .30-06 shoots MOA with factory ammo, for example.
Cz has recently bought the remaining assest of the old Brno factory and are said to be developing the brand for marketing Czech produced shotguns although I have not seen any announcements about making the older stuff like the s/s so far.
As a parting note on the communist days, the importer employed mostly Canadians including gunsmiths that were sent on training sessions to the factories but they always had a Czech in charge of the facitiy. The Czech's were rotated out every few years.
I was told in the late 1970's that these people did not want to return after setting into Canada for a few years. Seems they grew to like their color TV's, barbeques and Buick's, things not common at home in the communist days (I expect this has changed now). Perhaps it was our own small contribution to the fall of communism, corrupting these folks :wink: :lol:
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