I just joined the BRNO ZKK 602 Owners Club

[Foxi]

With the greatest of respect, I could not disagree more. I have a 600 and 602. I love the safety. Its intuitive, pulls back to shoot like the hammer on a pistol. Locks the gun up as tight as a drum.

That ugly trigger is great. Both of them that I have break cleanly. I play around with the set trigger and it is also a nice abrupt snap.

Action is solid. You can break it down and fix it. History is grand.

Love 'em, in case you couldn't tell.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anybody, but I have one myself, and when I compare...........................................

 

[One Day...]

So, let us recapitulate about the CZ 550 / ZKK 602 (they are the same action):

• Magnum length action (try to chamber a .416 Rigby or .505 Gibbs in a Winchester 70!)
• Double square bridge with integral scope base machined in the action (try to weld a double square bridge on a Win 70!)
• Forged steel, machined action (as opposed to powder steel lost wax cast action)
• Controlled round feed and Mauser extractor (at least the Win 70 copied that )
• Machined steel, drop-belly bottom (compared to 'pot steel' cast bottom in Win 70; will not crack when torqued properly)
• 5 + 1 capacity with H&H family of cartridges; 4 + 1 with Rigby (try that with a Win 70!)
• Integral rear sight base machined in the barrel (will never fall off like a base screwed on the barrel; oh yes they do...)
• Barrel band front sight (will never fall off like a front sight screwed on the barrel; oh yes they do...)
• Weight appropriate to caliber
• Factory chambered to .416 Rigby, .458 Lott, .505 Gibbs, etc.
• Bolt-mounted firing pin-blocking safety easy retrofit (Gentry, Lapour, AHR)
• Direct trigger easy easy retrofit (Timney, AHR)
• Kevlar, full length aluminum bedding block stock easy retrofit (Bell & Carlson)
• Oh, yes, let us not forget: affordable ($1,200)...

So yes, on some CZ 550 factory runs (not all, by far) a few machining burrs may need to be removed here or there (ZKK 602 were deburred at the factory, I wish they had continued that ); the action needs to be cycled a couple thousand times to smooth it up; and the feeding rails need to be mirror polished for the rifle to become DG worthy and 100% reliable, but if anyone out there is naive enough to think that they can unpack a Winchester 70, Remington 700, Ruger 77, Sako 85, etc. load it up, and go track a wounded buff, they are thoroughly out of touch with reality

ALL large caliber DG rifles need to be tuned up...

Do not get me wrong, I love the Win 70 (I own three) but they are not exempt from factory mishaps. For example, the safety could not be engaged on my limited series Classic Stainless, New Haven made, .300 Wby. Had to take it apart and bevel the engagement camming surface. So here goes for me the legend of the Win 70 ready to hunt from the box...

Also, let me share a dirty secret: do you know why the Win 70 is so "smooth" from the factory? It is simply because the rear bridge is machined with much wider tolerances. Yep, there is a lot of free space for that bolt to wiggle bag & forth. The Win 70 bolt is not smooth, it is loose . The CZ bolt is initially stiff because the rear bridge tolerances are much tighter, hence the need for a break-in period. So what!

A $1,200 CZ 550 with a few hours of TLC is the full functional equivalent to a $15,000 double square bridge Mauser/Rigby. Take it anyway you want, a Win 70, Rem 700, Sako 85, Ruger 77, etc. will never be that, period, and THAT is the reason why they are so loved in Africa. The fact that they are insanely cheap does not hurt either, of course...

Anyway,

In the end, to each his own

My speculation is that the day is not far when the machine-tools will wear out at CZ and the 550 will be gone. Let's see how fast they acquire the cult status that the ZKK 602 enjoys today...

 

[Shootist43]

Foxi, no offence was taken. As you so eloquently pointed out, it isn't the prettiest rifle I've ever seen.

One Day, so …. that is why I bought that rifle!!

 

[bruce moulds]

hoss,
that 458 win question has been addressed, and it turned out to be a projection in the magazine hitting a primer.
possibly not made by brno that way who knows?
if it was brno, they should have known better as it was certainly not fit for purpose.
bruce.

 

[Pondoro]

Bruce...it was made that way..the magazine box was 100% stock….and they should never have chambered the .458Win. in that cavernous action, though I guess the market demanded it back then...before the revival of .416 Rigby, .500 Jeff etc.. One of the few failures of Brno perhaps..

I am using the action of the same rifle to make a .500 Jeff (If my gunsmith EVER find time to do so... ).

 

[bruce moulds]

so brno made a bad mistake.
no magazine should have a projection like that.
if it could set off a 458, it could also set off a 375.
you can't blame the cartridge for that.
bruce.

 

[Pondoro]

so brno made a bad mistake.
no magazine should have a projection like that.
if it could set off a 458, it could also set off a 375.
you can't blame the cartridge for that.
bruce.

Well...I have heard of other similar experiences with .458 in a 602 but never in a .375H&H. The .375´s do not move much in the magazine on these rifles..

Bottom line is that they should never chambered the .458 in these rifles without altering the mag box....in addition to what happened to me the rounds fly back and forth in the mag to the extent that bullets are driven back in the case..not good...but .458 was more or less the only large bore round available during the 70-80´s when these rifles were made..

 

[Pheroze]

Well...I have heard of other similar experiences with .458 in a 602 but never in a .375H&H. The .375´s do not move much in the magazine on these rifles..

Bottom line is that they should never chambered the .458 in these rifles without altering the mag box....in addition to what happened to me the rounds fly back and forth in the mag to the extent that bullets are driven back in the case..not good...but .458 was more or less the only large bore round available during the 70-80´s when these rifles were made..

Does the extra length of the Lott eliminate this issue?

 

[Shootist43]

After this incident did BRNO do anything to change or modify the magazine box? Was this a one off incident where the magazine wasn't properly deburred? If not, did BRNO issue a safety warning or a recall of any sort?

 

[TOBY458]

View attachment 305333

So, let us recapitulate about the CZ 550 / ZKK 602 (they are the same action):

• Magnum length action (try to chamber a .416 Rigby or .505 Gibbs in a Winchester 70!)
• Double square bridge with integral scope base machined in the action (try to weld a double square bridge on a Win 70!)
• Forged steel, machined action (as opposed to powder steel lost wax cast action)
• Controlled round feed and Mauser extractor (at least the Win 70 copied that )
• Machined steel, drop-belly bottom (compared to 'pot steel' cast bottom in Win 70; will not crack when torqued properly)
• 5 + 1 capacity with H&H family of cartridges; 4 + 1 with Rigby (try that with a Win 70!)
• Integral rear sight base machined in the barrel (will never fall off like a base screwed on the barrel; oh yes they do...)
• Barrel band front sight (will never fall off like a front sight screwed on the barrel; oh yes they do...)
• Weight appropriate to caliber
• Factory chambered to .416 Rigby, .458 Lott, .505 Gibbs, etc.
• Bolt-mounted firing pin-blocking safety easy retrofit (Gentry, Lapour, AHR)
• Direct trigger easy easy retrofit (Timney, AHR)
• Kevlar, full length aluminum bedding block stock easy retrofit (Bell & Carlson)
• Oh, yes, let us not forget: affordable ($1,200)...

So yes, on some CZ 550 factory runs (not all, by far) a few machining burrs may need to be removed here or there (ZKK 602 were deburred at the factory, I wish they had continued that ); the action needs to be cycled a couple thousand times to smooth it up; and the feeding rails need to be mirror polished for the rifle to become DG worthy and 100% reliable, but if anyone out there is naive enough to think that they can unpack a Winchester 70, Remington 700, Ruger 77, Sako 85, etc. load it up, and go track a wounded buff, they are thoroughly out of touch with reality

ALL large caliber DG rifles need to be tuned up...

Do not get me wrong, I love the Win 70 (I own three) but they are not exempt from factory mishaps. For example, the safety could not be engaged on my limited series Classic Stainless, New Haven made, .300 Wby. Had to take it apart and bevel the engagement camming surface. So here goes for me the legend of the Win 70 ready to hunt from the box...

Also, let me share a dirty secret: do you know why the Win 70 is so "smooth" from the factory? It is simply because the rear bridge is machined with much wider tolerances. Yep, there is a lot of free space for that bolt to wiggle bag & forth. The Win 70 bolt is not smooth, it is loose . The CZ bolt is initially stiff because the rear bridge tolerances are much tighter, hence the need for a break-in period. So what!

A $1,200 CZ 550 with a few hours of TLC is the full functional equivalent to a $15,000 double square bridge Mauser/Rigby. Take it anyway you want, a Win 70, Rem 700, Sako 85, Ruger 77, etc. will never be that, period, and THAT is the reason why they are so loved in Africa. The fact that they are insanely cheap does not hurt either, of course...

Anyway,

In the end, to each his own

My speculation is that the day is not far when the machine-tools will wear out at CZ and the 550 will be gone. Let's see how fast they acquire the cult status that the ZKK 602 enjoys today...

Just to keep things on the up and up, Winchester 70 actions and bottom metal are forged, not cast. Ruger is cast. Sako 85 is Cast. Montana Rifle is cast. But not Winchester. Most people would never believe Sako uses a cast action, because they actually take the time to machine away the rough parts. Either way, I don't know if cast is inferior to forging, but those are the facts.

 

[Milan]

Does the extra length of the Lott eliminate this issue?

I think so. I think the 602/550 magnum are best matched to this round. Long, yet slimmer than 416 rigby cased cartridges, so you can still have 5+1, yet the length matches the magazine box and action lengths better. Just like 30-06 on the medium ones.

 

[Milan]

After this incident did BRNO do anything to change or modify the magazine box? Was this a one off incident where the magazine wasn't properly deburred? If not, did BRNO issue a safety warning or a recall of any sort?

This must have been a "one of". Deburring was not high on their list at Brno during commie times. The main issue with metal finish not matching that of say Sakos, was more the fact that they would run their tooling longer to save money (or they did not care). I.e. no money/time/effort put into sharpening or replacing the tools more often. Also less hand fitting after the fact than in the earlier days. If you got one of the rifles done by fresh tools, it was probably one of the smoothest "Mausers" you could get. Even back then. Anything towards the end of the run looked like crap.

I had one mod 600 in 7x57 that had a firing pin that was not completely machined off at the tip. It punctured the primer and blew some powder in my face. This one also had the test target but it was clearly punched with a hole puncher rather than actual bullets at test facility (lazy technician/human). One should completely check the rifle before first firing it, I guess. Luckily the bolt shroud and gas vents did their job and I did not suffer any damage. I sanded the tip of the firing pin to proper shape and no problem from there on. It was the only Brno/CZ I ever came across that had an actual flaw from the factory. This is not to say I do not believe the others.

On a side note, all actions become smoother with use. Mauser style ones, just always happen to be stiffer than push feed regardless. One of the smoothest Mausers I tried was a Heym (the newer Martini style).

 

[jlb1036]

Congraturlations and welcome to the zkk602 club
i bought one in 1990 in 458 win mag and had it rechamber to 450 ackley mag
cut the barrel to 23'' and handloads i get the hornady 500grs flying at 2360fps hard hitting round taken 2 cape buffalo and one large water buffalo.

 

[Luvthunt]

Welcome to the Club. They are and will get better as time goes on. As everything seems to do.
I have one in 458 Lott with an AHR #2 up grade.

 

[Sideshow]

Thought I’d refresh an old tread.
Now that I’ve the privilege of joining the club.

So brought it last Wednesday. Id been sent a few picks by the owner so new that the stock was most likely going in the bin. When I put the bore scope down the barrel it looked like no one had cleaned it for some time. To spots of light rust on the lands. But when fired it grouped okay so did the deal. The good falla even chucked in 30 rounds.
Got it home and gave the bore a jolly good scrub. Wish I’d taken a pic of the black tar that came out. But the bore is now like a mirror and no signs of pitting.
Up the range first shot when in the black followed up with the two above. Not bad for off the irons.
Did have a little Weaver Macro tac scope on it. But not to fussed with it.
Have ordered new trigger and safety. Polished up the action as suggested in other threads.
Needs a barrel sling and think it will lose 2” off the end.
Will keep you posted on the work when the stock gets sorted.

 

[Sideshow]

It’s a 75 year. Don’t think it’s had a lot of use. Never been loved…poor thing. Bolt was stiff to say the least. Much been now. Think I might look into getting it jewelled though.

 

[Hunter4752001]

Hi @Sideshow Congratulations on acquiring a nice ZKK 602. I notice its one of the ones that came with the pop-up peep sight, again congrats, that a nice touch to have. What calibre is yours chambered in?

One word of caution, please don't be in hurry to slice n dice a well designed rifle just because of internet 'experts'. Take a bit of time to practice and hunt with it the way it is. Then you'll be in a much better position to know if any thing needs changing. Your rifle features the set trigger, did you also get the standard trigger with it, many prefer those for big game.

 

[Sideshow]

Thanks for the advice @Hunter4752001 but the safety is going. It’s not a plant form that I have on any of my other firearms. I’ve used lever guns in the past as well but that to me was slightly different.
I’ve a CF2 BSA with a set trigger which imo is far superior. It’s a rifle that I use as my main stalking rifle. It’s in the pics above. As I said in my post I’ve already ordered parts to replace both the trigger and the safety.
The stock will also head for the fireplace. There’s nothing special to it. I’ve a few ideas along traditional lines that should make this shine.

 

[Hunter4752001]

No worries. Your rifle, your choices. The essential thing is that it suits you, and is what you want.
I'm not aware of any after-market riggers or safeties for the ZKK. What have you ordered? When you fit them please post as I'll be interested to see how it works out.

I don't know what the stockmaking situation is in the UK. In my imagination I envision a plethora of high quality bespoke craftsmen. Unfortunately it may be that this isn't the case any more. If so, Hatcher in Qld, Australia make a 'Classic English Sporter for the ZKK 602 http://hatchersriflestocks.com.au/products-21/english-classic-sporter.html . The downside is that you have to do the final fitting and finishing. I believe both Boyds and Richards Microfit in the US also do classic sporter style stocks for the ZKK 602. Of course having a quality local stockmaker would be a much better option than any of the above .

Good luck with the build.

 

[Sideshow]

Ive been in contact with Mr Hatcher. He setting up a new work shop at the moment. But he’s Got some good stocks which suits my needs.
My trigger and safety are on their way. Found Wayne super to deal with answering all my questions. His company has been mentioned on here before. https://americanhuntingrifles.com/author/cindicrj/