Brno ZKK 602 Custom Work

[chslongrange8]

Well.... I had two glasses of whiskey, and was a couple chapters in (for the 300th time) Death in the Long Grass... I woke up with a new Brno ZKK-602 in .375 H&H.

Any recommendations on gunsmiths for a little work? Upgrades anyone would recommend?

 

[Warren Knudsen]

I have added a 3 position style safty and changes to a lower rear express sight. A polish of the action and the rifle function is perfect and it fits me like a glove. Cal 416 Rigby

 

[chslongrange8]

I have added a 3 position style safty and changes to a lower rear express sight. A polish of the action and the rifle function is perfect and it fits me like a glove. Cal 416 Rigby

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Nice! Who did the work?

 

[rookhawk]

Custom 3 position safety for sure. Replacement bottom metal and trigger at the same time is a smart idea. 602 trigger was built into the floor plate and thus over time, or over tightening bottom screws can effect the trigger.

Another simple job is stripping the stock and putting a nice orange silvers pad and a london finish on the gun. Easy to maintain over time.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I actually like the 600 series safety, try it first. I would pillar bed it to prevent the floor-plate trigger issues that @rookhawk has mentioned.

 

[Warren Knudsen]

Nice! Who did the work?

Allan Carr here in Newzealand done the recent work.the stock has been bedded and pillars installed prior to me obtaining the rifle 5 or 6 yrs ago. Just back from Mozambique in the last two weeks and the rifle performed perfectly, a nice buffalo, great Nyala and the above pig, 400grn swift Aframes shoot wonderful out of her. Oh and a mate used it on his waterbuck also.

 

[rookhawk]

I actually like the 600 series safety, try it first. I would pillar bed it to prevent the floor-plate trigger issues that @rookhawk has mentioned.

I like @Wyatt Smith idea to pillar bed as a less expensive way to ensure consistent trigger performance over time and various humidity or under/over torquing of the bolts.

The safety just scares me. The CZ and ZKK have exactly reversed safeties and that mixing can create a fatal scenario if you own many rifles. To make sure we don’t have that issue in this house every gun either has a tang safety or a model-70 style safety to ensure muscle memory and full understanding of the safety system of the guns. We have a lot of guns though, and I have kids, so my abundance of caution may not be as warranted if you’re a one gun guy.

 

[Luvthunt]

Matrix, I think in Colorado

 

[chslongrange8]

Thank you everyone! I appreciate it. I do actually like the safety on the 602, and don't anticipate changing it.

Can anyone shed some light on the floor plate issues? That is the main change I've been contemplating making, in addition to an upgraded front sight bead, and a barrel band sling stud.

 

[chslongrange8]

Matrix, I think in Colorado

Thanks! Google hasn't really been my friend in finding smiths.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Thank you everyone! I appreciate it. I do actually like the safety on the 602, and don't anticipate changing it.

Can anyone shed some light on the floor plate issues? That is the main change I've been contemplating making, in addition to an upgraded front sight bead, and a barrel band sling stud.

The trigger is mounted in the bottom metal. If the wood stock gets compressed by over tightening the action screw it can change the trigger geometry. If it is pillar bedded you will have metal to metal contact so the distance will always be the same. It helps with accuracy as well.

 

[Jack Stevens]

Custom BRNO ZKK-602 by Lon Paul of Tanglewood. (Google is your buddy.)

 

[chslongrange8]

Custom BRNO ZKK-602 by Lon Paul of Tanglewood. (Google is your buddy.)

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Right on - thank you!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

The very best .375 Holland & Holland Magnum ever to be mass produced. Especially the pre ‘73 models with the folding diopter. Took my life’s first Cape buffalo and lion with one during my first African safari in Kenya in ‘74. Rifle was provided by my white hunter, along with a box of RWS 300Gr TUG soft points and a box of Remington 300Gr round nosed steel jacketed FMJ solids.

 

[Jon Glajchen]

My custom 416 Rigby on a ZKK 602 action.

 

[Luvthunt]

Jon
That is a rifle!!! Pop up peep et al. Beautiful.

 

[R eight]

I’ve owned 2 x 602’s. One in 458 Win and one in 375 H&H. Both tack drove with just about any load. The 458 Win had feeding issues with soft points but fed solids without issues. The 375H&H functioned flawlessly with everything. About a decade after getting my 375 I had some work done to her, cross bolt fitted, barrel shortened by 2 inches and barrel band fitted. I left her in her very plain factory stock. She still worked fine. A Decade on I took her to a Custom gunsmith and got a price to look nice. About $8K was the quote in addition to the initial cost of the rifle. Plus a 2 year turnaround. Almost left the rifle and cash with him….but I saw second hand customs by the same smith were on selling in the $4 to $5K range.
decision made I ordered a Rigby Big Game… best decision I have ever made cost a few K more… but no wait, superb quality and probably better resale value. Few people it seems want to drop large amounts of cash on a Brno.

so…I reckon you have a great rifle use her as she came….but think very carefully before you sink a lot of cash into a perfectly functional rifle for some perceived improvement.
Enjoy your Brno 602 … mine served me well for a few decades

 

[Dr Ray]

I have added a 3 position style safty and changes to a lower rear express sight. A polish of the action and the rifle function is perfect and it fits me like a glove. Cal 416 Rigby

View attachment 488024

Very nice

 

[Warren Knudsen]

I’ve owned 2 x 602’s. One in 458 Win and one in 375 H&H. Both tack drove with just about any load. The 458 Win had feeding issues with soft points but fed solids without issues. The 375H&H functioned flawlessly with everything. About a decade after getting my 375 I had some work done to her, cross bolt fitted, barrel shortened by 2 inches and barrel band fitted. I left her in her very plain factory stock. She still worked fine. A Decade on I took her to a Custom gunsmith and got a price to look nice. About $8K was the quote in addition to the initial cost of the rifle. Plus a 2 year turnaround. Almost left the rifle and cash with him….but I saw second hand customs by the same smith were on selling in the $4 to $5K range.
decision made I ordered a Rigby Big Game… best decision I have ever made cost a few K more… but no wait, superb quality and probably better resale value. Few people it seems want to drop large amounts of cash on a Brno.

so…I reckon you have a great rifle use her as she came….but think very carefully before you sink a lot of cash into a perfectly functional rifle for some perceived improvement.
Enjoy your Brno 602 … mine served me well for a few decades

Some sound advise R eight