Brno 602 Gunsmith Work

[perdurabo]

I've got a Brno 602 in 458WM I need rechambered to 458 Lott and I also need one of Wayne's three-position safeties installed in addition to some other minor work. Given that Wayne and Tim no longer accept work and Dennis Olson seems to be AWOL (tried for several weeks to get hold of him, no voicemail and email goes unanswered), I'm considering just having a local general gunsmith do the work who has experience with chamber reaming and other "real" gunsmith work.

Is there anything really tricky or proprietary about the Brno 602/CZ 550 that a competent gunsmith with experience doing this sort of work with other makes of rifles would have trouble with? Do I really need a gunsmith with specific experience in big bore Czech rifles?

 

[mark-hunter]

In my view, finding a smith to make three position safety will be difficult.

 

[Lance Hopper]

I can’t help with the recommendation except to suggest you don’t need to rechamber to the Lott. The throat is so long on the win. mag. chamber that all you have to do is seat the bullet out to Lott oal. and then it is the same powder capacity and throat length as the Lott.

 

[perdurabo]

In my view, finding a smith to make three position safety will be difficult.

Wayne still sells these direct to gunsmiths, he just no longer installs them. They don't need to be custom made.

 

[WAB]

Arctic Gunworks, Fairbanks, AK. Gary Junk. I live in Bama now and still send work back to Gary.

 

[Stamp Collector]

Brownells sells an M70 style three position safety. They recommend professional installation but it looks fairly straightforward to do at home. I’m sure any smith could easily install this.

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[Luvthunt]

I can’t help with the recommendation except to suggest you don’t need to rechamber to the Lott. The throat is so long on the win. mag. chamber that all you have to do is seat the bullet out to Lott oal. and then it is the same powder capacity and throat length as the Lott.

Not exactly correct as the Lott case is .3 longer

 

[Luvthunt]

Do not try and do unless the smith has done before or has written instructions on how. Too many earn while you learn folks out there in the bushes. Years ago I had a Jewel trigger installed in my 243 win. Coyote rifle. No safety at the time so I had a local smith of one of the Known DR manufacturing folks Try to install the 3 position 70 safety. It took somegrinding and he messed it up and it could not be repaired but a replacement bolt was required.
I have several of Wayne’s safety installed by Wayne. Call Wayne and ask if he can recommend a smith that can install his safety. Besides Mattrix with their long delay time.

 

[perdurabo]

Do not try and do unless the smith has done before or has written instructions on how. Too many earn while you learn folks out there in the bushes. Years ago I had a Jewel trigger installed in my 243 win. Coyote rifle. No safety at the time so I had a local smith of one of the Known DR manufacturing folks Try to install the 3 position 70 safety. It took somegrinding and he messed it up and it could not be repaired but a replacement bolt was required.
I have several of Wayne’s safety installed by Wayne. Call Wayne and ask if he can recommend a smith that can install his safety. Besides Mattrix with their long delay time.

Yeah, I spoke to Wayne directly and he doesn't have anyone he recommends given that Tim at Matrix is not accepting new work (and is frankly a dicey bet anyway given his health issues). He said he can provide instructions and that a competent smith should be able to install it, but I'm wondering if that's not the only reason people tend to want to send their CZs and Brnos to specific smiths.

 

[mark-hunter]

Brownells sells an M70 style three position safety. They recommend professional installation but it looks fairly straightforward to do at home. I’m sure any smith could easily install this.

Mauser 98 (and probably winchester m70) aftermarket parts dont fit cz 600 line. cz 600 was (if I am not worng) the first checz deviation from true mauser design, and this was mostly in trigger and safety systems.

 

[Jack Stevens]

I've got a Brno 602 in 458WM I need rechambered to 458 Lott and I also need one of Wayne's three-position safeties installed in addition to some other minor work. Given that Wayne and Tim no longer accept work and Dennis Olson seems to be AWOL (tried for several weeks to get hold of him, no voicemail and email goes unanswered), I'm considering just having a local general gunsmith do the work who has experience with chamber reaming and other "real" gunsmith work.

Is there anything really tricky or proprietary about the Brno 602/CZ 550 that a competent gunsmith with experience doing this sort of work with other makes of rifles would have trouble with? Do I really need a gunsmith with specific experience in big bore Czech rifles?

I’m the thankful beneficiary of great custom work done on my .375H&H BRNO 602 by well-known Big Bore gunsmith Lon Paul.

Based in CA, Lon’s shop was called Tanglewood. Don’t know if he’s still taking work or even in business but about three minutes of Google fu-fu should yield all the relevant info needed.

Lon did a ton of BRNO “conversions” back in the day when these .375 & .458WM rifles were plentiful and relatively cheap. The end result of his conversions was to turn rough, outta-the-box magnum action rifles, wearing an uncomfortable Euro “hog back” walnut stock, into great-looking, smooth-functioning, ready-for-Africa rifles … and happily they came in chamberings for which factory ammo was readily available. This was, of course, back in the day before the arrival of the CZ 550s.

Just offered FYI.

 

[WAB]

Another option is LeRoy Barry at Canyon Creek Custom Gunstocks. LeRoy did the stocks for many of Wayne’s guns. He also does excellent metal work.

 

[Stamp Collector]

Mauser 98 (and probably winchester m70) aftermarket parts dont fit cz 600 line. cz 600 was (if I am not worng) the first checz deviation from true mauser design, and this was mostly in trigger and safety systems.

Good to know. I had no idea that was the case.

 

[SRvet]

The 3 position safety from Wayne is excellent but is not drop in in any way shape or form. My UK gunsmith got it sorted perfectly but it took him a lot of time and some frustration.

 

[deewayne2003]

Dennis Olson AWOL…. That’s not good!

I just sent him my 602 to finish converting to .404J - and that was after 2 years of pulling teeth just to get Dan Pederson to return my parts from his cluster F¥€K of a business/life.

Have you talked to RJ Renner?

I haven’t used him personally- but everyone I know that has, speaks highly of him.

 

[Jack Stevens]

Dennis Olson AWOL…. That’s not good!

I just sent him my 602 to finish converting to .404J * * *

Well, just make sure he's not dead.

Saw that happen to a buddy who had sent his favorite hunting rifle to an older gunsmith for some custom work. The guy dropped dead in his shop one day and my buddy's hunting rifle (along with other folks' firearms in the shop) got wrapped up in the settling of the estate for three years, due to a "will contest."

My buddy had to hire his own lawyer and everything. Finally got it back but the departed 'smith hadn't touched it before he died.

 

[Velo Dog]

Andy Hawk here in Anchorage Alaska, has installed a Model 70 style, 3 position safety on a CZ 550 rifle for me.
It turned out perfect.
No surprise there, as he has worked on several of my own and my fellow rifle grump friends’ firearms, with 100% satisfaction.
I am no Gunsmith so, perhaps I’m wrong but, it seems to me that the Brno 602 should be quite similar to modify in like kind.

Hawk’s Gunsmithing
Anchorage, AK
Phone: 907-562-0881

 

[fourfive8]

The 3 position safety from Wayne is excellent but is not drop in in any way shape or form. My UK gunsmith got it sorted perfectly but it took him a lot of time and some frustration.

I’ll second that! It is not a simple drop in, plug and play. My gunsmith is a second generation Win 70 mechanic who grew up in the business. He had a heck of a time fitting a Win 70 style 3 position safety I got from AHR fitted to my BRNO 602. Also, for best fit a special milling tool is required for one of the cuts in the 602 receiver.

 

[wayne406]

Kevin Weaver is installing my safeties, also LeRoy Barry.

I do not provide instructions with the safeties but will happily provide guidance to the installing Gunsmith if needed. It takes a shop with a vertical mill to do the job correctly. No cuts should be required on the receiver.
Cheers,
Wayne

 

[Nkawu]

Kevin Weaver is installing my safeties, also LeRoy Barry.

I do not provide instructions with the safeties but will happily provide guidance to the installing Gunsmith if needed. It takes a shop with a vertical mill to do the job correctly. No cuts should be required on the receiver.
Cheers,
Wayne

Do you have any left handed safeties? I have two LH CZ550’s and I would like to upgrade to the 3-pos safety.