Hey guys,
haven't been to the site in a while. I lost my stinkin password and I changed email address so they couldn't even send it to me. Had to start a new profile.

My question is in regards to the c-clip on the 550. I called CZ-USA today and talked to a guy named Jason. He asked me when my gun was made and what caliber it was. When I told him it was a 9.3x62 and it was made in early 2003 he told me that it shouldn't be a problem. He said the notch the c-clip rides in was cut deeper on my gun because the problem had been fixed by the time my gun was manufactured.

Does anyone know if this is true or is he feeding me a line of bull to get me off the phone. Any help is appreciated.

Great site guys keep it up!!

That is the same story that I got, about the deeper recess for the C-clip. The 7mm Rem. I bought not too long ago has the clip, but it doesn't look too whippy to me, but do not know whether this is the old or new version.

I will ask the CZ gunsmith in person next week as to whether this the new or old style. Whichever it is I will send you a photo so you can compare.

If you don't hear back from me by the end of next week, e-mail me, but e-mail me anyway so I can send the pic.

will99@planetkc.com

Will,

I would appriciate a copy of that picture or better yet, maybe you could post it here?

I bought a CZ 550 middle of last year (9.3 x62 with an American stock) and that has the C clip on it..I was quite surprised as I thought they had returned to the original arrangement..

Regards,

Pete

Pete,

I bought the same thing last year also. I will dig it out and compare the two. I will also hound CZ about it and get the pic out next week sometime.

The .375 I just bought has a nut on it, but it is the mag version of course. This mystery gets thicker and thicker!

I've heard about the imfamous C clip. The 3 CZ's I have all have the knurled nut. It's on my old .416, a newer .375, and an American 7X57. Go figure!

I discovered the evil C-clip. I bought my 9.3x62 new in early 2003 and hunted with it in April. On 27 April 03 all was well and I posted this thread: https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums?q=Y&a=tpc&s=518103&f=3221043&m=32010099&p=1

It failed on a hunt on 05 August 03, and I posted this thread in Gunsmithing on 09 AUG 03: https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=518103&f=9411043&m=57610505&r=57610505#57610505

It took some wrangling, but Alice Poluchova, the president of CZ USA, went to the Czech Republic in October 03 and returned with the parts to fix my rifle and those of several other AR posters. I returned my rifle to CZ USA and had it back in my hands working properly, a short time later.

My rifle was fixed not by making the groove deeper, but by replacing the C-clip system with the two knurled nut system of the ZKK 600/601/602 series. (At one point, pictures of the C-clip and the two-nut system were on AR.) I understand the C-clip system, originally a cost-cutting measure, was phased out after I brought the problem to their attention. When the CZ 550 American Magnum came out in 458 Lott, Ms. Poluchova took an African buffalo with one. I'd bet her rifle did not have a C-clip.

I think very highly of CZ USA. They fixed my rifle far more quickly than a major US maker would have. I would recommend CZ rifles if they do not have a C-clip of any sort. I suspect Jason has his dates mixed up. If you keep up pressure on CZ USA, they'll fix your rifle.

Do a search of my posts for the details of this saga. Hope this helps, Okie John.

My Smith fixed the c-clip issue on my .416 and 9.3x62, he feels the method he came up with is better than the second nut that many cz's come with. Here are some pics of his work.




Instead of adding a second nut he has recessed the c-clip behind the lip of the nut so that it can not slip off..............I think thats the best description I can offer for what he has done. I forget how they used to look before the alteration

PC,

That looks like an excellent way of handling the potential problem of the clip (split retaining ring) popping loose. I am not sure how the ring could pop loose unless it just broke for some reason. A fluke?

Nor can I imagine how the ring could unscrew from the firing pin.

As I looked at mine I saw that there is no grove for the split ring but is just placed in the thread of the firing pin. I would have to think that this arrangement would be plenty to hold the knurled nut in place, or rather keep the knurled nut from becoming unscrewed from the thread on the firing pin.

I wonder what happened to the ring on Okie John's firing pin. Broke, popped off, unscrewed?

The groove was only about as deep as the threads and "Vee" shaped. It only took a slight amount of twisting force on the nut to "pop" the clip out of the groove, after that it would push off over the threads. The "clip" itself is nothing but a piece of fairly soft round wire.
Had the groove been slightly deeper and of a "U" or square profile, or had the nut been counterbored as illistrated in this thread, it would have never become a issue.

quote:

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Originally posted by Will:
PC,

That looks like an excellent way of handling the potential problem of the clip (split retaining ring) popping loose. I am not sure how the ring could pop loose unless it just broke for some reason. A fluke?

Nor can I imagine how the ring could unscrew from the firing pin.

As I looked at mine I saw that there is no grove for the split ring but is just placed in the thread of the firing pin. I would have to think that this arrangement would be plenty to hold the knurled nut in place, or rather keep the knurled nut from becoming unscrewed from the thread on the firing pin.

I wonder what happened to the ring on Okie John's firing pin. Broke, popped off, unscrewed?

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Will, my smith is adamant that this systym would be more reliable than the second nut........which he states would have more chance of working loose than the above arrangement......c-clip can not move forward and the nut can't work forwards either.

His work is first rate.