I recently acquired a second wartime production Brno full stock sporter. Condition of the two rifles is excellent, making me wonder where they have spent their lives and how they got to the USA.

One was produced in 1941 and one in 1942. They are only 611 guns apart so I assume the first one was late 1941 production and the second one early in 1942. The side rails are marked differently with two lines on the earlier rifle.

And only one line on the 1942 gun.

Post war Brnos were marked thus:

I do not understand the differnce in the proof codes stamped on the rifles. The 1941 gun seems to indicate it was the 20951 rifle proofed in 1941 - an impressive number of sporting arms for wartime I would think. Neither rifle has a Nazi eagle on it. The proof stamp is on the side of the barrel and the side of the reciever - both above the wood line.

The 1942 rifle has the proof stamp on the bottom of the barrel in a different format. Anyone know what it means?

Post war production roundtop rifles also do not have the guide rib on the bolt and have a simpler checkering pattern on the forearm. Top rifle is post war production.

The last of the roundtop rifles also dispensed with the clip charger guide. Rifle on the right is toward the end of roundtop production before the 1949 changes. When they put double square bridges on the receivers, they also returned to the guide rib on the bolt.

I am very interested in all things Brno. No books seem to exist on these great arms. Any information you can provide is very much appreciated.

Thanks.
John