.

I see the American Safari model on the CZ site now.

http://www.cz-usa.com/product.detail.php?id=50

Hope the 3 round capacity thing for 458 lott and 458 win is only a typo...

Oh, and I have a question about the two position safety on my 550 action.

Is it positive enough or should I change it? I don't really want to alter anything in that area if I didn't have to.

A two-position safety on a dangerous-game rifle is far superior to a three-position safety. The last thing gun designers need to do is complicate the safety. A safety should be on or off, period. In fact, I'm having the three-position that came on my CZ 550 9.3x62 replaced with a two-position like the one that came on my 550 375H&H.

I like the 2 position safety on mine. It seems pretty "positive" to me.

David

Good point interboat and yet so many preach how there rifle is not complete without a 3 pos safety !!

I like and agree completely with the original list of modifications - if Cz were to take them onboard and produce rifles with those features they would be a winner, for sure.

I have a number of expensive rifles in my gunsafe but I also have six Brnos (a Model 1{TGF} in .22LR, a M21 in 7x57, a ZKK601 in .223, a ZKK601 in 7x57, ZKK-602 in .375H&H and another one in .404 Jeffrey) and all the ZKK series feature three-positional bolt shrouds safeties, classic stocks, a little action polishing and straightened bolt handles and the results are very, very pleasing.

Brno (now CZ) have always made fine rifles and have often been maligned (unjustly) when compared to firearms that cost a great deal more but, for my money, it is hard to go past a Brno/Cz.

bwana you are spoton, I spoke with gundealer about ththis and he and I both agreed that most "young" blokes buying rifles would look at a cz/brno and not go for it because of looks etc. they think the stainless rifles etc. are the way to go, given they have there place, but the features you get on the 550 cz's at the price is really excelleent value. These gun buyers I suppose to are your .270/.308 hunter who shoots but does not have a passion for rifles such as many on this forum do, I understand that as well. It just amazes me people will often not research themselves before purchasing something be it a gun or whatever but will take the advice of a gundealer as gospel, often they have there own agenda to push and new players finish up with equipment not quite right for them.

I have two CZ rifles. One in .22LR and the other in 22 Hornet reamed to K-Hornet. These two rifles represent the most accurate firearms in my collection. The Hornet has an excellent trigger but the .22LR is a little creepy. I like CZ rifles and I too would buy another one. That being said, my .375 H&H and .458 Win. are both Model 70 Super Express, so it is unlikely I will get a DGR made by CZ.

Hello Art,
I also purchased a CZ in 375 H&H...I sent the rifle, along with a stick of my turkish walnut and a Lothar Walther .404 barrel over to Jim Brockmon...Jim will do the metal work and turn my wood on a cnc machine...I will finish the inletting, do some more shaping, put on a good oil finish and checker the stock myself...Jims patter is taken from my Holland and Holland pattern, and a pattern I designed for myself...purely English....His Laminates are nice indeed..

The new CZ laminates are a thing of pure horror!!! what were they thinking, they are pink, blue and assorted colors as I recall, anyway extremely gaudy, not good for a African rifle IMO.....The American stock has a couple of pounds of extra wood on it, that should have been removed, so again what were they thinking....Aw the bumblings of the bean counters at work once again!!!

Ray,

Do you think the American stock could be "slimmed down" a bit and if so where would you start?

I am on the verge of buying a CZ American 550 and would like to retain the original wood if possible, but it did strike me as looking slightly "clubby" in the pictures. At the present time fitting an aftermarket stock is not really within budget.


Regards,

Pete

Ray, sounds like a nice shooter. Thanks for the lead on Jim Brockman. I met him at SCI in Reno and liked everything he had to say. Particulary that after he builds my rifle he will regulate the iron sights as well as the scope. I am getting anxious. I even bought a half ton of .375 H&H brass which will take 3-5 weeks to get up here. Jim said the capacity of my rifle will only hold half of that at a time. Care to share any .375 loads? Did you get to make the buffalo/bison hunt?

PeteE: Yes they can be slimmed down. I have not done it. There was a fellow on HuntAmerica.com that had taken a rasp and sandpaper to his CZ 550 American stock. If I am not mistaking, he took off the cheekpiece, he slimmed the wrist area and then took a lot of wood from the forend area. I think he was in the process of learning how to checker his rifle stock again, as that went away with his rasping and sanding. I would go to the gunsmithing section on this site and pose the question, then to the gunsmithing section on the HuntAmerica.com site and ask the same question. Hopefully, the fellow who did the work, or someone else who did the work, would respond. I just refinished my stock cause it had a really nice piece of wood. Used GB Lindspeed Oil and really went overboard with it, but the thing is eye-stopping, drop-dead, beautiful. Of course, I did a few other things too, like glassbed the action, put Talley Rings on it, had a gunsmith polish the bolt handle to the nickel finish under the black stuff and then put a small herringbone pattern of jeweling on the bolt body. Mine is a 7x57mm Mauser and with handloads and the 160 to 162 grain bullets, my groups have been as small as .216 inch three shot, to .481 inch three shot. Good luck with your's, if you buy one. Tom Purdom

artp There are a bunch of 375 loads. Most of mine are for the 270 gr bullets. SAF is my preference. Try 78 gr of IMR 4350. Some guns can take up to 76 gr of re 15. Mine can but please be advised that it is over all the book maximums except the barnes. May be too much in your gun!!!! Careful and work up slow. WMR works well for some guns but mine didn't develop and appetite for it. Varget shot well in my rifle but right now off top of my head I can't give chapter and verse on the recipe. Good hunting. D

If you were talking about the new Winjammers, you missed by a country mile, and its obvoius you have never owned either.

I took my first cape buffalo with a CZ550...loved the trigger; it fed perfectly; it was the most accurate out of the box bigger bore I've ever shot.

Now to your "sage" advice about the Winjammers. The new 70's in the Safari Classics are about the most dangerous rifles on safari I know of (I book safaris and go several times a year). I bought two of these guns, NIB. The first was in 416 Rem...it wouldn't feed from a full magazine...jammed every time!

The next was a 375...same exact problems, and I sent this one back to Worstchester for factory repair...came back the same way!

My hunting partner bought a 416 the same time I got mine...same problem!

I did get a SS 375 synthetic that worked flawlessly, but sold it to a client who needed a rifle ASAP for his safari. I liked that rifle. So did he, and he wanted one in blue steel and walnut when he got back...guess what...same problems!

The CZ shot better and performed better than any of the Winjammers. I think you need to come out from under rugs, everyone, and know the real story.

As for Rugers, they are used and respected by PH's throughout Africa and are considered a Best Buy in a true safari rifle...I love my RSM in 416 Rigby, now that I got rid of that awful trigger and installed a Timney...$79.00 and 30 minutes work...