Frag Out! Magazine

BROŃ - FIREARMS In November 2009 the long-awaited tender for the new Czech rifle was organized, but despite 27 initial submissions, only two rifles were finally pitted against each other: the CZ's offer, now re- ferred to as 'CZ 805 Bren' and FNH's SCAR-L, with domestic design being finally selected after a re- portedly hot contest, decided by a narrow mar- gin. The results were promulgated on February 1, 2010, and on March 18, after the FN's Czech partner decided not to repeal the results, the ministry finally ordered 6687 CZ 805A1 rifles, 1250 CZ 805A2 carbines and 397 CZ 805G1 grenade launchers. Each rifle and carbine was ordered with Meopta's ZD-Dot red dot sight and a set of BUIS, and for the special forces 1386 'enhanced optical suites' were ordered, consisting of Meopta's DV-Mag3 daylight 3x mag- nifier, NV-3Mag night 3x magnifier and a DBAL-A2 (AN/PEQ-15A) laser target designator. But before the first rifles hit the shelves of the Army stores, the military demanded several changes that arose from the qualification testing of the samples delivered as stipulated in contract by May 2010. First of all, somewhat surprisingly, the Army requested a folding-only stock instead of the factory-offered folding/telescoping stock – said to be awkward. The stock is held by a T-rail on the receiver backplate, and can be replaced any time, for any style – pro- viding it is fitted with a proper attachment. Second change concerned stabilizing the magazine well with a pin. The third request called for replace- ment of the fixed pistol grip with one fitted with exchangeable backstraps, just like the ones so pop- ular since all new pistols' frames became plastic. An- other change was introduced in the bolt head – the seventh locking lug was omitted. Initially, the sev- enth lug was deeply undercut by the extractor claw channel, and it could possibly crack, so it was elim- inated and now there's only six. All these changes delayed the date of the initial delivery to July 19, 2011, when first 505 A1s and A2s with 20 grenade launchers were taken over by the Army, with 2745 A1s and 926 A2s scheduled to be delivered during the latter half of the 2011, and further deliveries made until 2013, when the initial order would be fulfilled. The gas--operated rifle has a gas opening on top of the barrel, where gas block with bayonet attach- ment on the bottom is fitted. On top there's a large ring, into which gas mechanism is being inserted. The gas mechanism consists of one-piece gas pis- ton (somewhat resembling the one of the Sa-58), complete with a self-contained return spring and two-stage gas regulator. The whole gas system is held in place by a lug in form of the regulator shield. When the shield is turned to either of the two work- ing positions, the lug stays firmly in the abutment cut into the gas block. But if the gas regulator is turned full 180 degrees, there is a flat undercut in the shield, fitting over the top of the gas block, and the whole shebang can be pulled clear for cleaning or replacement for other caliber's set, no other pro- cedures or tools needed. Whoever struggled with SCAR gas mechanism once would appreciate that immediately and immensely. The piston hits the boxy bolt carrier and makes it recoil, while the op- erating cam unlocks the bolt. The unlocked breech opens, extractor extracts the spent case, while spring-loaded rod ejector in the breech face tilts it to the right. Then the ejected empty hits the deflec- tor, changes the rotation direction and flies clear forward and to the right. The ejection opening is far enough ahead to allow the left-handed operation without the need to change the ejection direction. Recoiling bolt-carrier compresses the return spring set on a single guide rod, but not anchored rigidly in the back plate. There's no magic at all in the op- eration of the CZ 805 Bren – as with ca. 75% mod- ern military rifles based on AR-18, if you know one, you know them all. The only unusual thing is a firing pin automatic safety in the rear part of the bolt car- rier – a spring loaded lever that hooks in the pin, holding it immobile to prevent AD from pin iner- tia. It operates just like the HK MP7 firing pin safety, being swept out of the way by the falling hammer. The upper receiver is monolithic, with a full length MIL-STD-1913 rail running on top. The upper is ma- chined out of a forged aircraft-grade aluminum bil- let, has a form of an inverted U-sectioned through, completely open at three sides. Initially it was planned to be made of polymer plastic, but during the development an aluminum 'interim' receiver BOuGHT AT LAsT THE INNER LIFE

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