Picked up a Brno 22F that turned out to be stranger than expected — wartime action, postwar number, and a few surprising factory details.
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I bought this one online off some pretty rough photos. Honestly, all I could make out was the factory claw mounts, the scope still in place, and a jewelled bolt. That was enough to convince me to take the plunge.
Once I got it in hand, a few details jumped out. The bolt and bolt release are jewelled. The grip cap and buttplate are buffalo horn. I haven’t seen many like that, just mainly plastic or some early ones that were bare wood.
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Then I noticed the markings. The receiver is stamped Waffenwerke A.G. Brünn, putting it right in the wartime German occupation period. The lettering is gold, which probably wasn’t done at the factory.
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The barrel is marked 41 beside the proof, so 1941 manufacture for receiver, barrel, and bolt. All numbers match.
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The bolt still has the guide rib and Mauser flag safety, which fits with 1941 hand-fitted military-style bolts.
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The receiver has a charger guide and a round-top action, and it’s fitted with factory claw mounts. They snap in perfectly and even have a tunnel cut so you can still use the iron sights with the scope on. The screws on the rear base are timed too.
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The scope is a hensoldt wetzlar 1.5-6x with a rail. The reticle is in the first focal plane and the scope itself is bright and clear. Much nicer than some of my Leupolds. It came with a rubber eye cup but it’s claustrophobic to use so I pulled it off. I much rather two eyes open. It’s a real 1950s scope so I was confused by the 1941 date until I looked up the serial number.
The most interesting bit is the serial number 36754, which would put it in the early 1950s. But on closer look, that serial actually overstamps the original wartime number. So what we’ve got here is a 1941 action that was later pulled, dressed up with a few deluxe features, and renumbered into the 1950s civilian production.
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Whether it was pulled out of the parts bin as a kind of tribute to the pre-war sporters, or built as a custom order for someone who wanted that classic military-Mauser feel with nicer details, I’ll never know. But compared to the other rifles made in 1941 under occupation, this one really stands apart.
I’ll add some photos too horn furniture, timed screws, jewelling, markings, mounts – so you can see what I’m talking about. One detail I’d really like to know is whether the timed screws (front action screw, nose cap screw, trigger guard screw) were something Brno did on all 21/22 rifles, or if it’s unusual. I’ve never seen anyone mention it before.
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Has anyone else seen similar overstamps or deluxe builds from Brno during that period?
This listing is for a 1942 model and the serial is only four digits, so my receiver possibly had a four digit serial before being stamped over in the 1950s.
I bought this one online off some pretty rough photos. Honestly, all I could make out was the factory claw mounts, the scope still in place, and a jewelled bolt. That was enough to convince me to take the plunge.
Once I got it in hand, a few details jumped out. The bolt and bolt release are jewelled. The grip cap and buttplate are buffalo horn. I haven’t seen many like that, just mainly plastic or some early ones that were bare wood.
Then I noticed the markings. The receiver is stamped Waffenwerke A.G. Brünn, putting it right in the wartime German occupation period. The lettering is gold, which probably wasn’t done at the factory.
The barrel is marked 41 beside the proof, so 1941 manufacture for receiver, barrel, and bolt. All numbers match.
The bolt still has the guide rib and Mauser flag safety, which fits with 1941 hand-fitted military-style bolts.
The receiver has a charger guide and a round-top action, and it’s fitted with factory claw mounts. They snap in perfectly and even have a tunnel cut so you can still use the iron sights with the scope on. The screws on the rear base are timed too.
The scope is a hensoldt wetzlar 1.5-6x with a rail. The reticle is in the first focal plane and the scope itself is bright and clear. Much nicer than some of my Leupolds. It came with a rubber eye cup but it’s claustrophobic to use so I pulled it off. I much rather two eyes open. It’s a real 1950s scope so I was confused by the 1941 date until I looked up the serial number.
The most interesting bit is the serial number 36754, which would put it in the early 1950s. But on closer look, that serial actually overstamps the original wartime number. So what we’ve got here is a 1941 action that was later pulled, dressed up with a few deluxe features, and renumbered into the 1950s civilian production.
Whether it was pulled out of the parts bin as a kind of tribute to the pre-war sporters, or built as a custom order for someone who wanted that classic military-Mauser feel with nicer details, I’ll never know. But compared to the other rifles made in 1941 under occupation, this one really stands apart.
I’ll add some photos too horn furniture, timed screws, jewelling, markings, mounts – so you can see what I’m talking about. One detail I’d really like to know is whether the timed screws (front action screw, nose cap screw, trigger guard screw) were something Brno did on all 21/22 rifles, or if it’s unusual. I’ve never seen anyone mention it before.
Has anyone else seen similar overstamps or deluxe builds from Brno during that period?
This listing is for a 1942 model and the serial is only four digits, so my receiver possibly had a four digit serial before being stamped over in the 1950s.
