CZ Bren 2 MS Replacing My AR15

[DocHawk]

I have been enjoying growing into a new platform. My trusty AR's have gone through many evolutions as I've grown as a shooter, and my handguards have reflected this evolution from Milspec to Magpul, then free floated keymod, and on to Mlok. My receivers have made similar changes, having experimented with all manner of ambi controls and lighter weight. I've tried gas piston over direct impingement, side charging over rear charging, folding stocks, and more. My optics have gone from irons to red dots to scopes with mall ninja side dots to LPVOs. Everything has been a delightful (expensive?) journey.

Recently, I started playing with a new platform, the CZ Bren 2 MS. This piston driven, lightweight carbine is the standard issue police and military carbine for the Czech Republic, and it is best described as a modern (and improved) version of a SCAR. Non-reciprocating side charging handle, ambi controls, lightweight, fantastic center of gravity with more weight behind the pistol grip, folding stock that doesn't need to be extended to fire, and an adjustable gas block in case you need extra gas for adverse conditions, questionable ammo, or like slinging your empties across the range.

The Bren 2 platform is practically everything I've been spending money to make my AR15's into. Lightweight and balanced. Compact, with a functional folding stock. Better controls and more combat-effective manual of arms (the side charging handle doesn't make you lower the rifle and lose your sight picture/target awareness to run it). An inexpensive gas selector swap gives you a new "suppressed" setting, to avoid overgassing. 

So far, so good. I'm getting about 1.5MOA accuracy with 55gr FMJ, which makes it only half as accurate as my quality ARs, but it's certainly nothing I notice in drills out to 100yds. It would not be my DMR of choice for working out at 500 yards, but it sure does the job inside 50.

I bought the 8" and 11" pistols, and converted the 14" pistol into a rifle with folding stock. I'll let you all know how my additional testing goes.

Doc

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by DocHawk

[Guest]

I know so little about this platform. Mags? AR type?

[DocHawk]

2 hours ago, OMCHamlin said:

I know so little about this platform. Mags? AR type?

Yes, STANAG magazines. This is another important factor for me - any potential fighting rifle on the North American continent needs to feed from the same mags as ARs, because that's what's most available and guaranteed to be in the pouches of the people around you.

[FrankD]

How do these suppress?

[DocHawk]

Runs great suppressed, @FrankD! As I mentioned, an inexpensive upgrade changes the stock OFF-ON-ADVERSE adjustable gas regulator to a suppressor-ready SUPPRESSED-ON-ADVERSE unit. Since I have no use for the "off" position, changing it to a low-gas "suppressed" option was just the ticket. It is soft shooting, POI shift is minimal with the can on/off (haven't benchrest measured yet but I'm still on 9" steel standing offhand at 100yds, 20-30rpm ROF).

[DocHawk]

Happy update... I've been testing different ammo through the guns, and have found that all three barrel lengths prefer 77gr OTM Bergers. I was getting 1.5" to 2" groups out of the three Brens using m193.

With the match OTMs all three are now sub-MOA shooters. Not half-inch at 100 like my match guns, but an honest inch or less. Thays good enough for me, with all their advantages.