CZ Yearbook 2019 /eng

88 | | 89 parts; the capacity of 25 rounds constitutes one of the larg- est on the market. After some rather unsatisfactory experi- ence with transparent plastic, which wasn’t oil-f riendly, CZ now uses amore durable black polymer. To allow the user to keep check on the number of cartridges, there are open- ings in the back wall through which the light colour of the magazine spring is visible even in low light. The general prac- tice today is to favour steady tactical reloading, however, if the user wants to see how many cartridges there are left, all they need to do is to tilt the firearm slightly to the side. Another innovation, although not directly connected to the calibre but to the growing ten- dency of CZ to modernize their weapons hand in hand with the wishes and requirements of customers, is a split receiver and an independent forend. This feature allows far greater variability, whether with regard to barrel lengths or accessory rails. In Bzenec, the company presented the CZ BREN 2 BR rifle with one longMIL-STD-1913 rail on the upper receiver where it is integrated with the receiv- er itself and the forend, and another one on the lower re- ceiver, attached on the bottom, spanning from the end of the forend to the trigger mech- anism housing. There are no rails on the sides. The compa- ny deliberated whether to opt for one of the more and more popular M-LOK system, but in the end decided on a set of standardized threads which, in line with current trends, allow armed forces to have the rails and accessories made to their exact requirements. Any rea- sonably equippedmanufactur- er should be able to do that. At the shooting range We were able to try out the CZ BREN 2 BR on a 300 m range. We were shooting with 308 Win S&B Match ammunition, the rifle was fitted with a com- bination of an EOTech collima- tor sight and a triple magni- fier, as well as a bipod. In the target area, there were popper targets in a size roughly re- sembling a human torso, with several even smaller ones for a more challenging aim. Experienced shooters had no trouble to hit every time from a supported prone position. Those with sharp eyesight had a bit of an advantage, as some grappled with the relatively low magnification. It was nec- essary to keep in mind the correct triggering technique, since 300 m is quite a distance and any small errors are no- ticed. Nonetheless, the accura- cy potential of the rifle seemed f ine, any misses were solely attributed to the user. The shooting itself (for safety and practical purposes only single round fire was allowed) was comfortable, even for those who tried shooting in the stand- ing position. The recoil was easi- lymanageable, without a doubt helped by the fact that, apart from the inline style of the stock and its thick buttplate, it was an automatic weapon. The journey to DMR Even though the stated calibre and the results may lead to this conclusion, the CZ BREN 2 BR is not categorized as a Des- ignated Marksman Rifle. It is a basic individual weapon with the effective range considera- bly greater than that of assault rifles in 5.56×45 mm NATO or 7.62×39 mm calibres. The ad- vantage of the CZ battle ri- fle is the fundamental design unification with the CZ BREN 2 assault rifles. Hence the con- trols and maintenance are the same, which should signif i- cantly simplify training. In ad- dition, it has retained the op- tion of short burst fire, which may be suitable e.g. when en- gaging in suppressive fire. By being introduced to the pro- fessional community in Sep- tember, the CZ BREN 2 BR en- joyed its public premiere. Even so, armed forces f rom several countries have already been testing the BR model for some time, reportedly with good re- sults. Other armies are waiting to see what will follow. With the completion of a quality assault rifle in 7.62×51 mm NATO cali- bre, CZ has created a wide win- dow of opportunity to further expand their portfolio – a DMR version included. It is said that the Uherský Brod company may have taken some steps in that direction already... CZ BREN 2 BR – approximate data calibre 7.62×51 mm NATO overall length with flash hider and the stock unfolded and extended 1000 mm overall length with flash hider and the stock folded 739 mm barrel length 407 mm weight without magazine, with iron sights max. 3.82 kg weight of empty magazine 180 g magazine capacity 25 rounds