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The history of the Brno company or Czechoslovak Armory (Československá zbrojovka) as it was known prior to WWI, began in the city of Brno in the Czech Republic, formerly known as Czechoslovakia. In 1918, the Brno Rifles factory was established. Before 1918, Brno Plant was an arsenal located in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Brno started producing Mauser 98 rifles in 1920 after buying excess weapons and equipment from Mauser-Oberndorf. These Brno-produced Mausers had a 98/22 designation stamped onto the receivers marking the year of production.
In the period between WWI and WWII, Brno collaborated with the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, England to develop a well-known Bren light machine gun. They produced weapons for the Czechoslovakian and German armies during World War II. After the war, the company was nationalized by the Czechoslovakian government and renamed Zbrojovka Brno. While it was under socialist control until 1989, it switched to the production of sporting weapons which quickly gained a reputation for their reliability. For some time, the company also produced light artillery and several other products such as tractors, typewriters, and early computers.
During the years they presented numerous models of weaponry such as the ZB vz. 26 light machine gun, ZB-50 heavy machine gun, the MG34, several bolt action rifles, ZKM and ZH series, ZKR 551 handgun etc.
The company was privatized in 1990, just three years before Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Zbrojovka Brno was acquired by Česká zbrojovka (CZ) in 2008. With the new ownership, they agreed to a longer lease, which allows the business to continue production in rented facilities. They still make high-end products for hunting and competition, including pistols, single-shot and double rifles, combination rifles, as well as over/under shotguns.
Brno ZH marks the series of combination rifles and shotguns manufactured by Zbrojovka Brno and later by the CZ company. Apart from minor finish differences and being chambered for various caliber options, the structural design remains the same throughout the series.
Being a part of ZH series, Brno ZH 305 is a break-barrel combination hunting rifle featuring a robust locking mechanism with strong hatches on both sides that lock into place when the bascule is closed, providing extra safety. It is chambered for 5.6x52R rifle caliber and 12-gauge shotgun shell.
Like other models of the series, the ZH 305 is opened and loaded by pushing the lever on the upper rear side of the action to the right which is a common feature in almost all combination weapons. The upper barrel is chambered for standard rifle calibers and the lower barrel for shotgun gauges – although it is usually the other way around. Another interesting feature is the arrangement of the two triggers. The front trigger only activates the upper barrel whereas the rear one has the option to activate both – first the lower and then the upper barrel. This allows for faster repetitive shots, especially when using a shotgun barrel configuration. The rear one comes set at a pull weight of 1900 g (4.1 lbs) for the upper and 2500 g (5.3 lbs) for the lower barrel, whereas the front one is pre-set at approximately 1400 g (3.1 lbs).
It's somewhat uncommon that the safety is located at the front end of the trigger guard, sticking outward toward the barrel. It comes in a form of a round knob that blocks the firing spring and triggers.
The barrels are interchangeable between the rifles in the ZH series, meaning that whenever the user decides to change the barrel combination, what they are really doing is not only changing the barrel but rather converting the rifle to another model. In other words, different model numbers are really just there to mark different barrel configurations. Disassembly of the rifle and changing of the barrels is done easily by pressing the small knob on the left side of the action body.
Figure 1: Brno ZH 305, chambered for 5.6x52R and 12 ga (Source: https://intersurplus.com/collections/combination-guns/products/brno-zh305-12-22-hp-2#images-preview-1)
The rifle is chambered for the following calibers:
5.6x52 R
Gauges
12 ga
Brno ZH 305 comes with milled 14.5 mm dovetail grooves at the top of the receiver which are suitable for installing scope mounts.
Figure 2: The receiver of Brno ZH 305, chambered for 5.6x52R and 12 ga (Source: https://intersurplus.com/collections/combination-guns/products/brno-zh305-12-22-hp-2)
A: /
B: /
C: /
D: 14.5 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Ø: /
R1: Prisma 14.5/60°
R2: Prisma 14.5/60°
For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece mounts interchangeable with Brno ZH 305 are the following:
Heym 22S
Brno 500
Brno ZH 304
Brno ZH 306
Brno ZH 307
Brno ZH 308
Brno ZH 309
Brno ZH 324
Brno ZH 328
Brno Tatra
Brno Super
Brno Effect
For two-piece mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifle must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. Rifles that have two-piece mounts interchangeable with Brno ZH 305 are the following:
This fixed scope mount manufactured by the Czech company Kozap is made of high-quality steel and will fit the mounting surface of your rifle perfectly.
Order Kozap Slip-on one piece mount
Due to the specific design of a recoil notch, there are not many scope mounts suitable for Brno ZH 305. However, if you are looking for a detachable mounting solution to fit on your rifle, we recommend this Rusan roll-off mount. It is made of high-quality steel and comes with a ten-year warranty.
Check out Rusan Roll-off Mount
If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.
Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: [email protected]
