The Accurate Reloading Forums
Charles Daly Safari Grade Mauser
09 May 2003, 13:48
<GAHUNTER>Charles Daly Safari Grade Mauser
I saw one of the new Charles Daly Safari Grade Mausers in .458 Win Mag today. I was impressed. The action was smoother than the CZ, as was the fit and finish. Price not bad either ($569).
Only drawback is it did not have express sights (no sights at all). I guess you could add NEF express sights with the barrel band. But then you're up higher in price than the CZ.
I might be interested on one of these in .375 H&H, but I want express sights.
Anybody else checked out one of these rifles?
09 May 2003, 14:49
ready_on_the_rightWherabouts did you see this if you don't mind sharing?
I've been feeling the need to take a trip to the city
Mike
Is this it?
Dull down that stock, cut off a couple inches from the barrel, add some express sights. According to the website, the magazine capacity is 3.
Regards,
Terry
[ 05-09-2003, 06:37: Message edited by: T.Carr ]09 May 2003, 16:43
browningguyActually the Safari grade was listed as $729. That makes a bit of a difference.
09 May 2003, 16:46
nextjoeThat is *definitely* the ugliest stock I've seen all week
Best,
Joe
10 May 2003, 01:19
<GAHUNTER>Ready-on-the-right,
It was a customer's gun that he was picking up at David's Gun Room in Norcross. He had bought it on the internet and was using David's FFL for delivery. (Which is exactly how I would buy one.) David's gets $25 to provide this sevice.
This guy was going to use it in Alaska, which is a pretty good reason to buy a .458.
Browningguy,
That $729 is MSRP from Charles Daly inself. You can buy one from them if you are stupid enough to pay it. The Gun Source at
www.thegunsource.com gets $569.56 for the safari grade and ships for free!
10 May 2003, 02:20
ready_on_the_rightJust my luck
That stock is a little loud for my taste too..
Mike
10 May 2003, 02:36
jeffeossoWOW...
needs a good sandblasting.. no, i mean the stock...
for the life of me, i can't imagine a 458 without iron sights.....
the stock needs to be worked over with a RASP and then a file , then sandpaper, and some tung oil.
jeffe
10 May 2003, 02:58
<GAHUNTER>Come on guys. It ain't THAT bad! I worked in a gun store in the '60s and almost all guns of the time had that high-gloss finish.
Wouldn't that qualify the daly stock as having a "classic" finish?
And by the way, how much would a set of NEF express sights with barrel band front, cost installed?
10 May 2003, 05:11
ready_on_the_rightThat stock suffers from the same fate as my 1100 Remington stock...That RKW type inch thick looking plastic finish...I don't object soooo much to how they look as to how they would look if scratched!! That would totally ruin it for me..
Thanks for sharing..
Mike
10 May 2003, 08:13
StonecreekThis sounds like news. The last I heard, the Chas Daly Zastava was blocked from importation due to "most favored nation" status or some such trade category yet to be granted to the former Yugoslavia where the Zastava is made. Has this situation been resolved and are the C.D. Zastavas now being imported? If so, I'm very interested in one of their Minis in 7.62x39.
I have to agree with most here, that thing is certainly not set up to be a 458 Win Mag. The only reason anyone would use a 458 WM is for things that bite back, and this, in it's present state is not what I would use, for sure!
#1
The stock finish is plastic, and too shiney!and certainly not a "CLSSIC" finish, but more the gaudy wby type!
#2
This stock will need massive reworking before you could use iron sights, unless you made the sights very high!
#3
Then Iron sights added at considerable cost from NECG!
#4
The safety trigger must be replaced with a good trigger, and a safety which blocks the fireing pin!
After you do all that, you will have what you would have gotten by buying a CZ, out of the box!
If you can buy the barreled action, this Zastava will make a fine rifle, with a proper stock, safety, Iron sights, and trigger!
![[Confused]](images/icons/confused.gif)
11 May 2003, 09:03
<JOHAN>Gentlemen
The rifle looks like annother costly fixer up project.
The stock was uggly and the action needs a few new parts and a better trigger and bottom metal.
Would't it be better to start off with a just an action or C 550 rifle
/ JOHAN
Do any of you guys have a first hand experience of Zastava actions ?
The Zestava action is a good one, and is nothing more than an FN Mauser. I have two Whitworth African express rifles, both 375 H&H, one in a synthetic stock, for Alaska, and the other in wood for drier climates. The trigger and safety are the only changes needed on these Zestava actions. The three position safety like the Mod 70 Win is the way to go here, along with a common Timney trigger.
![[Cool]](images/icons/cool.gif)
11 May 2003, 17:30
browningguyDon't worry yourself about it GAhunter, I'm not that stupid.
12 May 2003, 05:31
<GAHUNTER>I didn't mean to imply that you are. Only those who pay MSRP would qualify.
Sorry if I implied otherwise.
12 May 2003, 09:19
Brian MLooks fine as-is to me.Instead of putting the $$$ into a set of irons,why not just buy a Leupy 2.5x in quick-detach rings to use as a back up to whatever scope you already have on it?
I like the stock just the way it is.
Brian.
12 May 2003, 15:37
<GAHUNTER>I got an e-mail from Gunfinder.com responding to a request for info on buying the Safari Grade. It said that some models are being shipped now, but with others, indluding the Safari Grade, the only ones that have been shipped are the ones that were already here as demos (which the one I saw must have been).
It will be next month before any new guns will be arriving in the country.
12 May 2003, 18:51
boltmanCharles Daly has been saying "next month" about the zastava actions and rifles for the last two years. I wouldn't hold my breath. And by the way, the stock is WAY ugly. I though white line spacers went out in the '70's.
16 May 2003, 15:16
AtkinsonI see nothing wrong with that roll over comb and licorce looking stock, if you got lost they could spot you from the air very easily ( it would shine like a mirror) and you could eat it when you got hungry!
That is a nice piece of full fiddle back wood but alas the modern stock has fouled it for life and it can't be fixed...
Don't forget the blue job with the addition of sights unless you want to D&T the barrel and I wouldn't do that.
18 May 2003, 23:46
OblivionWell, a friend of mine built a few rifles on Mauser actions, and he said they were the best
ones he'd ever gone hunting with, mainly because of preference, but he said it was better than
his Type 77s, and a Weatherby a friend of his had. Personally I agree with all complaints.
Aesthetically, it's not so good for Alaskan or
African hunting, as the animals might see it, for
the stealth preferential among us, and I wouldn't
want a scope on a big bore, I'd probably lose my
eye in the shot!
19 May 2003, 17:53
500grainsWell, at least it's a mauser. I can throw that stock away and matte blue the action and still be ahead of where I would be with a model 70.