The Czech Republic has a long history of innovative arms design. When the rest of the Warsaw Pact countries adopted AK platforms, the Czechs designed the Sa. vz 58, an arguably better rifle that served the Czech Republic for decades (and honestly a bit longer than it needed to). For years the Czech military came and went with modern rifle ideas with a need to conform to NATO standards — the country joined NATO in 1999. In late 2005, a series of specifications were released that ultimately led to the creation of the CZ 805 Bren rifles.
Following a slow contest and numerous redesigns and improvements, the CZ 805 first hit the hands of Czech soldiers in July 2011. Since then, the rifle has served the Czech military and recently underwent further improvement to become the Bren 2. As of this writing, the Bren 2 rifles are replacing the 805 series and the latter are making their way to the reserves; the transition is scheduled to be completed by 2025.
Differences between the 805 and Bren 2
The Bren 805 and Bren 2 are the same rifles but the latter has a number of improvements requested by the Czech soldiers. These include better ergonomics, including a non-reciprocating charging handle, and fully ambidextrous controls. The engineers got rid of the two-round burst feature and simplified it to safe, semi, and fully automatic; they also simplified the process of field stripping the rifle.
The Bren 2’s lighter materials make it 1.1 pounds lighter than the original 805. while still being impact- and chemical-resistant.
The Bren 2 rifle also features the ability to swap calibers quickly. Users can change between 5.56 and 7.62×39 by swapping the barrel and magazine well. Although it’s simple, this isn’t done by the individual soldier but by the unit and country issuing the weapon.
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The modern Czech rifle
The Bren series of rifles use a short-stroke gas-piston system similar to that of most modern rifles. This is a reliable system that uses gas tapped from the barrel to drive the bolt rearwards and force the weapon to function. This system makes the rifle more reliable with short barrels and suppressors. The gun has a three-position gas block for standard and suppressed use and a position that cuts the gas system off to utilize rifle grenades.
The upper receiver is crafted from metal, but the lower receiver is a weight-saving polymer. The polymer grip is integrated into the lower receiver but does feature replaceable palm swells to better fit the gun to your hand.
The 850 series came in A1 and A2 models. The A1 featured a 14.2-inch and the A2 a 10.9-inch barrel. The Bren 2 features barrel lengths of eight, nine, 11, and 14 inches. These various barrel lengths typically reflect the user’s needs. Special Ops, VIP protection, and similar ops often utilize shorter barrels, while infantry and conventional forces benefit from longer barrels.
The Czech Republic utilizes STANAG magazines for its forces, but the rifle’s replaceable magwell can accommodate G36 magazines. For 7.62×39 variants, the rifle uses a proprietary Bren 2 magazine.
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Accessories and features
One of the key improvements of the Bren rifles over the older Vz 58 is the ability to accessorize and modernize them. The presence of a long monolithic optics rail and a handguard that features Picatinny sections allows users to mount all manner of accessories.
The Czech military uses a variety of optics depending on the use. Czech-made Meopta red dots and 3X magnifiers seem to be fairly common with the Bren rifles. Additional optics include various magnified scopes.
PEQ-15A laser aiming devices are also common and allow a soldier to aim under night vision as well as mark targets. The rifle can be equipped with a CZ 805 G1 grenade launcher for launching 40mm grenades.
Around the world
Bren rifles have popped up outside of the Czech Republic. Among others, France, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, and even foreign volunteer units of the Ukraine Army have used the rifle.
It’s a popular and modular option for a variety of military forces, and it will likely continue to serve for quite some time.
Feature Image: An Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Soldier shoots a Slovakian Bren 805A1, during Slovak Shield 2016 live-fire training Oct. 4, 2016 at a small-arms range in Military Training Area Lest, Slovakia. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke, 24th Press Camp/Released)
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