CZ 805 BREN

Lore & Background

The CZ 805 BREN originated from the earlier Lada project, which began in 1977 in Czechoslovakia. The Lada was designed to fire 5.45×39mm ammunition and later rechambered to .223 Remington and then 5.56×45mm NATO, but the project was shelved after the Velvet Revolution and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. In the late 1990s, the Lada was restarted and offered for export as the CZ 2000, but no domestic orders were placed.

For the Czech Army replacement program, the design was re-designated Project 805 and later became the CZ S805. After years of development and exhibition, the Czech Army released a tender in November 2009. The CZ 805 BREN competed against the FN SCAR-L and won, with an order placed in March 2010 for 6,687 A1 rifles, 1,250 A2 carbines, and 397 G1 grenade launchers. The first delivery occurred in July 2011.

The CZ 805 BREN features a rotating bolt, manual gas regulator, ambidextrous controls, and a side-folding stock. It uses a detachable magazine housing that can be swapped to accept STANAG or HK G36 magazines. The barrel is chrome-lined, and the weapon has an integral Picatinny rail for optics. Variants include the A1 (standard rifle), A2 (carbine), and S1 (semi-automatic civilian model).

Reader's Guide

The CZ 805 BREN marked a significant shift for the Czech armed forces, replacing the long-serving Vz. 58 with a modern NATO-standard rifle. Its development traced back to the Lada project of the 1970s and 1980s, which was interrupted by political changes but eventually revived as the Czech Republic joined NATO. The rifle's modular design allowed it to compete successfully against the FN SCAR-L, and its adoption by the Czech Army in 2010 led to further improvements, resulting in the lighter CZ BREN 2 in 2015. The CZ 805 BREN and its derivatives have been used by police and military forces in the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Mexico, and Ukraine. The design also spawned the CZ 807, a dual-calibre rifle developed for an Indian tender that was later scrapped. The CZ 805 BREN's legacy includes its role in modernizing Czech infantry equipment and its influence on subsequent CZ BREN models.

Did You Know?

• The rifle won a tender against the FN SCAR-L in 2010.
• The CZ 805 BREN can accept STANAG or HK G36 magazines by swapping its detachable magazine housing.
• The CZ BREN 2, introduced in 2015, is 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) lighter than the original CZ 805 BREN.