I was wondering what you guys thought of CZ Rifles. Quality, accuracy, craftsmanship? How are the triggers? I am looking at the CZ 527 Varmint Laminate Stock .223.

Thanks
Marksman 22-250

I posted this on another site several months ago. Nothing has changed my mind.

----Critique of the current CZ rifles--------

In the last 6 months the CZs that have come through by shop have been of higher quality, better, fit and better finished rifle with every critical dimension dead on the money.

The first of the “new” BRNOs that I saw was the CZ 600, 602, and Fox models. This was twenty years ago. They had plenty going for them mechanically but looked they were finished with a cutting torch and sand blasted with road gravel……and they worked about as smooth.

Then my old partner started buying M527s in Hornet and 223 about 10 years ago. . I re-barreled several of the 223s to Cheapshot and was pleased with them. The Hornets are a marvel.

Lately I’ve had several 550s in the shop for triggers, bedding, re-barreling, etc. They last 3 I’ve seen are truly good rifles.

Externally the profile is now true with the bore and polished by increased tool speed (and probably Tin coated) with better cooling. It looks like they increased RPM and reduced feeds. This is totally reversed to what other manufacturers are doing.

When you increase RPM you reduce tool life. That means it cost more. When you slow the feed rate the milled surface is much smoother. It also takes longer to machine an action. It cost more money.

The bolt to receiver tolerance has been cut in half. That allows the new polish to get even better as the two surfaces wear in.

Somehow they have found quarter-sawn Turkish walnut for stocks. It’s plain as a chair-leg, but it’s sho NUFF good wood. The finish looks like an oil spill, but it comes off easy enough.

The barrels are so good I wont sell the take-offs. I’ll use them for *something *.

The action is an alloy steel Mauser with some Winchester M70 features. Surprisingly, the CZ has the best of both actions incorporated in it with some truly well thought out features. The CZ is an inner ring, three lug, non-rotating, long extractor action. It’s a true controlled feed rifle with the smoothness of a pre-war M70 but with the lock time of a Remington and the safety margin of a “C” ring Mauser.

Criticisms—

The European style stock is ugly as a Tumble bug’s den but the new American classic is remarkably well done for a factory rifle.

I wish I could get them without their so-called checkering. It’s pretty crude, but at least it’s cut by a person.

I truly wish I could meet the brain-dead marketing moron that specified the whole left side of the action be carved with a *$%%^#} billboard. He should be whipped with nettles and made to listen to rap music from a boom box locked to his head til his kidneys melt.
A line of stamping is OK, if done well. This CZ, CNC milling machine writing would look better on the hull of a ship…..below the water line.

The muzzles look like they were crowned with the corner of a brick, but they still shoot good. A recrown is the first thing any CZ desperately needs.

The position of the trigger is wrong and the trigger itself looks like it belongs on a cap pistol. There isn’t a good alternative. The entire trigger was mis-designed from the beginning. The way it is now is the only way the trigger is safe against bumps and jars. I'm working on it.

Trigger and Safety----

There should be an aftermarket trigger done, but since the CZ works so well and only the looks makes it horrid, an aftermarket trigger probably won’t be done. The single set is a very nice trigger and externally adjustable. The axis of operation should keep it more accurate than similar designs.
The sear contact patch is easily 50% greater than other override triggers. That's GOOD.

The safety is two position that locks the bolt down, that feature can be removed in 2 minutes if you have a bench grinder.
The safe on the M550 is a redesign of the Remington M700 but done in milled steel and over engineered to near bank vault standards. It blocks the sear and removes it from contact with the trigger AND cams the cocking piece back like a M70. It does not block the trigger and there is no trigger/safety interlock. There is an terrific 3 position safety made by PME if you prefer the vertical axis safeties.

Accuracy---

I’ve never heard of an inaccurate 527 or 550 rifle. The best group I’ve ever shot from a factory rifle (including a couple 40XBRs) was with a 527 sporter with a straight 8 scope!

I’ve not yet seen a bedding problem in a CZ, but they can be made better with glass bedding. I don’t free float anything I shoot but this action is as stiff as a Remington and will stand it if that’s what floats your boat.

These rifles are priced less than the value of the action and the other parts are too good to throw away just to use the action.

What a delicious dilemma.

If I was on investment brokerage house I'd issue a strong BUY recommendation..

Mr. Belk,

Very nice post, it is appreciated. I expect I'll be trying a CZ soon myself.

Thanks
Mike

You can check the postings on CZ rifles in the small caliber forum.
I'm very pleased with my CZ 527 American. It took about 3 months to get it, but was worth the wait. Fit & finish are excellent, the owner's book gives detailed instructions & pictures for adjusting the trigger, and it's a really thoughtfully done firearm. Take it apart with just a screwdriver, the bolt requires no tools to disassemble & clean. The only things I did with mine were glass bed the action & first 2" of barrel, and adjust the trigger. I also need to do a little modification to the magazine, since my preferred bullet seating depth leaves the cartridge too long to fit in the magazine (.22 Hornet). All in all, it puts my Ruger 77/22VHZ to shame, in both quality and accuracy. And it cost $100 less, to boot!
Regards, George.

[ 07-12-2002, 04:32: Message edited by: George Capriola ]

I have a 1952 ZG47 Brno in 270Win with factory 4X scope and mounts. The fit and finish is absolutly magnificent - deep rich bluing and better than average wood. Similarly my 1947 Mod 1 22RF. Brno's got a bit rough from 1968 to 1985 but the latest batch that I seen have improved considerably

George,
If you're able to modify your Hornet mag to accept longer loads and still feed right...I sure hope you'll post the info.
Thanks,

Forrest

My 9.3x64 CZ. excellent value for money. Cobalt [/IMG]

Let's try this again. CZ in 9.3x64. [/IMG] Cobalt

I have 2 CZ rifles. One in .223 & one in 22/250 - both are excellent value for money and are very accurate. They are low cost, comparitively, here in the UK and I would recommend them. The .223 (model ZKK 600) has a straight trigger with a moving pad on it which I find easy to control. The 22/250 has a standard trigger - a little heavy but crisp.
If you get one I hope yours is as good.
Good shooting.

You could not ask for a better endorsement than that given by JBelk (thanks, BTW, for the post!) above, but I'll add that my 527 is the most accurate factory rifle I've ever owned, and I've had a few. I like the hogback stock, but the oil spill analogy is a good one, and the checkering does leave quite a bit to be desired, but it's my "walking" coyote rifle, so I'll leave it as is. I'd rather them spend more money on the action and barrel than the wood. I can mess with the wood myself and get it to where I want it, but I wouldn't trust myself to mess with the action/barrel.

The trigger does look like it belongs in a cap gun, but I wouldn't change mine. The only thing I truly dislike is the safety, and I'm glad to hear that someone is making a vertical axis, three-position safety for it.

I have two cz's a 550 and a 527 in .22 hornet and I love them both. Both rifles shoot well.

Hello Jbelk.
That was well said about the CZ rifles. I have one of them in 22 LR, and one Brno 602, custombuildt in 460 WBY, and are very satisfyed with them. With a little Dremel-work on the bolthandle on the 22, I finally got my scope where I want it.
There is spesially one thing I must support you in here! And that is the stock!!
I wonder a lot why somebody at the factory havent hit the stock-maker in the head with one of his own "paddle-oar" looking "things??? There is something called "a working accident". Maybe a rifle was loaded?? Who knows??
Maybe wait in the bushes when he is biking home after work, and beat him with his own creations.
I think those stocks are more suitable punishing people with, rather than put it on a rifle!!
THESE "PIG-BACK"-LOOKING STOCKS, LOOK AWFULL AND MAKES THE RIFLE JUMP RIGHT INTO YOUR FOREHEAD!!
They have some models with (what THEY called) straight classic stock. But it still slopes to much. It is as simple as, seeing to that the distance between the center of the recoil-pad and the center of rifle bore are as small as possible!!!!!!!!
And skip the chekering!!

This is my opinion!!!

I have two CZ/BRNO guns, the CZ is WMR American and the BRNO is a ZKW465 Hornet with double set triggers. Both are extremely accurate and all I have ever done to them to make them accurate is to have loaded them and point them in the right direction. Good guns.

John

I recently read a test article on the CZ varmit synthetic in .223. The author shot a .229" 5 shot group with winchester ammo. That is as good of a group as I can remember for a gun rag. Most of the time factory guns and ammo do well to get under 1".