Thoughts on 7.5 BRNO

[Daekar]

Hey Folks,

Just watching the new video by Paul Harrell on the 7.5 BRNO pistol he was sent to review, and very impressed by the performance of that cartridge out of a handgun barrel (and the powerful recoil too). Has anybody gotten their hands on anything chambered in this cartridge yet? Have you tried cast boolits in it?

What kind of role does everyone see this cartridge having? While Paul compared it to a lot of other cartridges, the one that seems most directly comparable to me is 327 mag even though I'm pretty sure the 327 can't touch those performance numbers most of the time.

My first thought when seeing the performance numbers was, "Man, somebody needs to make a Contender barrel in that," but I'm not sure if the Contender can handle the 50k PSI pressures. Might have to be an Encore instead. Either way, something 6" to 8" would probably be wickedly effective with the right bullets.

[ohen cepel]

I have been watching that one and am more interested as they have brought out a new model that (I think) is polymer framed which dropped the price down a lot. The first ones were way too $$ for me to think about for something I may not be able to get components to load nor parts for if it broke down the road.

I forget, but if it is a gas operated gun cast may be bad in that system.

As a "late adopter" I will likely stick with my .327 and more traditional things as I have yet to see one of these in the wild nor ammo for it. It brings some new things to the table but I'll wait.

[Sasquatch-1]

When I first saw them the pistol was $7500.00 and the ammo was $75.00 a box. This was about a year ago. Bit out of my league. I truly think it is a cartridge looking for a home.

[Daekar]

When I first saw them the pistol was $7500.00 and the ammo was $75.00 a box. This was about a year ago. Bit out of my league. I truly think it is a cartridge looking for a home.

Good gravy, well that's at least a mandatory reloading proposition!

Hopefully those prices will come down, that's bonkers.

[Wayne Smith]

Is the cartridge based on something available or is it unique? May not even be a reloading proposition!

[Daekar]

Is the cartridge based on something available or is it unique? May not even be a reloading proposition!

Well, bearing in mind that Wikipedia isn't a citable source, I would say that it's a new thing entirely. It may share some dimensions with a 10mm auto case at the base, but resizing from 10mm is specifically recommended against because the pressure is supposedly too much for the weakened brass.

I think you'd have to get your hands on the ammo or native brass if you wanted to push it full power... which, let's be honest, would be only reason to bother since there are plenty of less powerful small rounds in that size class.

[Sasquatch-1]

From what I remember, and I am going with a very faulty memory here, the cases are completely new and are about 11mm.

[Mk42gunner]

I watched the video. My takeaway after the chronograph is that it is the handheld ballistic equivalent of an M-1 Carbine-- ~100 grain projectile at ~1950-2000 fps. Albeit harder to hit with.

I don't see a lot of sales in their future.

Robert

[megasupermagnum]

No, a 327 federal doesn't even come close to that. In a 5" barrel, a 100 grain bullet is going to be topped out around 1650 fps with the very strongest loads. The Federal AE 100gr factory ammo does around 1575-1625 fps, call it 1600 fps.

My first thought was that this was a stolen 7.62x25 Tokarev, until I saw the numbers. I then realized the Tokarev is only running somewhere around 35,000 PSI tops. The 7.5 BRNO is rated to 50,763 PSI. Looking at cartridge dimensions, the two are amazingly close. The only real difference is the BRNO is fatter at .428" at the head, vs the Tokarev at .387".

Personally I always like the 7.62x25 Tokarev. I don't like the handgun presented. I doubt this cartridge will ever get beyond a novelty, but if it did, I don't think it would be in the military/defensive market. It's just too big, and too much recoil. I think such a round would be very cool in a Hunting platform. I'd love to have a Ruger GP100 that could shoot 2000 fps accurately. Put a red dot on top, and you have one heck of a flat shooting yet compact hunting handgun for medium size game and varmints. I'm sure a Contender could handle it, but I don't think in such a bulky handgun it would make any sense. You can already get an Encore in 30 benchrest which is pretty much the same idea.

[dkf]

Its a pretty neat pistol and cartridge however the size and price limits its use and buyers considerably. They came out with a model that is convertible between 7.5, 10mm and 9mm which makes it more practical here in the US, if you can afford it. With the .357sig loaded to max with a 65gr lehigh you can get 1900fps with a 6" barrel. Can even get faster than that with a 9x25 Dillon. Both more practical than the 7.5 IMO and the guns for them are a fraction of the price. With the size and weight of the brno pistol you might as well carry a .44mag Redhawk or something similar and have a bigger bullet and more power for far less money.

[Hanzy4200]

I like the concept. Honestly I don't see where the extra cost is going. It just shouldn't be costing what it does. My guess is if you wait another 5 years they will cut the price a good deal. Very interesting ballistics.