Turns out the .505 I picked up for a song was a first gen rifle from Triple River gunsmithing who does all the CZ custom work. The stock cross bolts were loose and I could not find a crossbolt wrench that fit it and I wanted to make sure it was "safe" and ready to fire, so I sent it in to Harlan Satrang. Well they have had it a while now and they have completely updated it and did tons of work from their experiences in the last 8 years or so. All under warranty. Not sure yet of all they have done but steel bed, fix feeding issue, etc. and a reblue. It is enroute I can't wait to see it and touch a few off. The goofy raised express sights to fit the first gen front sight band I thi nk is still on but I won't cry if it's gone and may have it removed anyway. All I had to do was pay for shipping.

That's pretty good customer service so far......

Hope your stock does not crack behind the tang....problem with 3 that I have seen. Good luck, You will like the 505.

Ed

How did they fix it? I think that's what the steel bedding was addressing

new stock!

quote:

Hope your stock does not crack behind the tang....

Is it recessed behind the tang? And then filled. A good idea, IMHO.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:

quote:

Hope your stock does not crack behind the tang....

Is it recessed behind the tang? And then filled. A good idea, IMHO.

None of these were my guns...just 505s that came from Triple River gunsmithing--CZ custom shop.

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:

quote:

Hope your stock does not crack behind the tang....

Is it recessed behind the tang? And then filled. A good idea, IMHO.

None of these were my guns...just 505s that came from Triple River gunsmithing--CZ custom shop.
Ed

Maybe I've got the history here wrong, but after the first year or so of QC disasters with CZ's "factory"-built Safari Magnum rifles (and ensuing customer complaints and returns for warranty-work), I thought ALL the imported SM rifles, regardless of caliber, were automatically forwarded to TR gunsmithing for custom tweaking, before hitting distributors shelves - i.e., doing whatever was needed (a little or a lot) to get them up and feeding reliably, with the barrelled action correctly bedded into CZ's "American" stock to avoid cracking.

In other words, the higher price tag that came with the CZ SMs, I thought, reflected the extra cost for TR gunsmithing to turn problem DG rifles into working ones - which is what they should have been all along for $3000+.

Or did TR gunsmithing get involved only after a customer had issues with a particular SM rifle and returned it for work under warranty?

No?

Interesting. Maybe that's why I got it cheap but it looked unfired. Well at least they warranty work on it. If the stock cracks do they warranty that?

Did CZ warranty it or replace it with a synthetic stock ?

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:
Hope your stock does not crack behind the tang....problem with 3 that I have seen. Good luck, You will like the 505.

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Interesting. Maybe that's why I got it cheap but it looked unfired. Well at least they warranty work on it. If the stock cracks do they warranty that?

Probably. But if I were you, and "got it cheap," I'd sure call TR Gunsmithing and ask them to email me an itemized list of all the custom work done to "tweak" the rifle before it gets shipped to you.

And then ask TR if they'll replace the stock under warranty if it cracks, whether once or multiple times.

If you get any double-talk, lawyer-like qualifications, or, especially, "attitude" over the phone, cancel the order. You'll likely avoid headaches later. Just my 2-cents.

I picked the rifle used locally from a gun shop that got it from an estate sale. I just got it back today. I do mean I got it for a song. I am trying to get a list of all they have done to it. I pulled the action and see they have bedded it with steel reinforcement behind the lugs. The one on the action lug is massive and surrounds the front crossbolt. They did a lot of feeding work. Not sure what else they did but the front bead is too small. Whatever they did they had to reblue the action. The rear tang is not bedded and it is not pillar bedded. It has the recoil reducer in stock. Still has the raised express sights and 1-300 meter
leaves (LOL). Overall a great looking rifle. I went CZ synthetic with my Lott I heard if you break stocks CZ will give you one from off this board. I have ammo so now all is left is to fire it. It was momentarily lost at Fed Ex but now that I have that problem solved I will ask about stock cracking issues as that seems to be a problem.

I don't know the results...they were not my guns,and I did not do the follow up...I was wrong one was a 500 Jeffery...the other 2 were Gibbs.

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
I picked the rifle used locally from a gun shop that got it from an estate sale. I just got it back today. I do mean I got it for a song. I am trying to get a list of all they have done to it. I pulled the action and see they have bedded it with steel reinforcement behind the lugs. The one on the action lug is massive and surrounds the front crossbolt. They did a lot of feeding work. Not sure what else they did but the front bead is too small. Whatever they did they had to reblue the action. The rear tang is not bedded and it is not pillar bedded. It has the recoil reducer in stock. Still has the raised express sights and 1-300 meter
leaves (LOL). Overall a great looking rifle. I went CZ synthetic with my Lott I heard if you break stocks CZ will give you one from off this board. I have ammo so now all is left is to fire it. It was momentarily lost at Fed Ex but now that I have that problem solved I will ask about stock cracking issues as that seems to be a problem.

Well, good to hear you've actually got the rifle in hand.
Definitely get an itemized check list of what work they did. If not for yourself, for the person you sell or bequeth it to down the road.

TR should also have zeroed it for 50yds with a "standard" (nominal velocity) 505 load in order to verify that the front sight and standing rear leaf are regulated to hit at 50yds (or at least be "on paper" at that distance). You may want to look into replacing the factory front sight blade with a custom RFO blade. NECG, I believe, makes a line of such replacement blades of various heights just for the CZ SMs.

The 500-level class of African cartridges are meant to be fight-stoppers against DG hunted up close and shot with iron sights in rapidly unfolding circumstances.

Shooting a 505G at DG 300 meters away is not only sheer fantasy, it also takes the "dangerous" out of DG hunting.

While the CZ factory rats may have test-fired the gun for function, I seriously doubt they spent time zeroing it with 505G factory ammo. Did the gun store give you any sort of factory "test target" with the gun initially? That would have been in the factory shipping box with the owner's manual, if there was one, which I doubt.

Yeah they test fired it I believe I will inquire about whether it hits paper. Just came with box nothing in it. For the price I got it it's well worth fiddling and putting a few bucks into if necessary. AHR did a great job with my Lott, I'm sure he can sort any issues out with this. I have a fiber optic and a ivory bead I like for the Lott I want the same the ivory beat is way to small for my taste, Oh and the 200-300 leaf? Might as well glue those down.

Oh also I believe they put a longer magazine box in.

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Yeah they test fired it I believe I will inquire about whether it hits paper. Just came with box nothing in it. For the price I got it it's well worth fiddling and putting a few bucks into if necessary. AHR did a great job with my Lott, I'm sure he can sort any issues out with this. I have a fiber optic and a ivory bead I like for the Lott I want the same the ivory beat is way to small for my taste, Oh and the 200-300 leaf? Might as well glue those down.

Wayne @ AHR is a great guy & does fantastic work. I have a 404 Jeff he built. Not one issue with it. On mine, the frt sight is a RFO bead, adjustable for height. It contrasts nicely with the bright vertical line on the standing rear leaf.

Any problems with your 505G can be fixed by Wayne, I'm sure.

My LH CZ 505 is setting at AHR too...I need to finish that project too...

According to TRG the stock is warrantied from cracking. Also it was not test fired but they assured me it was when it left their when they made it. I managed to find $10 around ammo still that will be expensive to sight in if there is a problem

FYI I cycled rounds through gun and apparently it feeds good. Action a bit rough but 10,000 cycles should help it. Glad to see the extractor slipped over rim no problem so it is an easy 4 in the .505. I still don't like the front bead so may replace before shooting. But it "seems" TRG has worked out the feeding problems. Again they did so much work they had to reblue action. That is a good sign I hope

This one is a few weeks old. 505 Gibbs and runs like "butter."

(me in orange hat)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3lI4ivnIeA

Below musings in regards of turning a CZ .505 Gibbs into a .408 Chey-Tac:

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
HOW CZ-USA BUILDS A .505 GIBBS

First turn a CZ 550 Magnum .375 H&H box into a 3.950"-long .505 Gibbs box:
Cut off the front wall except for a small band near the bottom.
Weld in a box extension, inside the box to expand the box length.
Feed ramp now overhangs the front inside box wall a wee bit.
Place a 0.1"-thick rubber pad inside the front of the box, later ones were steel instead.
Box length is back down to about 3.85" with the bumper inserted inside front of box.

If instead, one trims about 0.050" off the rear edge of the feed ramp,
and then reinforces the front of the box outside, with a steel plate,
then magazine length is a functional 3.950" inside of the box:




Top front of box:



Bottom front of box:



Side of box:



Front of box:



Exquisite polishing of inside sidewall of box:



Top view of box:



Where the box goes:




Box inserted:












Adding a Wisner pocket plate would relieve crowding a bit too ...
... Timney trigger, Lapour safety, CZ/B&C Kevlar stock, etc., etc. ...

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
On second thought, adding 0.100" thickness of steel to the inside front of the box, and beveling it up to flush and smooth with the feed ramp,
would seem to be the better plan here.
Just replace the rubber bumper I removed with a piece of steel.
I have plenty of bullets that will work through a 3.85"-long box. Re-sized .416 bullets.
Still have to single load the long-nosed .408 bullets anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
On third thought ... having 3.95" of box length is not a bad thing, only about .112" shorter than the MRC PH box.

Removing that tiny little lip of feed ramp is going to make no difference in action strength.
Removing about 0.1" of stock wood to fit an outside box front reinforcement may weaken walnut stock?
Weakening of aluminum bedding block in magazine well of CZ/B&C Kevlar stock by about 0.1" thinning?
I think the Kevlar has strength reserves that are untouchable.
Better consult a real gunsmith called "Slick" about this.

Fired it 4 times cycled a full load through it. It was on at 50. Looks like there might me a slight hangup on last round as it nose dived in the mag and I touched it it popped up. The front sight hood flew 25 feet onto the roof of the range behind me about 12' off the ground. Took an hour to figure out where it went. Shot 540 grn Norma PH flat nose solids. Stout recoil but not too bad offhand. Seems like a good shooter nice group offhand at 50 for being a bit unsure just how bad the recoil will be. Seeing that these are downloaded to Cordite power levers it really isn't any worse than my Lott which is lighter and has no mercury reducer. Empties cycled out in one nice little pile. Need a bigger front sight bead though a tiny one does no good for a 50 yard rifle

Interesting I'll have to see what box they ended up putting in. Apparently that was a problem since they replaced it when I sent it in

What is the BBl length on that one? Looks longer than 22"?

quote:

Originally posted by redleg155:
This one is a few weeks old. 505 Gibbs and runs like "butter."

(me in orange hat)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3lI4ivnIeA

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Fired it 4 times cycled a full load through it. It was on at 50. Looks like there might me a slight hangup on last round as it nose dived in the mag and I touched it it popped up. The front sight hood flew 25 feet onto the roof of the range behind me about 12' off the ground. Took an hour to figure out where it went. Shot 540 grn Norma PH flat nose solids. Stout recoil but not too bad offhand. Seems like a good shooter nice group offhand at 50 for being a bit unsure just how bad the recoil will be. Seeing that these are downloaded to Cordite power levers it really isn't any worse than my Lott which is lighter and has no mercury reducer. Empties cycled out in one nice little pile. Need a bigger front sight bead though a tiny one does no good for a 50 yard rifle

Good to hear! Seems like yours runs smoothly. Perhaps that last round got caught up on a burr?

On the front blade bead, I highly recommend switching to a red fiber optic type. Wayne @ AHR set one up on my .404Jeff, and it's very quick to pick up and index w/ in the 'V' of the rear standing leaf of the express sight.

Using the irons, my 404's zero-ed to hit slightly high (an inch or so) @ 50yds w/ factory softs & solids. I'm presently working up handloads.

Wayne gave me an ivory and a fiber optic on the lott he worked on. I would like the same as FO is hard to see in low light. But just like my competition pistols and Bow, fiber optic is great in the daylight!