Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Brno 21H scope mount suggestions

Howdy--
I just bought a tidy Brno 21H double-square bridge in 7x57. I'm hoping to mount a modern Kahles Helia fixed 4x to it that previously sat atop a CZ 550 via Warne high QD rings. The Warnes will fit right up to the dovetails on the 21, but unfortunately the butterknife bolt handle won't clear the ocular bell, which is on largish side--approximately 42mm. Any suggestions on mounts for this combo? I'd really like to utilize the dovetails, and I don't want to shave, cut, or otherwise modify the bolt handle.
Best,
Malcolm

Welcome to the forum malco,

I have just one 21h square bridge. Perhaps others will help with their advice as well.

Mine uses a one piece base and rings which I think is factory. In order to use that mount a Leu. 3-9 Compact is shoehorned in. The bolt handle came slightly modified to clear the small ocular and to be frank I like its look and fit.

Welcome to the forum.

I know what you're going through, as I also have a Brno 21H with unaltered bolt handle. The Kahles 4x has one of the biggest oculars around - the only rings I know that will work with this combo is the Warne Maxima extra-high rings, which are specified to raise the scope 0.715" above the top of the dovetails. Unfortunately they are discontinued. The problem is that the stock bolt handle sticks about 0.3" above the dovetail in the open position. Most of the easily available ring sets, such as the CZ, Burris and Warne high rings will only work with a relatively small oculars such as found on the Leupold compacts (1 3/8" ocular). I found a set of high Lynx (B-Square) rings that will also work with moderately large oculars such as the regular Leupold-size oculars and similar size ones like the Swarovskis, but the Kahles are probably just a tad too large.

What I've found is that for a 1 3/8" ocular you need a ring that is at least 0.5" from the top of the dovetail to the bottom of the ring, for a 1 9/16" ocular, about 0.62". For the Kahles, which is specified as 1.69", about 0.7", which is why I think the Warne Maxima XH is the only one that will work. HTH

aka MKBenenson.. Counsel of desperation: see if a contemporary Brno bolt can be altered to fit and make any bolt handle modifications necessary. Save the original.

Thanks for the advice and suggestions--my intent had originally been to go with the Warne's suggested above until discovering they were no longer an off-the-shelf option. I've got a couple of other leads as well and when I find a solution, whatever it is, I'll post it here. In the meantime, please keep the ideas coming!
Best,
Malcolm

A BRNO 21 is on my short list, anyone know where I could find one?

Here's a few different ones...

Hi blairvt--
There are several on gunsinternational right now, otherwise just watch the auction sites until one comes up that suits your fancy. Going rates on an auction basis seem to be from 1200 to 2000, with no real rhyme or reason to why one gets bid higher than another. A very clean 7x64 sat on g'int'l for months at 1900 until the very day a beater 6.5x57 hit 1600 on g'broker--then gone! No coincidence I'm sure. They're nice, trim little rifles--mine only weighs about six and a half pounds. Good luck--
Malcolm

a bit pricey arn't they, but then it seems like everything I want is.

A few years ago before Ray Atkinson commented that they were "The finest sporter ever ...." an auction price was $700 for a 21h and $900 for a 22f. Now the 22f's are $1500.

There is a 22f at the Autumn Gun Works in Goshen, CT. Of course I looked at it but at the $1500, well I already have one! You gotta have one too however!

I should be back up to that shop by Friday and I will take a picture of it then. Its a 7-57 with like new metal finish and some scope. Wish I could remember more details.

AGW will be open today so call them.



The 22f above may be the subject rifle when it was there before, sold and now back again for sale again.



The pics above were taken on 1/24/2008.

If you look on G-broker, under "Brno", there is a seller that goes by zdeno. He might beable to help you out. currently, this is all i see he has listed that might work for you:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=166626139

It's worth an email to him asking if he has any other mounts not listed.

He is a top notch person to deal with and a Brno/CZ expert.

DW

Here is a pic of some Brno's from a gunshow on 5/2007. The prices were so high that I did not make a note of the sellers name.

Thanks for the tip, DMW--I'd actually already landed on that mount a couple of days ago, and I've been in touch with the seller and plan to order from him. I know it's going to elevate the scope way up above the rifle, but I'll try it out and see how it works. It may be the best compromise. Thanks to all for your input--
Malcolm

Don't forget Talley steel..

Unfortunately, while the Talley medium rings made specifically for the CZ is great on the later Brnos and CZs with the low bolt handles, it will not work even with a Leupold 4x compact on an unmodified 21H because the bolt handle will hit the ocular bell - I've tried it. And the Leupold compact has about the smallest ocular bell (1.37" diameter) on any current scope, AFAIK.

Since the rifle in question has been drilled for bases, you could consider Talley bases and high rings, although based on the specifications for the high rings (0.6" high) I'm not sure that would be high enough to accommodate the Kahles - my best guess is they would need somewhere close to 0.7" high, based on the fact that on my unmodified Brno 21H, the Leupold compact needs 0.5" high rings for the handle to barely clear it, and the diameter of the Kahles ocular bell is roughly 0.4" bigger.

Thanks for clarification on Talleys. I am looking for a perfect match as well.

g

I think the CZ tunnel-type mount mentioned above will prove my best bet, all things considered (huge ocular bell, intact bolt handle, Brno dovetails, and of course economics). The seller e-mailed pictures and it looks like the mount raises the scope tube a full inch above the top plane of the bridge. My main concern at this point is that the scope is going to perch impractically high above the comb, but I'm willing to give it all a go and see how it works out. I'll keep you all posted, and keep the comments coming!
Best,
Malcolm

This Brno 22F is at the Autumn Gun Works today for $1495. Its in much newer shape than any of them that I have. Its bolt handle is original. It has a 3X weaver on it in Redfield mounts.

Both the metal and walnut show little wear.

This is about as good as it gets with factory rifles.

(860) 491-4867 Goshen, CT.

That seems like a pretty reasonable price, all things considered. Looks like a round-bridge from the picture? If it went on an auction site at a lower starting price, I'm almost sure it would get bid up higher than that.

Another possibility for scope mounting - CZ sells a Picatinny rail adapter mount for the CZ550 which should also fit a Brno 21H/22F or ZG-47. Then you could use any Weaver/Picatinny rings on top of that.