CZ discontinuing the 550?

18 December 2013, 22:04

Good Evening Guys
It came to my attention via another site that CZ is planning to discontinue the famous 550 series in favour of a push feed model the CZ 557. I have tried to get answers via the internet if this is true or not but so far have been unsuccessful. I sincerely hope that all this is not true as I am very fond of their current 550 series.
Anyone know the truth about this?
Many thanks

18 December 2013, 22:44

BNagel

quote:
CZ 557

Call them, I guess?

18 December 2013, 22:51

lal

Thanks for the link, very interesting.

19 December 2013, 01:50

MJines

I would serious doubt that. The CZ550 has been a mainstay in the hunting community in various forms for many years.

19 December 2013, 02:07

Biebs

quote:
The CZ550 has been a mainstay in the hunting community in various forms for many years.

Yes, for sure...talk about shooting yourself in the foot. They should ask Winchester what they should have done differently in 1964!

19 December 2013, 04:10

Stonecreek

CZ woke up and realized that they badly needed to get rid of the backwards safety. I would expect that the 527 and the rimfire actions will also be replaced soon.

19 December 2013, 06:42

chuck375

The "backwards safety" was replaced many years ago with a for the US normal two position safety (forward fire, rear safe). If they're going away from the Mauser type action it's for economy of production not performance, much like Winchester did when they went to push feed.

19 December 2013, 22:36

lal

Just received an e-mail from CZ'S Jason Morton.
It appears that the 550 will be discontinued but no timeline can be given. The 550 American has been discontinued for 2014 but the dangerous game calibers will continue to utilise the 550 action.

19 December 2013, 22:46

Biebs

quote:
If they're going away from the Mauser type action it's for economy of production

Talk about history repeating itself.

19 December 2013, 23:59

ELeeton

I guess now there will be a run on the 550 actions.

20 December 2013, 00:26

shootaway

I hope this will bring the Ruger RSM back.

20 December 2013, 01:10

Jarrod

quote:
Originally posted by lal:
Just received an e-mail from CZ'S Jason Morton.
It appears that the 550 will be discontinued but no timeline can be given. The 550 American has been discontinued for 2014 but the dangerous game calibers will continue to utilise the 550 action.

That's in line with what they told me on the phone, but they did say they would also continue the Fullstock version

20 December 2013, 01:14

metalbeater

Read the writeup on the beech stocked Euro model in the new G&A. It appears to be well thought out but is butt ugly and doesn't shoot as well as a far less expensive Marlin or Savage bolt gun.
I have 3 ARs that will outshoot it ..... 2 223s and one 308. Between light, cheap and "tactical" the crap pouring out is amazing. Even the Model 70 got rid of the best single stage trigger made for a 700 design wannabe rust up the first day in Alaska POS. Now a JOC M 70 in the caliber he didn't even use as much as the good old 30-06. You have to wonder if anyone at the "new" Winchester has ever even read any of JOC's books and articles.

20 December 2013, 01:53

ELeeton

Here's the response received from CZECH-USA

A few years ago the factory decided to develop a push-feed version of the 550 action, resulting in the 557. Their reasoning was that the controlled round feed of the Mauser action is most important on the dangerous game rifles, not necessarily on the medium game chamberings.

A big reason for the change was that they would be able to bring production of the 557 fully in-house. The 550 actions are milled from forgings and are supplied by an outside vendor, while the new 557 is CNCed from steel billet at our factory. This removes the supply issue that at times hampered production on the 550, as well as enables us to tighten tolerances and produce a more precise product. It also enables us to have a true short-action platform for the .308, .243 and .22-250, which we've been wanting for some time.

Most importantly, while the Mauser action has many devoted fans, sales of the standard 550 have dropped off substantially over the years. We will continue to produce a number of standard 550s for 2014, but the main focus in CZ-USA's medium rifle category will be the 557. We have no plans to get rid of the 550 Magnum.

The 557 is a premium push-feed rifle and we're proud to add it to the lineup. Combined with our cold hammer forged and lapped barrel, it'll be an excellent gun for anything from prairie dogs to moose.

Thanks!

20 December 2013, 05:22

Kabluewy

Well, what they say seems good -- but.

I suspected that sales were off on the 550, which is probably why I got so many good deals over the years. I have several in various calibers and really - really like them. Fortunately there are many thousands of them out there to serve as donors if needed, or just good shooters.

As to the push feed -- tighter tolerances sounds good, and I've never had an issue with push feed in the 308 class cartridges. The new action could be a really good one.

KB

Check it out:
http://www.all4shooters.com/en...orter-hunting-rifle/

20 December 2013, 06:38

Idaho Sharpshooter

Shootaway,

ain't gonna happen.

I think they lifted that press release just about word for word from Winchester about this same time in 1963. We can only hope it doesn't take CZ as long to recover from that disastrous move as it did Winchester.

CRF is about the only reason to pay CZ-USA's current prices.

20 December 2013, 07:55

Grenadier

Sounds like they are going to be building something more like the Howa/Weatherby Vanguard rifle.

20 December 2013, 08:26

wookie76

Sounds like they're chasing those downmarket, Savage Axis, dollars. Trying to get in Academy and Dicks, maybe?

"Uh, yeah, my Uncle um like hunts all over the world, these are totes awesome. What's that? Yeah golf clubs are on the other wall."

What's the worst that could happen?

GM Bankrupt

21 December 2013, 00:03

enfieldspares

Fact is this isn't a Eastern European hard currency earning product anymore. As was the old BRNO ZKK and all those products before the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Wages and costs have risen in what is now a free-market economy and thus I suppose the 550 can't be made any longer at a price that competes with its, perseen, direct rival weapons.

So something has to be done. Increase the price and lose sales? Or design a lower cost product.

Good as they are CZ has never been a "premium product" like a Purdey or Holland and Holland but it has always been a "price point" product like a Webley or a Greener.

And if you can't sell on "premium quality" then you have to sell on "price". For if you fail to sell on "price" you either go bust (as did Greener and eventually Webley) or you design a cheaper product. Or outsource it to a cheaper foreign maker.

You still might go bust anyhow!

Simple as that.

What people may SAY they want on here it seems that the majority of US gun buyers don't actually want to pay for. Same as in Britain in my lifetime as a boy.

People SAID they wanted British made side by side boxlock ejector shot guns...but then they wouldn't pay the purchase price when it came to it.

And so ALL those British middle and low "name" makers one by one as their building leases became due, or those factory zones were cleared for road schemes fell away, their now increased overheads making their guns too expensive for their traditional market base.

21 December 2013, 02:21

BNagel

That's why we bought them when we could. A .416 Rigby for only one thousand? Professional or amateur small boys rejoice(d)!

21 December 2013, 02:29

Beretta682E

the joys of being left handed

i think they will keep the 550 left handed in production like they have done with the 452

will have to pay 1800 for a rifle - may need to buy one and put it away as a spare

23 December 2013, 00:15

metalbeater

Push feeds work fine and the Browning A Bolt II is far better looking, lower bolt lift, as accurate and is still made in the best all around big game caliber .... 375 H&H.

26 December 2013, 00:05

TwoZero

quote:
Originally posted by ELeeton:
Here's the response received from CZECH-USA
...
A big reason for the change was that they would be able to bring production of the 557 fully in-house. The 550 actions are milled from forgings and are supplied by an outside vendor, while the new 557 is CNCed from steel billet at our factory. This removes the supply issue that at times hampered production on the 550, as well as enables us to tighten tolerances and produce a more precise product. It also enables us to have a true short-action platform for the .308, .243 and .22-250, which we've been wanting for some time.
...

In other words the tooling for the CRF rifle is getting old, and it is far cheaper to invest/retool for an easier to make product that has a higher profit margin due to faster production.

IMHO the 550 series was nothing special in the fit/finish department, and the manufacturing processes used have been showing their age as the various QC issues highlighted in this very forum over the years have revealed.

CZ needed to retool and they chose the option that was most cost effective.

With the latest machinery and manufacturing processes there is really no reason a nice true Mauser action rifle could not be made. The problem is that there are more profitable/simpler things that can be done with the same machinery to give the manufacturer more bang for their machine time buck.

.

26 December 2013, 18:23

jeffeosso

as long as they keep the magnum, we are good ---

i frankly couldnt care less if my 308 is pushfeed or not

and, in a classic overstatement, this has so close to zero relationship with winchester in 1963 as to be laughable .. 1: keeping the flagship action as is, 2: improving the machinery line to cnc (didn't exist in '63), and the ONE thing that lines up.. improving the baseline quality of the product by moving away from hand tuned one off goods into a high quality product line....

27 December 2013, 18:43

Dresden

I could not agree more.
The 9.3x62 hopefully will stay as is.

27 December 2013, 21:57

lal

I reckon I have nothing against a push feed and if I should buy one it will probably be a Howa in 6.5 Swede.... but then many people seem to complain of the Howa in Swede flavour as not being very accurate.

27 December 2013, 23:37

Code4

quote:
Originally posted by lal:
Just received an e-mail from CZ'S Jason Morton.
It appears that the 550 will be discontinued but no timeline can be given. The 550 American has been discontinued for 2014 but the dangerous game calibers will continue to utilise the 550 action.

Everyone needs to re-read this. The 550 is not dead, just the American model/version.

28 December 2013, 01:31

Bill/Oregon

I am sorry to hear their sales have suffered.

28 December 2013, 01:42

Con

quote:

Everyone needs to re-read this. The 550 is not dead, just the American model/version.

Winchester Australia seems to have discontinued the 550Magnums however, so for us, its a huge loss in affordable bigbore rifles.
Cheers...
Con

28 December 2013, 06:45

ColoradoMatt

quote:
Originally posted by Dresden:
The 9.3x62 hopefully will stay as is.

I bet it goes push feed.

Matt
FISH!!

Heed the words of Winston Smith in Orwell's 1984:

"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right."

28 December 2013, 07:53

ELR Researcher

This from an update during the last week on the Manners Composite Stocks site:

"Manners Composite Stocks proudly announces continued OEM cooperation with CZ-USA for 2014.
Three mutual projects will be launched at the Shot Show in Las Vegas in January. We have put a lot of thoughts and experience into the development and we believe that the new models will become a sought after rifles in its respective niche markets.

CZ 550 “Western Series” Sonoran rifle has been designed for long range hunting and will feature 100 % Carbon fiber light weight hunting stock in OD Green, for CZ 550 H.E.T II in .338 Lapua we have developed heavy duty tactical stock in camo pattern and CZ 455 Precision Trainer cal. 22 LR stock has been upgraded to molded in camo color for 2014."

29 December 2013, 11:14

Code4

quote:
Originally posted by Con:
quote:

Everyone needs to re-read this. The 550 is not dead, just the American model/version.

Winchester Australia seems to have discontinued the 550Magnums however, so for us, its a huge loss in affordable bigbore rifles.
Cheers...
Con

They may have ceased distribution of them. No doubt one of the boutique importers will help out if there is demand.