The CZ 452 also known as BRNO Model Two ''.22'' Rifle is a series of

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

-fed

bolt-action Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed). Most bolt-action ...

rimfire

repeating rifle A repeating rifle is a single- barreled rifle capable of repeated discharges between each ammunition reloads. This is typically achieved by having multiple cartridges stored in a magazine (within or attached to the gun) and then fed individually i ...

s manufactured by the

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

firearms manufacturer

Česká Zbrojovka Uherský Brod Česká zbrojovka a.s. Uherský Brod (CZUB) is an engineering company based in Uherský Brod, Czech Republic whose main activities include the production of service, hunting and sports firearms. It is owned by the Czech holding company Colt CZ ...

(abbreviated "CZ-UB", English: ''Czech Weapons Factory —

Uherský Brod Uherský Brod (; german: Ungarisch Brod) is a town in Uherské Hradiště District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument ...

'') and imported into the United States by CZ-USA. Most versions of the 452 rifle series were discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the

CZ 455 The CZ 455 is a series of magazine-fed bolt-action rimfire repeating rifle manufactured by the Czech firearms manufacturer Česká Zbrojovka Uherský Brod (abbreviated "CZ-UB", English: Czech Weapons Factory — Uherský Brod) and imported into th ...

, although CZ continues to offer the CZ 452 American in a left-hand model, with the bolt handle and ejection port located on the left side of the rifle. During its production life, the CZ 452 was produced in several versions with various

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...

s and

sight Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment through photopic vision (daytime vision), color vision, scotopic vision (night vision), and mesopic vision (twilight vision), using light in the ...

s for a variety of rimfire cartridges such as

.22 LR The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smooth ...

, .22 WMR,

.17 HM2 The .17 Hornady Mach 2, or .17 HM2, is a rimfire cartridge introduced in 2004 by the ammunition manufacturer Hornady, following the successful launch in 2002 of the .17 HMR. The .17 HM2 is based on the .22 Long Rifle "Stinger" case, necked d ...

, and

.17 HMR .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, commonly known as the .17 HMR, is a rimfire rifle cartridge developed by Hornady in 2002. It was developed by necking down a .22 Magnum case to take a .17 caliber (4.5 mm) projectile. Commonly loaded with a 1 ...

History

First introduced in 1956 as the BRNO Model 2 (ZKM 452), the Model 452 is a refinement of the CZ Model 1 (ZKM-451) .22 calibre rimfire bolt-action training rifle that first appeared in 1947. ZKM is an acronym for Zbrojovka-Koucký-Malorážka, the rifle's manufacturer ( �eskáZbrojovka), designer (Josef Koucký) and Malorážka - for small calibre). The Model 1 or ZKM-451 was developed on the request of the occupying German authority in 1943–44, when a very few rifles were built as fully stocked Mauser 98k type trainers. The receivers of these early .22 training rifles were marked ''tgf'' (''Tschechische Gewehr Fabrik'' - German for Czech Rifle Factory) by the German

Heereswaffenamt ''Waffenamt'' (WaA) was the German Army Weapons Agency. It was the centre for research and development of the Weimar Republic and later the Third Reich for weapons, ammunition and army equipment to the German Reichswehr and then Wehrmacht ...

. Because of wartime requirements for combat weapons, assembly and production was halted on all .22 training rifles, leaving a large stockpile of parts and receivers at war's end. After the war, these parts (some of which still have the ''tgf'' code) were used along with new barrels and stocks to make the Model 1.

Common Features

The CZ 452 features a

carbon steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...

barrel that is threaded into the receiver frame, except for rifles chambered for .17 HM2 which have the barrel pinned to the receiver. Rifles of recent manufacture feature hammer forged and

lapped Lapping is a machining process in which two surfaces are rubbed together with an abrasive between them, by hand movement or using a machine. Lapping often follows other subtractive processes with more aggressive material removal as a first step ...

barrels. The receiver has a

dovetail rail A dovetail rail or dovetail mount can refer to several types of sliding rail system found on firearms primarily for mounting telescopic sights. Colloquially, the term ''dovetail rail'' usually refer to any straight mounting bracket with an inver ...

for mounting a

telescopic sight A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate po ...

. The dovetail is either 11 mm or 3/8" depending on the version and cartridge. The

trigger Trigger may refer to: Notable animals and people ;Mononym * Trigger (horse), owned by cowboy star Roy Rogers ;Nickname * Trigger Alpert (1916–2013), American jazz bassist * "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), American gangster ;Surname * Bru ...

mechanism is adjustable for weight of pull. A detachable box magazine is used for feeding. Magazines are available in 5- and 10-round capacities for all cartridges, both in steel and plastic. A single-shot adapter and 25-round magazine are also available for use with .22 LR and .17 HM2.

Versions

American and Special

The American is equipped with a 22.5" (572 mm) sporter weight barrel. The barrel and receiver have a polished and blued finish. They sit in an American-style, straight-comb, Turkish

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

with checkered grip and fore-end, and is trimmed with sling studs and a hard plastic butt plate. It was offered in limited quantities with beech, maple, and fancy walnut stocks. There is no provision for iron sights, as it is designed for use with a telescopic sight. The American was chambered for .17 HM2, .17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR in right-handed rifles, and for .17 HMR and .22 LR in left-handed rifles. Currently, the left-handed version is still in production. Versions were offered with either a 16.2" or 22.5" inch barrel with the muzzle threaded (1/2" x 20 threads per inch (TPI)) to accept a sound

suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity Sound intensity, also known as acoustic intensity, is defined as the power carried by sound waves per unit ...

. Adapters to allow attachment of U.S. standard (1/2" x 28 TPI) suppressors are available from several manufacturers. The Special is identical to the American except it is provided with a matte blued finish on the receiver and a

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

wood stock that is otherwise identical.

Varmint

The Varmint is equipped with a 20.5" (521 mm) straight tapered varmint/target barrel. The barrel is polished whereas the receiver has a matte finish; both are blued. The barreled action sits in a varmint-style, straight-comb, walnut stock having a checkered grip with a modest palm swell and a flat-bottomed fore-end, and is trimmed with sling studs and a rubber butt pad. There is no provision for iron sights, as it is designed for use with a telescopic sight. The Varmint was chambered for .17 HM2, .17 HMR, .22 LR, and .22 WMR.

Lux, Trainer, and Standard

Australian Air Force Cadets using the Trainer variant of the CZ452

The Lux is equipped with a 24.8" (630 mm) barrel that is provisioned with tangent sights. The barrel is polished whereas the receiver has a matte finish; both are blued. The barreled action sits in a walnut stock in the European-style with checkered grip, schnabel fore-end, and arched (curved) comb sometimes referred to as a Bavarian or "hogback" stock, and is trimmed with European sling swivels and a hard plastic butt plate. The lower drop at the heel and arched comb of the stock are designed to aid shooting with iron sights. The rear tangent sight is graduated in 25 meter increments with calibrated markings from 25 to 200 meters, while the sight leaf is adjustable for

windage Windage is a term used in aerodynamics, firearms ballistics, and automobiles. Usage Aerodynamics Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object. Windage loss is the reduction in ...

. The hooded front sight blade is adjustable for elevation. The Lux was chambered for .22 LR and .22 WMR. A left-handed version was chambered for .22 LR. The Trainer, also known as the Special or Special Military Training Rifle, is a cadet rifle identical to the Lux except it is provided with a

wood stock that is otherwise identical. The Trainer was chambered for .22 LR and .17 HMR. The Standard is identical to the Trainer except the grip of the

wood stock is not checkered. This and the Trainer is in use with many cadet organisations, a few being the

Australian Air Force Cadets The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), known as the ''Air Training Corps (AIRTC)'' until 2001, is a Federal Government funded youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Along with the Australia ...

Australian Navy Cadets The Australian Navy Cadets (ANC) is a voluntary youth organisation owned and sponsored by the Royal Australian Navy. Together with the Australian Air Force Cadets and Australian Army Cadets, it forms the Australian Defence Force Cadets. It host ...

and

Australian Army Cadets The Australian Army Cadets (AAC) is the youth military program and organisation of the Australian Army, tasked with supporting participants to contribute to society, fostering interest in defence force careers, and developing support for the ...

Ultra Lux and Super BRNO

The Ultra Lux is equipped with a 28.6" (727 mm) barrel that is provisioned with tangent sights. The extra length of the barrel is intended to improve sight radius and thus accuracy when using open sights. The barrel is polished whereas the receiver has a matte finish; both are blued. The top of the barrel is marked "SUPER EXCLUSIVE" and the trigger is gold plated. The barreled action sits in a European beechwood stock with a checkered grip, a Bavarian-style comb that also features a cheek piece, and is trimmed with European sling swivels and a rubber butt pad. Early in production, 110 rifles were made with a walnut stock. Unlike the Lux and Trainer, the tangent sight is calibrated from 25 to 100 meters in 25 meter increments, and then extends to 300 meters in 50 meter increments. The rear sight leaf is adjustable for

, while the hooded front sight blade is adjustable for elevation. The Ultra Lux was provided with a 10-round magazine, and chambered for .22 LR. The Super BRNO preceded the Ultra Lux. It is essentially the same; however, the finish of its beechwood stock has an orange hue, the top of the barrel is marked "SUPER BRNO SAA 2500," the trigger is silver in color, and it was provided with a 5-round magazine. These are reported to have originally been produced as training rifles for Egypt, who refused, at which point CZ made them available to the public. Production was only 2,500 rifles.

Scout

The Scout is a compact rifle intended for young shooters, with reduced stock dimensions, reduced weight, and a single-round loading device. The reduced stock dimensions and weight also make it suitable for smaller adults. The single-round loading device helps teach ammunition conservation and

marksmanship A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting using projectile weapons (in modern days most commonly an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high-value targets at longer-than- ...

. It has a shortened beechwood stock with a straight, slightly dropped comb, and a blued metal finish. It also uses notch and post sights.

Silhouette and Style

The Silhouette was designed for small-bore

metallic silhouette Metallic silhouette shooting is a group of target shooting disciplines that involves shooting at steel targets representing game animals at varying distances, seeking to knock the metal target over. Metallic silhouette is shot with large bore ri ...

shooting competitions, and to meet the requirements of the IMSSA. It is essentially a CZ American action and barrel in a synthetic stock with a raised comb and cheek piece. Blued metal finish. A version was offered with a 16.2" inch barrel with the muzzle threaded (1/2" x 20 threads per inch (TPI)) to accept a sound

. The Style is identical to the Silhouette except that it features a matte

nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...

electroplate finish on all metal surfaces except for the bolt and trigger assemblies.

FS (Full Stock)

The FS, short for Full Stock, features a carbine length (20.7") barrel and a

Mannlicher–Schönauer The Mannlicher–Schönauer (sometimes Anglicized as "Mannlicher Schoenauer", Hellenized as Τυφέκιον/Όπλον Μάνλιχερ, ''Óplon/Tyfékion Mannlicher'') is a rotary-magazine bolt-action rifle produced by Steyr Mannlicher for t ...

-style full-length Turkish walnut stock with checkering on the pistol grip and forearm. The FS features the same tangent sights as the Lux and Trainer. The dovetail rail on the receiver accepts either 11 mm (for 22 LR versions) or 3/8" (for 17 HMR and 22 WMR versions) scope rings.

Grand Finale

Released in 2017, the Grand Finale is a limited run of 1,000 rifles to commemorate the CZ 452 line. It follows the pattern of the CZ 452 American, but features an oil-finished walnut stock with ebony fore-end tip and grip cap, is hand engraved with a high polish blued finish, has a gold plated trigger, and features a custom metal magazine floor plate. It is provided with matching engraved and high polish blued scope rings.

Variants

CZ 453

The CZ 453 is essentially the same as the CZ 452; however, it is equipped with a fully adjustable single-set trigger. Some components, such as a different trigger housing and unique action screws, differ from the CZ 452 to accommodate the single set trigger, and thus the CZ 453 trigger cannot be retrofit into a CZ 452. Three versions were produced: American, Varmint, and Lux. The American and Varmint are essentially the same as the respective CZ 452 version. The Lux is akin to the CZ 452 version, but features the modern stock of the CZ 527 Lux, which features panel checkering on the grip and fore-end, a cheek piece, and a rubber butt pad. The Lux was only offered in 22 LR.

CZ 513

The CZ 513 Basic (or ''Farmer'' as it is known outside the USA) is an economy version of the CZ 452, and with a 20.9-inch barrel and an uncheckered beechwood stock. The trigger is not adjustable, and the rear sight is a simple notch and post type.

References

External links

Česká zbrojovka
Official website
CZ USA Rimfire Rifles
Official website for the USA importer.

An article about the CZ 452 Super BRNO 2500.

Article by Chuck Hawks

A review by Guns and Ammo * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cz 452 Bolt-action rifles Rifles of Czechoslovakia .22 LR rifles