Used BRNO602 375 HH vs new CZ550

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geologist

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I am looking for a high quality Mauser bolt action rifle in 375 H&H with good dangerous game sights.

In a perfect world, I see myself findng a BRNO 602, in good shape, with the pop up aperture sight for around $600-700.

I have seen them come up occasionally in the $800-1000 range.

Am I better off going with a new CZ550 in .375H&H? It's essentially the same rifle (550 has conventional safety and a bolt shroud), same company and they go for around $1050 new.

Is the quality of these CZ's inferior to the older 602's?

Frank DeHass stated that the 602 was one of the few FORGED magnum length receivers available. Is the CZ550 a forged receiver? Does it make a difference?

I have a BRNO 600 in 30-06 and cannot say enough about this quality CRF rifle.

Does anyone have experience with these Czech rifles?
 
Never even seen a 550 but I really like my 602 in 375 hh. Some say the 602 was built better during the old commie days than it's contemporary. However if I can't get a good deal on used and I don't know the owner I buy new. Either way great calibre choice and hard to go wrong with CZ BRNO.
 
I've only handled the 550, and I loved it except for the Bolt knob, which felt like it wanted to cut my hand...I wonder if they make a .338...
 
I bought a new CZ 550 Lux in 9.3x62,fit and finish is very nice.Comes with a set trigger.nice bluing and checkering.Mine will shoot under 3/4" with no problem.Thinking about getting another one in a diff caliber like 7x57??
 
You could look for an Interarms Whitworth in .375H&H. Not made anymore, but some are around and they are a quality piece. Just another Mauser option for ya!

You could also look for a custom built Patt 1914 in .375 H&H. It's essentially a ####-on-closing Mauser action, but many were converted to #### on opening like a conventional 98.
 
Here's my two cents on the CZ 550.

I bought a CZ 550 in 375 H&H last winter with a laminated 'American' stock. I really like the rifle and I too am thinking of getting another CZ. Before even firing the gun, I took it to a gunsmith and had a cross bolt put in, the action rebedded and the barrel floated. The rifle didn't seem to like being floated, zero would periodically shift a few inches. Another trip to the gunsmith quickly sorted that out and accuracy now is very good. As mentioned above, checkering and general stock fitting was a bit crude in places, but better than in years past. Certainly good enough for me. Love the ajustable trigger. Hated the trigger creep as it came out of the box, read the instruction booklet and the issue went away in about 10 minutes.

Take care,
Dean
 
The 550 is the same as the 602, only its "Americanized" The original 602s were shipped directly from CZ to where ever, the 550s are shipped from CZ to CZ USA as actions or barreled actions then stocked in the USA, this allows them to beat some of the tarriff, as they are being "made" in the US. A 602 will fit a 550 stock perfectly, word I heard at the SHOT Show last spring is that CZ USA put some cash into CZ, hence the influence.
All in all great rifles, well made. Not the greatest attention to detail in the machine tool mark removal dept, but built like atank, and they shoot very well.
Experience has shown that the bigger caliber rifles with the 3rd bolt up the stock into the barrel, do not appreciate free floating, the smaller caliber rifles without screw#3 however shoot incredibly well when bedded and floated.
The 550 bebarreled from 416 to 338 Lapua makes for an affordable Lapua :mrgreen:
 
I've got a 602 in 375H&H I bought fomr Supercub.

I like th e gun alo, the only drawbacks in my mind are the safety (backwards) and that it appears to have a pretty generous chamber.

The chamber is not a problem at all if you shoot factory ammo, but I can get case head seperations after only a few firings, even when onl;y neck sized.

To be fair, I haven't had the time toi experiemnt enough using brand new brass to see if it is a real issue but I have thougth abotu rechambering to a 375 Weatherby or similar to remove the problem.

THis summer I hope to finish fire forming a batch of new brass (which I started fireforming at Haggisfest) to see if I can work around it. :D
 
Yes the safety is backwards on a 602, but just say over and over: "#### to fire...#### to fire...#### to fire", then it seems to be a little more natural. I own one of four 602's within our little group here, and all are superb examples of working class bolt action rifles. Two of the rifles have muzzle brakes - the .458 with an after market brake and the .375 H&H with a factory brake. I like to remind my pal with the .375 H&H what happened when he shot at a bear from along side his house....he couldn't hear for 2 days is what happened. Admittedly I don't like brakes, but these rifles just don't kick enough to make a brake worth the trouble IMHO. Two of these rifles are custom jobs - my .375 Ultra, and Pounder's .458. I keep pestering him to rechamber to .460 G&A, but he clings tenaciously to his straight wall "pistol" cartridge. The other two 602's - a .416 Remington and a .375 H&H, both of which have monte carlo stocks, and the .375 has the factory installed Zeiss scope which I think is a 4X.

Take a look over at the Nitro Express forum. www.forums.nitroexpress.com.
In the Big Bore Rifle section there is an excellent write up on the history of the Brno 602 rifle, with pictures. I didn't know it was available, at one time, with a Mannlicher stock.

I can't comment on the 550 not having any experience with it, however, the general consensus at Nitro Express seems to be that the demand for these rifles (long action magnums) was so high that the QC has slipped signifigantly since the introduction of the 550.
 
I'd forgotten about the backwards saftey on the 602. This has been fixed on the 550. I believe a 3 postion saftey is also available.

Dean
 
brno 602

I sold a 602 in 375 h&h a couple of year ago,not because i didnt like it.The rifle did not fit due to distance between trigger and stock, i have short fingers. It came with two triggers, hunting and set. With the hunting trigger there was creep, with the set trigger i set it at 40 oz but pushing the trigger fwd to set made it almost unreachable for me. By the way i dont recommend 40 oz for any thing other than shooting from the bench. The safety is backwards which could cause a problem if you are used to American rifles.Yesterday i was handling a 550 at Reliable Guns in Vancouver, the trigger is a single set,unset there is condsiderable creep, pushing fwd to set its great but still to far away from my finger. The safety is American version,fwd to fire. Rings are a little more money.I would say if it fits you go for whichever you like the best. By the way my fingers are not nubs American stocks fit me. Hope this helps.
 
Apparently a different company is making the 550! The old 602 ZKK were the last produced by a high quality manufacturer. I'll see if I can dig up some details. Its been awhile since I spoke to the original importer.
 
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