Brno#1

[baldabe]

Hi all,
just bought a BRNO#1 with a Lyman aperture rear and globe front sight. I will take some pictures and post them up. Any advice or tips from the collective experience? It looks quite pristine, the old lady said her husband hadnt shot it in the last 20 years. It was all gunked up with oil and grease, but it cleaned up really well.
any ideas on value?

 

[Halftail]

Hi all,
just bought a BRNO#1 with a Lyman aperture rear and globe front sight. I will take some pictures and post them up. Any advice or tips from the collective experience? It looks quite pristine, the old lady said her husband hadnt shot it in the last 20 years. It was all gunked up with oil and grease, but it cleaned up really well.
any ideas on value?

Nice! looking forward to the pics!

 

[DeadeyeDave]

My local gunsmith just sold a beech stocked "55 with some minor pitting that he cleaned up and cold blued for $400. It looked pretty good and was an absolute tackdriver. If your Lyman peep is drill and tap mounted rather than on the dovetail that might affect value. The other thing is how is the front globe mounted. If a transverse dovetail has been cut across the original front sight ramp to mount the globe that would affect the value as well. There are 2 types of triggers, adjustable vs. non-adjustable. I've tried both and can't say one is better than the other. It should have a distinct 2 stage trigger pull. Some people seem to want to adjust that out. Have a look at the little notch on the firing pin where it engages the sear. I've seen a few that are a bit dinged up possibly from the bolt being rammed forward when it's re-installed. Remember to push the trigger forward to remove the bolt. Other things to look for - correct buttplate, original sling swivels, original tri-leaf sight, and plastic,stamped metal, or milled metal mag bottom. A walnut stock would be a plus. If you have any trouble with empties not ejecting check your extractors and the little spring clip that holds them in. Some parts are available from "Denny" in California who is the go to guy for all things Brno.
Oh, and Brno's are like potato chips so be forewarned.

 

[baldabe]

Thanks for the information Dave, helps a lot. I just shot it this morning, too cold to get any meaningful groups. It sounded almost suppressed! I had a guy shooting an SKS on my left and an M14 shorty on my right. It cycles beautifully, trigger has a very short travel and breaks clean. not a two stage definitely. unless it was adjusted out as you say. The original rear sight is missing. The front has no ramp. Hard to explain without pictures. Ill take some pics and post when I get home this evening.

 

[zywina]

Sounds like one of the many rifles set up for youth shooting in the old DCRA days. I have one set up similarly on a #5 with a redfield rear peep and a Lyman 17 type front globe. Most of the number 1's I have come across have a Lyman model 525 Hi-Lo rear peep and a Lyman 17A globe. great gun , and set up!
Value will be as a shooter , as any gun altered falls out of collectibility period , but I still payed $500 fot converted DCRA #5 ?
Dale Z!

 

[baldabe]

Here are some picture I took in a hurry. Pardon my lack of photography skills!
Dale: that sounds about right for what the rifle is. Just to make you jealous, I paid way less than $500.

Please check the pictures and let me know what you think.

 

[DeadeyeDave]

Very nice stock. Mine are real beaters compared to yours but boy do they shoot. Try some SK plus or rifle match. I recently bought a #2 that is set up exactly the same as that except it has a Redfield globe. Your front sight ramp has been milled down and a dovetail cut across it so you can't go back to the original front sight. You have the adjustable trigger which I'm thinking has been adjusted to take out most of the 1st stage. Personally I just like the distinct 2 stage pull of the #1 and #3. If I want a really light trigger I reach for my #4 or #5. I see yours has an aftermarket buttpad. Which mag did you get? Back in the 90's my gunsmith buddy bought 10 #1's for $100 each. Wish I knew then what I know now!

 

[baldabe]

Thanks for the reply Dave,
the magazine I got with it is a new CZ 452!! no original one. For the price I paid I did not expect it to be in such good condition. I noticed the aperture has MERIT on it, the rear sight itself has LYMAN and there are no markings I could see on the front globe. The stock has a pillar for the rear screw. I tried to take a picture of it. Is that standard?
The trigger does not move too much so theres no take-up before or any movement after the shot is fired. I was playing with it last night and while checking the safety, noticed that when I release the safety, the firing pin drops! Not a good thing, I do not rely or use the safeties on my firearms, so no issue for me personaly. But I would like to look more into it so that when my son uses it he does not get an unpleasant surprise.

 

[baldabe]

Was rereading the posts Dave, and wanted to comment on the potato chip comment. heres what I have to say: "My name is Abid and I am a BRNO-holic. I have been without a BRNO in my hand for almost 8 hours now".
Thanks for the tip about Denny, I will surely use his services in the near future.

 

[zywina]

I wish I could download pics from my I phone to this sight , as that's all I'm capable of, hate computers and all the crap you need to load one picture!

Would like to see all the other wonderful DCRA set BRNO sporter's that are still shooting today!
The #5 I have is a very early gun, with very nice streaking in the beech stock, also came with an original milled steel magazine ,which make 452 mags look like junk!!
I shoot CCI ST Vel with great success .

Cheers Dale Z!

 

[baldabe]

Where can I buy inserts for the globe sight, a rubber eyecup and sunshade for the rear sight and a new buttpad, thats close to original? Mind you, this is only going to be a shooter, sice it has already been modified from original.

 

[hoytcanon]

Baldabe... it's not nice to mug little old ladies!!!

If your globe turns out to be a Lyman 17, do yourself a favour and get a Lee Shaver insert card for it... Lee's precision inserts are very sharp and do make a difference on paper.

 

[baldabe]

Baldabe... it's not nice to mug little old ladies!!!

If your globe turns out to be a Lyman 17, do yourself a favour and get a Lee Shaver insert card for it... Lee's precision inserts are very sharp and do make a difference on paper.

The surprising part is I met her at a hospital where my mom had surgery. Karma works! I helped her and she helped me. I paid her more than what she wanted for it.
Thanks for the tip about the lee shaver inserts. I was online looking for some, all I could find were Lymans.

 

[hoytcanon]

Just google "Lee Shaver Globe Inserts" and the site will come up.

I have them in a number of guns... BRNO's, CZ's and Henry's...

The set up below is my "grouse head getter..."

 

[DeadeyeDave]

I'm really intrigued by that trigger. I took a copy of your picture and will show it to my gunsmith friend tomorrow and by all means ask Denny if he has ever seen one like that. It almost looks to me like someone has customized an original adjustable trigger by welding an extension on the front of the trigger and adding some sort of downward projection to the front of the sear. In your picture of the stock it looks like there are 2 little holes behind the magazine well. Do those give access to those screws ahead of the trigger?

 

[GordS]

I took my son out to the range yesterday for the second time in his life and I'm training him with my BRNO 2-E .22LR I have always been very impressed with this rifle, the bolt is smooth, good weight to it, all in all a very accurate rifle and one that I will never sell. We did a little 5 shot competition yesterday at 50 yards and I put 4 shots pretty much in the same hole (no bigger than a quarter) with the cheapest Winchester amo out there. Great gun and great purchase. I wish I could find another for my youngest son.

- GordS

 

[baldabe]

I'm really intrigued by that trigger. I took a copy of your picture and will show it to my gunsmith friend tomorrow and by all means ask Denny if he has ever seen one like that. It almost looks to me like someone has customized an original adjustable trigger by welding an extension on the front of the trigger and adding some sort of downward projection to the front of the sear. In your picture of the stock it looks like there are 2 little holes behind the magazine well. Do those give access to those screws ahead of the trigger?

Thanks for your e mail.
Well based on picture I can tell you that your Model 1 original two stage adjustable trigger and sear
Was modified with goal to lighten trigger pull. It was done - well it is mind boggling what the guy who did it philosophy was.
If is me personally I would not trust this trigger at all.. for safety reason it should be replaced with original one and the original
Can be tweak an tuned to light pull

This was Denny's reply. I have not checked the two holes you mentioned. The same thought occured to me as well.

 

[baldabe]

I'm really intrigued by that trigger. I took a copy of your picture and will show it to my gunsmith friend tomorrow and by all means ask Denny if he has ever seen one like that. It almost looks to me like someone has customized an original adjustable trigger by welding an extension on the front of the trigger and adding some sort of downward projection to the front of the sear. In your picture of the stock it looks like there are 2 little holes behind the magazine well. Do those give access to those screws ahead of the trigger?

Dave, you nailed it. There are 2 holes drilled in the bottom metal and one through the trigger guard and they give access to the 3 screws ahead of the trigger.