Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 9.3x 62mm Brno project

I thought I would start a thread with the building progress of my 9.3x62mm rifle project. I know some people have said I should leave the gun alone but since it is not in original condition I don't feel guilty about changing it. The rifle is a Brno Model 21 chambered for 8x57. The stock is not original, the bolt handle is not original and it has already been drilled and tapped. The plan is to have a new recoil pad added, an ebony forend tip added, an Oberndorf style bolt handle added, Talley QD scope mounts and a Leupold 4x scope. I will post pics as the parts come together. Here are the before pics:

That will be fun. In the interim, do not shoot the donor.

Hi, that will really look nice when done. I think that a new bolt handle will look nice. I have a 1909 action that is opened up to 30-06 that I my use to build one and also have the RCBS dies. I also have some old Norma unformed 06 brass that I formed to 9.3x62. Randy

It was tempting but luckily I have no 8x57 ammo about. It sure does handle well. I will try to find one of the mannlicher stocked ones in 7x57 to play with.

Beautiful stock. Ebony tip will look nice.

I do like the bolt handle as well.

I think it will be a looker! I do prefer the butterknife bolt handle, the Oberndorf will look great too though. I love my Husqvarna 9,3 x 62.

Bob

I still don't know if I want to replace the bottom metal or not and do I want to have it rust blued or maybe ceracoated

Very Cool project! A 9.3x62 Brno has always been on the bucket list.


ddj

Very nice

Add the leeever to it. No need to spend all those clams on new bottom metal.

Hadn't thought about a lever, that would look good. Might have to get McCabe to put one on while he is doing the bases and bolt. I can't wait to see Karnis' magic either

Love the wood, and the concept! You will have an excellent BIG game stompin rifle when done.

Rust blue for sure, and the lever really sounds nice too!

This will be a long post but I thought it may help someone who wants to build a semi custom rifle.
I started out this project (compared to most of the custom rifles around here this doesn't count as a build) with a bunch of questions on what scope to put on a CZ American in 9.3x62mm that I was thinking about buying. That led to a talk with Karnis about thinning the stock and adding a forend tip and different recoil pad. That led to thinking about a Ruger Hawkeye African 9.3x62mm and a few stock tweaks by Karnis. After all that I decided that if I was going to have a 9.3x62mm chambered rifle that it should at least have a real Mauser action. That is the kind of thinking that can get you in debt or divorce! I had a 1909 Argentine action laying around so I started checking around with different metal smiths and looking at barrels and such. I found out very quickly why custom guns cost as much as they do. To do this the full blown right way I would need the action drilled and tapped, a nice bolt handle welded on, the charging hump ground off, the trigger guard reshaped, a nice bolt shroud with a safety installed, a barrel installed, rear sights, front sights, a barrel band swivel stud plus someone who knows what they are doing to put it together. PLUS good bluing starts at $500 and goes up! I really had my eyes opened when I started looking for a stock! I would want a nice piece of wood to start with since you can't really "upgrade" the figure later. I found what I think are good looking sticks for $250-$500. Now to get someone to turn that firewood into a work of art starts at $1500 for the basics. Once you add the forend tip, cross bolts, trap grip cap, a little fancier checkering and you have $3000 in the stock in no time.

I figured out that a full blown custom rifle on a military action is not in the cards right now so set about looking for a factory gun to modify. I looked at a few Husqvarnas and commercial FN based rifles on Gunbroker and was about to pull the trigger when this Brno caught my eye. It was twice as much as the other candidates but I have always loved the way they looked and figured that nothing says your starting point can't be nice! It already had been drilled and tapped and a new bolt handle and the stock replaced so I was not carving up a pristine original. The good part is that the stock has decent figure in it and it fits me better than the original stock would. This stock has less drop than the original and will be perfect for the scope. It needs a new pad and a forend tip and a cross bolt and it will be perfect which will save me a bundle. Even going the cheap route a wood stock will run $1000 unless I went with one of the Boyds stocks. I love a McSwirley as much as the next guy but plastic does not belong on this gun. All in all this is the route I chose. Once done lock, stock and barrel plus the optics, I will probably have $2500 tied up in it. Could I have saved money by going with a factory CZ or Ruger in 9.3x62mm? Yes. Will my rifle be better than the Ruger or CZ? Maybe. After all is said and done I think I will have a very nice rifle in a wonderful caliber that won't dislocate your shoulder and is suitable for anything that I may run into.

You have a great build going on. Every time you look at that rifle in your hands while out hunting it will bring a smile to your face. Enjoy!

This rifle already has a lot going for it: action, nice wood, wood grain runs properly, open grip, and it is a great Mauser. Bottom metal and bolt handle are ok-just depends on the budget for the project. Looks like a lot of work to add a new floor plate to that nice inleted trigger guard. Have fun, jack

This rifle already has a lot going for it: action, nice wood, wood grain runs properly, open grip, and it is a great Mauser. Bottom metal and bolt handle are ok-just depends on the budget for the project. Looks like a lot of work to add a new floor plate to that nice inleted trigger guard. Have fun, jack

I don't know. I disagree just a little bit, but since it isn't my gun it doesn't matter.

I just think that a 9.3 x 62 would be much much better off on a large ring action. I think that is where a 9.3 x 62 belongs.

This beautiful small ring BRNO screams for a 7 x 57, or even clean it up a little bit and leave it at 8 x 57. Most people don't know (or don't care) that the 8 x 57 kills most game just as well as the 30-06.

If it were me, I'd put the new recoil pad on it, maybe the ebony tip, a timney trigger, a scope, and enjoy it the way it is.

Thought seriously about keeping it an 8x57 after I got it but a nice light 9.3 is too appealing. I like the double triggers too so they are staying.

I have both the 21/22 series and the ZG series of Brnos, have had 13 of these wonderful rifles and currently have seven full rifles and three minty actions to build on. I prefer these, with minor mods. to ANY other bolt rifles ever made and they make outstanding "mountain rifles".

I also tend to prefer the ZGs for the 9.3x62 chambering and have an original factory specimen so chambered plus a ZG action stripped from a re-barreled 9.3 to build my "ultimate" rifle in that round on. I like the small ring 21/22 actions for .270s, 7x57s, .280s-7x64s and .30-06s, but, both will work with either size of cartridge. I have a ZG in 7x57, lovely wood and nearly mint and a friend of mine built a .338WM on a 21/22 action, they all work just fine.