Recently, the Ukrainian social media sphere was abuzz with some great news – the Czech Republic will be granting Ukraine a license for the production of CZ Bren 2 assault rifles.

With almost a century of experience in developing and manufacturing firearms, Česká Zbrojovka takes great pride in its products.

Therefore, this article is the perfect place to delve into the details of the Bren 2 assault rifles, their counterparts, and the company’s rich manufacturing history.

Česká Zbrojovka

Česká Zbrojovka is a Czech company founded in 1939 as a joint-stock company.

The establishment of this enterprise was part of a large-scale effort to relocate Czechoslovakia’s production capacity away from its western borders, which were under threat from Nazi Germany.

From its inception until today, CZ has maintained its production and research facilities in the city of Uherský Brod.

The CZ 36, DUO, and LK 38 pistols were among the first products of the company. Additionally, the company manufactured aircraft machine guns, such as the Kulomet vz. 30 and MG 17.

After World War II, the enterprise was nationalized and gradually became the primary Czechoslovak manufacturer of small arms. During this period, CZ produced pistols like the CZ 50 and Pistole vz. 52.

Subsequently, the primary product of the enterprise was the Samopal vz.48A/B submachine gun chambered for 9x19mm, along with its 7.62×25 TT variation, the Samopal 24/26.

From 1948 to 1968, the company produced over half a million units of each variation.

Between 1950 and 1959, the company produced OP vz. 54 carbines and vz. 52/57 rifles.

Another product from the Czech enterprise that was used in the Russian-Ukrainian war is the Samopal vzor 58 assault rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm.

The production of the assault rifle occurred in several stages: the first stage began in 1959 and concluded in 1964. During this stage, the production facilities of the enterprise manufactured more than 400 thousand rifles.

The second production stage commenced in 1968 and concluded in 1985. As part of the second stage, CZ produced more than 500 thousand rifles.

Another truly legendary example of small arms manufactured by CZ is the Samopal vzor 61 7.62mm submachine gun, better known as the Scorpion.

The Scorpion was manufactured from 1963 to 1979. During that time, the company released more than 200 thousand submachine guns from the assembly line.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact, and Czechoslovakia, Česká Zbrojovka was privatized and reverted to its status as a joint-stock company.

In addition to firearms, primarily pistols, the company manufactured components for the automotive and aviation industries.

The company made its first attempts to develop a modern rifle system in the 1990s with the CZ 2000 prototype, which included two assault rifles and a light machine gun chambered in 5.56x45mm.

The CZ 2000 was based on the AKS-74, AK-74, and RPK-74, respectively. Due to economic difficulties, the system was never adopted by the Czech Army, although a limited number of assault rifles were exported to India.

In 1996, the company established its American division, CZ-USA. It initially operated in California but relocated to Kansas City, Kansas, in 1998, where it continues to operate today.

In 2005, the Czech company acquired the renowned U.S. manufacturer Dan Wesson Firearms.

In 2013, the Colt CZ Group SE arms holding was founded, which included a diverse range of companies, including the legendary Colt company. However, in 2015, Colt filed for bankruptcy.

The holding includes Česká Zbrojovka, Colt, Colt Canada (Diemaco), CZ Export, CZ-USA, Dan Wesson, EG-CZ Academy, Spuhr i Dalby AB, and Zbrojovon.

As part of the creation of the international holding Česká Zbrojovka Group in 2018, CZ-USA was established as an independent company.

In 2019, CZ-USA began deploying its own production facilities to establish mass production of firearms.

The modern “flagships” of the company include the CZ 75, CZ P-07, CZ P-10, CZ SHADOW pistols, CZ 457, CZ 600, and CZ-USA Field Sports rifles.

Other notable products include the CZ Scorpion EVO 3, the CZ Bren 2 submachine gun, the CZ 805 assault rifles, and the CZ TSR (Tactical Sniper Rifle) sniper rifles.

CZ Bren and Bren 2

The Bren and its Bren 2 variant are next-generation assault rifles, often referred to by Western gunsmiths as the Next Generation Service Rifle.

This definition encompasses modern rifle systems developed based on the AR, AK, hybrid systems, or systems of their own design.

Among the systems that fall under the unofficial definition of NGSR are the SCAR-L/H, Bushmaster ACR, Robinson Armaments XCR, and even the Polish GROT.

All these assault rifles feature a high degree of modularity, allowing for quick adjustments of the weapons for specific tasks. This is why such weapons are often referred to as rifle systems.

It’s interesting that all these rifle systems were actively used in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The Bren assault rifles were first introduced in 2009, and the first contract was signed in 2010. The Bren exists in the following configurations:

• The CZ 805 Bren A1 is in the standard NATO 5.56×45mm cartridge configuration with a 360 mm (14 in) barrel length.
• The CZ 805 Bren A2 is a carbine chambered for NATO 5.56×45mm with a barrel length of 277 mm (10.9 inches).
• The CZ 805 Bren S1 is a semi-automatic variant of the CZ 805 BREN designed for the civilian market. Its production was halted in favor of the CZ BREN 2 Ms, which is the only semi-automatic variant of the CZ BREN 2.

The Bren uses a rotating breech block driven by combustion gases.

The use of plastic has reduced the weight of the Bren to 3.6 kilograms. For comparison, the AK-74 weighs 3.8 kilograms.

The receiver is made of an aluminum alloy, and the firing mechanism, along with the pistol grip and magazine well, is constructed from durable, shockproof, and non-combustible plastic.

The buttstock can be folded to the side and is adjustable in length.

The safety, bolt handle, and bolt delay can be mounted on either side as required by the shooter.

The firing mechanism offers three fire modes: full-auto, 2-round burst, and semi-auto.

Iron sights and optical sight devices are installed on the Picatinny rails integrated into the receiver.

Ammunition in 5.56mm cartridges is fed from STANAG type magazines.

For 7.62mm cartridges, special magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds made of transparent plastic have been developed, which are not compatible with other types of weapons.

The CZ BREN has two barrel lengths: 360 mm (14.2 in) for the standard A1 variant and 277 mm (10.9 in) for the A2 variant. The barrel is chrome-plated for fire accuracy and durability.

Additional equipment includes a specially designed CZ 805 G1 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher and a knife bayonet.

In October 2015, CZ showed an updated version called Bren 2. The new assault rifle has significantly improved ergonomics and functionality.

It was developed taking into account the wishes of the Czech military. The company’s engineers reduced the weight by 0.5 kilograms and redesigned the cocking mechanism. The assault rifle maintenance procedure was also greatly simplified.

The new Bren 2 has three types of barrels: 207 mm (8 in) for 5.56 × 45 mm, 227 mm (9 in) for 7.62 × 39 mm, 280 mm (11 in), and 357 mm (14 in).

Fast-changing barrels allow for changing both length and caliber. The transition between calibers occurs by quickly replacing the gas tube barrel, breech, and magazine well.

The Bren 2 assault rifle variants:

• The CZ BREN 2 BR is a variant chambered for 7.62×51 NATO, has a 407 mm (16 in) barrel, and a 25-round magazine.
• The CZ BREN 2 PPS is a marksman rifle developed on the basis of the CZ BREN 2 BR. The barrel length is 457 mm, and the effective fire range is 600–800 meters.

The main operating countries of Bren/Bren 2 are the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Indonesia, Mexico, France, Egypt, Slovakia, and Portugal.

In the Czech Republic, the Bren 2 is in service with both army and police units. In Indonesia and Mexico, the assault rifle is used mainly by police special forces, and in France by the GIGN Gendarmerie special forces.

Interestingly, the French use the Bren 2 in a caliber of 7.62mm; in the same version, the assault rifle is used by Egyptian paratroopers and the local Republican Guard.

In Ukraine, the Bren 2 is most prevalent in special units of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine; most often, it can be seen with the Kraken SF operators and units of the International Legion.

History of CZ Bren 2 in the Ukrainian army

The first Bren 2 appeared in the Ukrainian army in the spring of 2022. The first public appearance took place during the battles for Severodonetsk.

In a famous photo, Ukrainian politician Ihor Kopytin and Roman Mashovets, deputy head of the office of the President of Ukraine, were seen armed with these assault rifles.

Ukrainian Bren 2 operators praise it for its durability in harsh operating conditions and its low level of operational issues.

On September 30, 2023, it was reported that the Czech Republic would transfer the Bren 2 production license to Ukraine. It is known that the Ukrainian version will be called “Sich.”

The establishment of firearm production facilities in Ukraine is considered one of the “flagship” projects of Ukrainian-Czech cooperation, which was discussed at the International Forum of Defense Industries in Kyiv.

Additionally, the Czech Republic will assist in establishing a production line for ammunition. This project will be carried out by Sellier & Bellot.