Ach... ejection

24 June 2005, 22:46

Frans Diepstraten

Ach... ejection

It's a good thing I didn't win the buffalo hunt. At the pace at which I'm working through the minor and major issues of the CZ .416, I'd never had her ready in time.

I'm still on the ejection issue. In a nutshell, the cartridge above the one that sits left in the magazine space won't eject properly like the rest of them. With one in the spout and three down, that would be cartridge #2. It somehow grabs on to cartridge #3 during ejection resulting in a seriously less vigorous ejection and once every while in no ejection at all, resulting in a jam.

I've been driving myself crazy over this, until finally I started polishing things and noticed the magazine box being marked .375HH. On a .416 Rigby...?

E-mailed with Mike at CZ-USA a few times, he suggested extractor (which proved OK), and denied there being a different mag box for different calibers. He never responded to my question about the follower. Turns out, both the follower and mag box have different part numbers for different calibers. Wonder if I somehow ended up with a gun where some Czech tech put in a few wrong parts?

Since I'm in Canada, replacements have to come from the Czech Republic, using the warranty option. To speed things up I'm going to order proper mag box and follower in the US, through a friend. Hopefully this will resolve the issue once and for all.

Frans

25 June 2005, 04:54

GeorgeS

Frans,

Considering the predilections of the push-feed crowd, why do you even care?

George

25 June 2005, 05:21

Frans Diepstraten

quote:
Originally posted by GeorgeS:
...predilections...

Wow, yesterday was my big words day...

I must say that all my push-feeds eject just nicely... but heck, I wanted a reliable-feeder-ejector for those basement buffalo hunts, and I'm gonna get it!

Frans

25 June 2005, 06:12

Mike378

Try the rifle with the floor plate partly open so as to reduce the magazne spring pressure and see how that goes

Mike

25 June 2005, 07:32

new_guy

A friend just took delivery of a 458 lott. He had it shipped directly to his gunsmith for bedding, a bolt handle and some other changes.

The gunsmith started work on it, and noticed the barrel had not been aligned correctly. (After it was rechambered by CZ from 458win to lott).

The headspace was 12-thou too long and the and the barrel was off by 4-degrees.

Seems there are a lot of complaints about their QC lately.

25 June 2005, 13:24

JAL

Not just lately, they've been stuffing up since the 1950's, (so I've read)

Fran, I'm glad your pushfeeds work ok, so does mine. And there's always the PH as backup, as long as his CRF brno doesn't pack it in.

JL.

25 June 2005, 14:23

cducat

quote:
Originally posted by Frans Diepstraten:
It's a good thing I didn't win the buffalo hunt. At the pace at which I'm working through the minor and major issues of the CZ .416, I'd never had her ready in time.

I'm still on the ejection issue. In a nutshell, the cartridge above the one that sits left in the magazine space won't eject properly like the rest of them. With one in the spout and three down, that would be cartridge #2. It somehow grabs on to cartridge #3 during ejection resulting in a seriously less vigorous ejection and once every while in no ejection at all, resulting in a jam.

I've been driving myself crazy over this, until finally I started polishing things and noticed the magazine box being marked .375HH. On a .416 Rigby...?

E-mailed with Mike at CZ-USA a few times, he suggested extractor (which proved OK), and denied there being a different mag box for different calibers. He never responded to my question about the follower. Turns out, both the follower and mag box have different part numbers for different calibers. Wonder if I somehow ended up with a gun where some Czech tech put in a few wrong parts?

Since I'm in Canada, replacements have to come from the Czech Republic, using the warranty option. To speed things up I'm going to order proper mag box and follower in the US, through a friend. Hopefully this will resolve the issue once and for all.
Frans , fwiw the mag boxes are the same and are all stamped .375, so tha's not the solution - a different follower might be worth trying but really you need to either return the rifle or get it to a good gunsmith for sorting - there are so many variables involved. I went thru all this and eventually selected the best functioning 416 at the end of the day to take to Africa which happened to be a Ruger - they all have foibles and need sensitive and experienced gunsmithing. Good luck - Charlie

Frans

25 June 2005, 19:56

jjs

Frans:

I had the same issue with the mag. box on my 416 CZ550. I sent my rifle to Roger Ferrell before I fired a shot. When Roger was working on my rifle he noticed the mag. box was for a 375, he replaced it not sure with what but works fine

25 June 2005, 20:15

Frans Diepstraten

Thanks, I'm going to get a replacement box, either from CZ-USA or do the warrantly route though London Arms the Canadian distributor. Neither has one in stock so I'm looking at at least 4-5 weeks to get it. I hope it will help. Yesterday at the range I had a genuine feeding jam too (not connected to this ejection problem): the last cartridge out of the magazine locked up against the feeding ramp.

Frans

25 June 2005, 20:28

475Guy

Sounds like you've got a lemon. When you get all your parts, take your rifle to a trusted and capable smith and have him go through it. Most CZ's of late seem to have been put together by a grade-schooler and the quality (or lack of) shows.

25 June 2005, 21:16

Atkinson

Ahhhh, the pearls of mass production, the bean counters at their best have once again raised their ugly heads, Make mine a Mauser!

25 June 2005, 22:57

Frans Diepstraten

quote:
Originally posted by cducat:
Frans , fwiw the mag boxes are the same and are all stamped .375,

So how come they have different parts numbers? Both the CDN importer and CZ-USA acknowledged that.

But I'm about ready to send her off to a good smitty.... or the dump.

Frans

26 June 2005, 02:53

cducat

Frans - my heart goes out to you- it's so frustrating - my mag box was also stamped .375 and i was told by the agent that was correct, but maybe I was caught too - no comment was made on the box tho by the very experienced smith that worked on it. Let us know how you get on. Bear in mind that all my dgrs, mausers included, have needed some tuning. Charlie.

27 June 2005, 17:45

JJ_Miller

My mag box is correct but the iron sights are way way off, I'm not sure they will come in. Still drifting and filing.

And some still hold CZ up as a "quality" DGR out of the box...................JJ

27 June 2005, 17:53

tiggertate

Both of my CZ 550 416 Rigby actions came with .375 stamped boxes. If they offer a different one for 416 then that is relatively new.

27 June 2005, 20:49

Frans Diepstraten

quote:
Originally posted by JJ_Miller:
My mag box is correct but the iron sights are way way off, I'm not sure they will come in. Still drifting and filing.

Mine came with a #14 front sight blade, which made the 400grs/2400fps Noslers print about 12" low. I exchanged it for a #6 front sight, and now the print 3" high. At 50 meters. FWIW.

Doing some backyard math on that reveals that a step up or down in front sight should give about 2" of impact shift. In my rifle... with my load... and my shooting.

I was lucky to have them print nicely centered left-to-right.

Frans

27 June 2005, 20:58

Frans Diepstraten

quote:
Originally posted by tiggertate:
Both of my CZ 550 416 Rigby actions came with .375 stamped boxes. If they offer a different one for 416 then that is relatively new.

There may not be any significance to this. It'll not cost me an arm and a leg to get one stamped .416, or at least the one CZ lists under a different part number, and see what happens. Will keep y'all posted.

I spent some time with the Dremel and some paste, polishing some more on the feeding ribs, the feeding ramp, the bolt face, the "ejection port" (that little depression on the inside of the action that seems to be there to aid ejection, or at least provide some room for movement for the ejecting cartridge. That may have helped a tad, or it could be just my wishful thinking. I also beveled off the top of the mag box, to do away with the sharp edge, and provide a smoother glide into the chamber.

I tried cycling some rounds with the bottom plate a little open and that also seemed to have some effect, but not too much. Maybe a weaker spring is required?

Like I said, good thing I didn't win the buffalo hunt, I can take my time to fiddle.

I'm not on a wild goose chase here, am I? You all get the same ejection with every cartridge? Not one of them feels and acts like a dud that barely makes it out of the action?

Frans

27 June 2005, 21:13

tiggertate

Neither of my actions are going to be 416 so I'll never know. One is a 550 Magnum and one a 505 Gibbs. I'm getting new floor plates from Jim Wisner for both but having a little trouble getting a 505 box and follower from CZ. Jeffe gave me a new name to try but haven't made the time to try yet.
FWIW, Jim's floor plates are rounded and cut a little deeper in the pocket and should allow one more round down than CZ standard. They're not finished yet but anyone wanting one or two ought to get on the list now because his stuff doesn't stay on the shelf very long.

27 June 2005, 21:18

JJ_Miller

Frans,
I mean I suppose/think my mag box is correct. It is stamped 375 HH, overstamped XXXXXX.

However I have lots of room in the mag with factory Federal NP's. Lots of room.

The serial # on my rifle is 13781. As an aside the little dot matrix stamper actually stamped the caliber designation on the barrel as "410 Rigby". Kinda sloppy....................JJ

27 June 2005, 22:11

Frans Diepstraten

quote:
FWIW, Jim's floor plates are rounded and cut a little deeper in the pocket and should allow one more round down than CZ standard. They're not finished yet but anyone wanting one or two ought to get on the list now because his stuff doesn't stay on the shelf very long.

"Should" or "will"? I'm interested. How do I get in touch with Jim?

Frans

27 June 2005, 23:15

tiggertate

They were designed to give one more in 375 and 416 I don't know what they'll do on other calibers. I'm getting two because (a) Jim's work is first rate and (b) they add another nice custom touch to a CZ.
I want to say that they give the follower another 3/32ths travel which just clears the rim of 1 more round but check with Jim for sure.

parts1@wisnersinc.com is the address. It is viewed periodically (once a week, I think) so don't expect an instant reply.