My FK BRNO impressions...

[bac1023]

I picked up my BRNO pistol last week. This gun is extremely impressive in every way. In short, the BRNO is heavily based on the tried and true CZ design from the mid 1970’s. However, it is modified to handle a much more powerful cartridge, producing 900-950 ft/lbs of energy. The heavy recoil spring, along with a 5oz weight is positioned well below the barrel to keep the recoil impulse low and lessen muzzle rise. The design is SAO, with no ambidextrous controls whatsoever.

Opening up the very sturdy case and you will find the gun, two 16 round magazines, an extra (heavier) recoil spring, an extra set of sights (3-dot), and a very nice full color owner’s manual. As you can imagine, everything is packaged extremely well. Even the cardboard outer case seems well done. The case is also serial numbered to the gun, which is a nice touch. The FK ships with a box of ammo.

As for the pistol itself, I must say that I’m quite highly impressed in every way. Build quality appears impeccable. The refinement and fit and finish is top notch. There isn’t a machine mark anywhere on the gun inside or out. The entire pistol has a “melted” appearance and everything is nicely rounded without a hint of a sharp edge to be found anywhere. The aluminum G10 grips are like artwork and also fit the pistol incredibly well. The finish is called "dark gray nitration'. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it looks flawlessly beautiful and is supposedly very durable as well. It looks not unlike a really nice bluing from years past. It’s really impressive. Even the roll marks are done with the utmost care and precision. The slide rides inside the frame like its on ball bearings and it locks up extremely tight, which is not surprising considering the pistol’s accuracy prowess. The slide release is extended and easy to operate. The thumb safety is perfectly weighted with a very positive feel. The beavertail completes the FK’s outstanding ergonomics. The front of the trigger guard and the front strap are both finely serrated. The bottom of the grip frame is flared into a small magwell.

The standard rear sight is called a butterfly, which is very different from anything else I own (see picture). The front sight is a super small red dot. It was designed small to not block targets 200 yards away. As mentioned above, it also ships with a set of 3-dots. The gun’s heft is readily apparent as soon as you pick it up. It weighs 51oz empty, making it one of my heaviest semi autos. Between the large size, the muzzle weight, and its all-steel construction, that’s to be expected. This is welcome for me because I love heavy pistols at the range.

The trigger is good, but not great. The weight is only 3lbs, but there is a slight bit of creep after the take up, which I found disappointing. That being said, the FK wasn’t designed with target shooting as its main objective. Its meant for use in the field. I personally don’t quite get that, but it is what it is. My only other minor complaint is that the serrations on the front strap are so fine that it almost feels smooth. Coupling that with the slick finish and I’d imagine it can be hard to get good traction with sweaty hands. I will say that the serrations are so nicely done that I can get over it.

The proprietary 7.5 FK round is a scorcher. The 95 grain bullet has been chronographed at almost 2100fps. When zeroed at 100 yards, bullet drop is minimal at 200, so it’s a very flat shooting cartridge. Watching some YouTube videos of people testing the round is very entertaining. The performance is incredible and it hits like a ton of bricks. FK will be coming out with some different loadings in the future, but there is only one at this time. At $1.50 per round, it isn’t cheap either. While it looks a lot like the 7.62 Tokarev round in size and shape, it is much, much hotter (as in about double the energy).

My first range session was brief, but the pistol definitely lived up to my expectations. The round is HOT. Saying it produces 900+ ft/lbs of energy doesn’t begin to describe the way it feels to shoot it. The sound and muzzle blast are really awe-inspiring, for the lack of a better term. Recoil itself is not bad, due to the gun’s weight. However, you definitely know you aren’t shooting a typical service caliber either. The power of the round is immediately evident with each trigger pull and the speed at which it hits the dirt berm at 25 yards is instantaneous.

The gun feels extremely solid under fire. Nothing moves, other than the glass-like slide, which you can’t even feel. There is no noise and no rattle whatsoever.

Upon fieldstripping the gun to clean it, it’s quite evident that this is no CZ or Tanfo. The slide glides inside the frame as smooth as a Sig P210. The attention to detail inside and outside of the entire package is breathtaking. Hell, even the rounds are beautiful to look at between the flawless brass and the high quality bullets.

I do have one MAJOR shooting complaint. The butterfly rear sight just flat out doesn’t work for me. I will be switching to the traditional rear sight it comes with before I shoot it again.

Other than that, I have nothing bad to say. This pistol feels world class in every way. It’s the real deal. To me, between the immense quality and capability of the gun, coupled with the amazing 7.5FK round, the package is worth the price. It’s unlike anything I’ve shot before and I've shot a lot of very cool handguns.

At any rate, that’s enough babbling. Have any of you had the pleasure of shooting one of these yet? I understand BRNO wants to build 1000 of the Field Pistols and then possibly move on to a 5” model. Whether or not that’s true, I’m not sure. Perhaps the 5” model will be a bit more affordable if and when it does appear.

Please enjoy the pictures. I tried my best to capture the FK's craftsmanship with my camera, but pics don't do it justice.

Thanks for reading!

[bac1023]

[bac1023]

[bac1023]

[JMag1]

Very nice, sir. Congrats. I’ve yet to see one around here, but I’m happy you are pleased with what appears to be a truly exceptional pistol/caliber.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[JohnKSa]

Nice review and beautiful pics!

[kymasabe]

....it's like a sculpted work of art !

[MTT TL]

Very nice gun, good pics. Bit out of my price range.

[StumpShooter]

Beautiful piece. Ballistics seem close to .30 carbine round

[JohnKSa]

Ballistics seem close to .30 carbine round

Good analogy--I hadn't thought of that comparison. The 7.5FK may actually be a little hotter. I think the .30 carbine is a hair under 2000 out of a carbine length barrel with a 110gr bullet while the 7.5FK is supposed to make 2000 out of a pistol length barrel with a 103gr bullet.

[libiglou]

Your killing me. As soon as I saw it I had to have it till I priced one on gunbroker. $7000 plus the ammo is a fortune. I dont think you can even reload this round, Do they make anything else in a more common caliber? It is a thing of beauty though. Enjoy it

[Sturmpanzer]

Beautiful gun and I hear that it's the new wonder weapon.... Just like a Korth Mongoose... Only the well off can play with things like this.... Congrats on a superb pistol.. Jealous as hell....

Uhmmmm $7,500 ........ What else in my life could benefit from spending that amount of money on a gun....... Glad you have it... It's beautiful...but I dont see why it costs so much... Have fun...no problems here, just cant understand the pricetag....

[Fishbed77]

I need to figure out what bac1023 does for a living and do that, because he or she has all the nice things.

[HiBC]

Very nice,and impressive handgun.Thank you for letting me look.
Its nice to see that kind of workmanship.

I have a Brno semi-auto 22 WMR I bought several years ago.Its old school checkered walnut and blue steel. Feels good to hold.
Great pix and I never knew the pistol existed.Thanks!

[jreXD9]

Gorgeous. That's a loooong pistol. Does it come with a bipod or shooting stick?

[TruthTellers]

I have no doubts that the BRNO is a flawlessly manufactured pistol. My questions are what does it do that another pistol can't do for 7 grand less? Shoot flat out to 150 yards? Okay, that's impressive, but I'm sure a Sig or Glock chambered in the 7.5 could do the same, just not feel as good as the FK BRNO does.

2000 fps with a 95 grain bullet is impressive, but I have yet to encounter a situation where I'll need that. 1500 fps with a 100 grain .327 revolver or 10mm usually does the trick for me. If the target is wearing IIA body armor, then I'll switch to .22 TCM.

All of which cost 7 grand less than the FK BRNO does.

Lemme tap into my inner Dave Ramsey here: I hope you enjoy the pistol.

[dakota.potts]

I think the price tag is justified by a couple of things: The supposedly superior fit and attention to assembly of the gun, the accuracy, the cost of developing a proprietary cartridge and recoil system, the high tech finish, etc.

Although the gun is expensive, there are enough customers out there who pay more money for custom, hand-fitted and finished revolvers or 1911s that shoot the same cartridges as guns 1/10th of the price.

I'm not in a position to afford or justify it in my personal life either, but it seems to me that the price is well-justified when compared to other handguns that sell in the same price range.

As to the "dark gray nitration" finish it sounds to me to be similar to the nitride finishes that we are starting to see more frequently. Black nitride is a beautiful finish that works like bluing but much better. It goes on without adding significant material, increases the lubricity of the metal (smoother cycling and easier cleaning), surface hardens the metal itself, and is incredibly resistant to rust and other forms of corrosion.

I have no idea what the specifics of "dark gray nitration" are but I assume it is a variant of the same chemical processes (which require much more sophisticated technology than typical bluing or plating to apply). Theoretically, it should reflect the surface preparation of the metal the way bluing does and this is probably the reason for the bluing like similarity.

Thanks for sharing pictures. I would love to have some one on one time with one of these. I have followed these pistols since it was announced they would be imported. Perhaps this will lead to the development/importation of similarly designed handguns at a more "working class" feature and price.

[bac1023]

I have no doubts that the BRNO is a flawlessly manufactured pistol. My questions are what does it do that another pistol can't do for 7 grand less? Shoot flat out to 150 yards? Okay, that's impressive, but I'm sure a Sig or Glock chambered in the 7.5 could do the same, just not feel as good as the FK BRNO does.

2000 fps with a 95 grain bullet is impressive, but I have yet to encounter a situation where I'll need that. 1500 fps with a 100 grain .327 revolver or 10mm usually does the trick for me. If the target is wearing IIA body armor, then I'll switch to .22 TCM.

All of which cost 7 grand less than the FK BRNO does.

Lemme tap into my inner Dave Ramsey here: I hope you enjoy the pistol.

Im not really sure of your point.

What does a Rolex do that a Timex doesn’t? It’s materials, fit and finish, accuracy, durability, etc. the FK clearly isn’t designed for mass production or your everyday shooter.

Some cars, guns, watches, etc cost a lot more than others for people who enjoy the nicest stuff. It’s not for everyone.

[Areoflyer09]

For those that don’t “get it”, the BRNO is every bit a piece of collector art as it a firearm. Don’t look at it as a Glock/1911 alternative, instead think of it more like a Rembrandt* that you can shoot.

Yes, the basic function is the same as most pistols, but you are paying for much higher quality and some unique design choices. The watch analogy above is a good one. You could make a similar ones with cars. What I don’t get is why some are so bothered by it.


OP - the BRNO is awesome and I’m glad you shared it with us. I hope you thoroughly enjoy it and continue to share with it people (even if it’s just pictures). It’s an awesomely unqiue piece. If I could, I’d have one in a heartbeat.

[Ruga Booga]

Very nice but some pictures of the ammo would be nice too

[HiBC]

I don't even have a cell phone or a TV.I'm driving a rusty 85 Toyota 4x4.
While I did spend 30 years in machine trade,I retired as a school custodian.
I've never paid more than $4000 for a vehicle.
I do take ownership of my life.I'm comfortable living modestly.

But so long as wealth is come by honestly,I respect and celebrate the success of others.
I,myself,cannot comprehend spending $1000 on a smart phone. But I don't judge you for having one.

If you buy a Barrett 50,or a custom 1911,or a Holland and Holland,a Bugatti or a Ferrari,or a P-51 Mustang or A C-47,or an Otter or a Beaver...
If you enjoy caviar and truffles ,good for you.If you shown me pix and tell me about it,I'll enjoy and thank you.

I have no patience with the small people who embrace envy.

You know,just in terms of cars,I wish I could afford to replace the under $1000 cars I have owned. The 67 Chevelle SS 396,the 63 Mini,Sprite,and Volvo 544.

Some might think it crazy to spend $30 k or $40 k for a 67 Chevelle SS 396.

What does an AC Cobra bring?.
Maybe,if I won the Powerball....

But you show me yours, I'll smile and enjoy vicariously. Good for you!!

Local pub has great 50 cent chicken wings and cheap PBR's. I like the guy I see in the mirror. Life is good.

I have a $50 Caspian double stack frame casting and access to a Bridgeport.
Not only that,I know how to use it.I ended up,(legit) with a STI Trubore comped 38 Super barrel,Commander length. No charge.
I'm going to build what I could never afford,for not much more than the price of an RIA.

I MAY even have Docter Optic CNC the low mount cut for their red dot,with the "Hardened" package(All joints re-soldered and epoxy encapsulated)

If I do that,I'll have about $1k total in it.

What I enjoy,my satisfaction,is I made something I can't afford to buy.

And a lot of folks with money can't buy what I can do. Some will never know the experiences I've had from Alaska to Baja.

And that's OK. We all get dealt a fresh hand of cards every day.

To be able to enjoy is its own wealth.

I've enjoyed road kill venison.I've enjoyed carp fishing. I've enjoyedsharing a few potatoes andan onion with a friend who only had a bottle of catchup.
But he dug out some couch change to buy in. What a great meal!.

Folks enjoying lobster or prime rib never crossed my mind.

I guarantee they were not enjoying it any more.

I don't be grudge a Rolex. It takes nothing away from my Casio.I'm rather attached to my 85 Toyota. If you want to give me a new Escalade,well,I'd rather have the money to restore my Toyota.

But I can sure enjoy a ride in YOUR Escalade.

And I won't have a bad thing to say. Just "Thank You" That's a fine machine!"

[JohnKSa]

I have no patience with the small people who embrace envy.

I really like your post, however I would have used the word 'jealous' in place of 'envy'.

The two words are quite similar but there's a shade of meaning that's important.

Envy is more about wanting what other people have, or wanting to be what others are. I'm envious of lots of people. Envy can actually be constructive if it motivates a person to try to better themselves or to work for the things they see that others have.

Jealousy is more about being unhappy that other people have more than you do and begrudging them their good fortune, their achievements, or the fruit of their labors. Jealousy is destructive because it's not about wanting to be better or to have more, it's about wanting other people to be worse off and have less.

[cslinger]

Do you have a source for ammo and how much is it?

That is a gorgeous piece of kit. Yet even though I have been known to have the financial restraint of PacMan Jones in a strip club this is far too rich for my blood. I am however very interested in your thoughts and pictures and very glad you posted.

This is not a firearm you buy as a tool. It is kinetic art, it is singular and odd and just plain a joy to own(I making that assumption based on similar things I own for reasons that go beyond intrinsic values).

Again thank you for the post and I am interested to hear about the ammunition.

Enjoy it in good health.

Chris

[dakota.potts]

I actually can see its use as a field tool. Of course, I'm deep in hog and gator category and I believe the round would be very sufficient for either along with the small deer we have in this state.

Would be very interesting to see the caliber adopted in a PDW/SBR/carbine

[TruthTellers]

Originally Posted by bac1023

Im not really sure of your point.

What does a Rolex do that a Timex doesn’t? It’s materials, fit and finish, accuracy, durability, etc. the FK clearly isn’t designed for mass production or your everyday shooter.

Some cars, guns, watches, etc cost a lot more than others for people who enjoy the nicest stuff. It’s not for everyone.

My point is that for the price, there are guns just as good for half the cost. The only thing you can't get from those guns though is the experience of owning an FK BRNO, which is why I say I hope you enjoy the gun.

I would say the same thing to the person who owns the Rolex.

I'm glad that extravagant things exist because the relative nature of them compared to similar things helps rank what's better and what's worse, I just don't see why I'd buy a really nice gun over say, a used car or rent for a whole year or food for the next 2 years.