Ok, gotcha. Well... I guess I've been warned. Probably oughta shave when I get my stamp.

I couldn't have kept a straight face telling that to a guy who works for FN.

I have no direct experience with a SCAR, but I really wanted a 16 bad when someone here suggested I take a look at the Bren. It scratched that itch for, yes, a little less than half the going rate. No desire to own a SCAR 16 now.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:


I couldn't have kept a straight face telling that to a guy who works for FN.

Oh, we've been relentlessly giving him isht over the SCAR-15P lol

quote:

Originally posted by PGT:
Oh, we've been relentlessly giving him isht over the SCAR-15P lol

Yeah, their marketing pitch on that one is odd. They were claiming people have been asking for it for years, and that it would be the perfect home defense weapon. I have an extremely hard time believing people were clamoring for a $3,700 7.5" 5.56. No doubt they were planning to release it with a brace and their timing just royally sucked, but there's another $200. At that barrel length, you're losing so much potency, and since they have this thing about suppressor use voiding warranties, I'd love to see the guys who thought that one up use a 7.5" 5.56 in a shoothouse without a can. That one is a head scratcher at best.

I dunno, I still have a PS90 and that one is arguably even less useful.

Had to look up that variant of the SCAR as I've never heard of it. Meh.

I know my 8" Bren pistol is a novelty item at best but it's still fun as Hell to shoot.

Would I use it for home protection? Probably not as I have better options but if it came to it, I'm sure it would do the job. Very short barrel pushing a rifle round that's meant for a long barrel. Definitely not getting anywhere near its ballistic potential.

Well, and I’m also betting you didn’t pay anything approaching four grand for it.

I think an 8” Bren would be an absolute hoot at the right price!

Prepare to see used prices skyrocket and availability dry up.

did you watch the video? tm.
garand thumb who I really like is not likely to affect anything on these pricing wise.

I did. I could nit-pick a few minor details, but it was largely on the money and I found it to be a pretty glowing review.

While I was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the guy has a stronger following than maybe you'd believe. Half a million views in the first 24 hours. Yes, I can see him having an impact on the used market.

I kind of skipped through the video, but is that a 16” Bren 2 carbine, or one of the shorter barrels? The reason I ask is that the 16” 5.56 carbines come with a suppressed setting instead of an adverse setting like the shorter barrel Bren 2 pistols. The 16” 5.56 gas settings are 1-normal, T-suppressed, and O-off.

https://imgur.com/a/x8oil9V

Not sure why he said it didn’t have a suppressor setting or didn’t use it.

Yes, that's one of the 16" rifles. You can tell by the heavier barrel profile. The 16" gas system also comes with a different gas plug than the pistols, so I think he was mistaken about whatever he was saying about that, or at the very least it isn't applicable to every Bren 2 on the market and just the rifles. He was also mistaken about HBI making a lower for it, unless that was some unannounced prototype stuff. Likely they sent him a Dan Haga that he didn't end up using. If he liked the factory trigger, he would've been amazed at the HBI trigger. He also missed the boat not trying out the Neoteric safety levers, those are right up there with the HBI trigger in terms of "stuff you should do if you have a Bren 2." Neoteric and HBI neatly address the only things he either griped about or said could be better, he just didn't end up trying out all of it.

Oh, and barrels are simply not available. These guns are not as modular as he makes out. They could be, and they should be, but they aren't simply because CZ hasn't made barrels available. They should, and a number of people commented about that, some to directly to CZ in reply to a comment they posted to the video. They said something about more good things coming soon, which is promising since some people were circulating rumors late last year about Colt discontinuing the Bren 2 and Scorpion since they're in charge of US distribution now, or something. I dunno.


Oh, hey PGT! I see you have a 14" with a bayonet lug. There's a few bayonets that popped up on the market recently. These are basically unobtanium. First link is $120 cheaper than the second:

https://www.czech-holsters.com....htm?tab=description

https://www.vz58usa.com/produc...ayonet-combat-knife/

I don't see any of the other hundreds of Garand Thumb reviews having a run on a specific gun, so I doubt it will here. What I do see is that your comment elsewhere (Not worried about it (parts) right now, though.) simply isn't the case right now. I love the bren2 but there are no parts. Barrel kits as you note simply don't exist. Those simple barrel lock washers that you absolutely need nope none of those for you. Barrel screws that you need, nope. Gas piston nope (though HBI is saving us on that one). 922r kits..nope. stocks for those SBR'd. nope. This list of what I have on order from CZ that are open for months is very, very long.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
Those simple barrel lock washers that you absolutely need nope none of those for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Wedge-L..._product_top?ie=UTF8

Not OEM, but these work according to some guys on Reddit and at least one review.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
Barrel screws that you need, nope.

HBI has them, they're just not listed on their site. Email them and they'll send you some. I'll forego your next point for that reason.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
922r kits..nope.

In and out of stock at the links below. First one is new to me, but the second two I've seen commentary from people who bought from them and got them, so I know them to be legit.

https://capcityarms.com/produc...ing-stock-kit-black/

https://www.preppergunshop.com...ding-stock-kit-black

https://shootingsurplus.com/cz...ing-stock-kit-black/

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
stocks for those SBR'd. nope.

Got mine from these guys. BR was in stock then, but not the waffle stock, now the opposite is the case:

https://www.vz58usa.com/produc...ory/cz-bren-2-parts/

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
This list of what I have on order from CZ that are open for months is very, very long.

I'm not sure why you're going at me with this stuff, and despite what I linked above, you should be able to just order everything you need directly from CZ USA. I never said CZ was anything other than shit at supporting this gun. I like you and I value your experience Jon, but I'm not going to continue to interact with you if the sum of our discourse is going to be you trying to play "gotcha" games with me.

First a sincere thanks on the lock washers... ordered and hopefully solve my issue (side bar story I have a half a dozen of these bren2's and I decided to just pin and weld the 14" ones and the gunsmith who took it apart simply lost the lock washer sad.)
I love the bren2. I have lots of them. My point which is not directed at you at all is that while it has many fine points as are being commented in various threads is that you can't simply order the parts you need to maintain it or to use its key features like barrel length change or caliber change from CZ USA and get them in any reasonable period of time. You can find a few of them in the aftermarket, but not all (and another personal thanks if the barrel screws hidden at HBI actually turn out to be available). When people look at a gun they should know the 'on the ground facts' on maintaining it or using its significant features.
To me its a bit like the beginning in the scar world where everyone literally fell over themselves to find spares and now they are available readily. I worry CZ may ultimately solve the basic spares issues like springs and whatnot but maybe not the barrel caliber change ones, but that's just me being my normal pessimist. But to PGT's point for a SCAR you can get every part you need. So half price isn't the issue at this point to me its what parts you can get.

I'd like to see CZ get their act together and support these rifles the way they should. They put together a hell of a design and if they would offer the things the US market wants, the things you mention and a few others besides like lower parts kits, it'll take off and be a serious contender to things like the SCAR. I know they have their hands full with a new land war in Europe, but in the meantime, there is an aftermarket community that has decided to step up where CZ hasn't.

The thing in Ukraine is developing a really solid reputation for these rifles, though. A number of times since the war started, there's been first-person GoPro footage of a Bren 2 being used in combat, and several times I've been able to talk to the guy who took the footage. Never anything but glowing praise for these rifles from the guys using them in active combat. What a time we live in, that guys like me who went from collecting WWII milsurp can ask the kinds of questions I've wondered about with some of the stuff in my safe of someone who's using it real-time.

CZ had parts available earlier on. Then, they bought Colt and RIF'ed the CZ USA leadership and put Colt leadership in charge for the US. Dumb, dumb, dumb. CZ USA was killing it.....Colt was bankrupt.

Sorry about the waffle stock boys, I took the last one. I started with an 11" pistol but with this new brace crap I've decided to build a 14" P&W. Bought all the HBI and Neoteric stuff to dress it out with already. Don't forget the A3 Tactical extended mag releases!

I have one of the 50 OG import military config Bren 2 8". Love it. Congrats on getting yours! Can't go wrong with a Bren 2, especially with how it's really being proven in Ukraine.

quote:

Originally posted by Andyb:
I have one of the 50 OG import military config Bren 2 8". .

What's this all about???

quote:

Originally posted by JonDaddy82:
Sorry about the waffle stock boys, I took the last one.

Glad I linked it! Nice score. I'd like to see your results when you're done.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:

quote:

Originally posted by Andyb:
I have one of the 50 OG import military config Bren 2 8". .

What's this all about???

When these pistols were first imported, CZ fucked up and sent some in the military config and marked them the Bren 2 S. They had the military config monolithic upper but the MLOK lower panels. If you slap a Preston Precision 1913 kit on one, you have a pistol/carbine/whatever that's a lot closer to the issued versions. These were sent to CZ USA by mistake, they had ordered a version that had a different upper, with a separate handguard that has some weird geometry and vent slots that aren't cut through, plus MLOK rails instead of Picatinny. The Preston rails go a long way to stripping the sporter look off. I may still grab a set just to have. Anyway, AndyB has a variant Bren fans look out for. They didn't import a whole bunch of them, IIRC it was just the first batch of mixed pistols in various barrel lengths and the two calibers, and those went straight to two distributors. One put everything on Gunbroker, and those went for large dollars. Anyways, that's what I've read, so I don't know how accurate it is, but they're desirable from a collector's standpoint.

Here's a picture I shamelessly stole off the internet. This is a 14" 2S, you can see how the upper is monolithic and no weird angles as you get to the front end of it. If this guy installed the Preston rails and put the waffle stock on it, he'd have pretty close semi auto copy of what the Czech military issues.





*Edit - I just also noticed that the military version doesn't have the QD points on the receiver. So the 2S is a weird hybrid, having those in a monolithic upper.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:

quote:

Originally posted by Andyb:
I have one of the 50 OG import military config Bren 2 8". .

What's this all about???

Smudge answered it well, all I'll add is 300 were imported like that in various lengths, 50 of each length/caliber. I'll try to add a photo later, mine has the Preston rails. Looks like the shorty in the background in the pic above.