I finally managed to get a look at a CZ550 American in 9.3x62mm in the flesh so to speak, and was reasonably impressed. One thing that worried me though was that the forend seemed "loose"..Just a small amount of side ways pressure made it move against the barrel. It was almost as if it were free floated, but only just...We checked the action screws and the were tight.

So does anybody know if this thing should be free floated or have a pressure pad at the tip? Does anybody else have a CZ550 American were the fore end appears to be "loose" like this??

I have not shot one, but it just does not fill me will confidence as far as accuracy potential goes.


regards

Pete

I had a CZ 550 Eurolux in 9.3x62. It had a barrel lug that needed to be bedded along with the action. The bolt needed to be shaved down a little bit for better scope clearance. It was a great rifle, I ended up trading it back to the guy I had originally got it from for a Dakota 97 in 9.3x62 and he loves it more than he did before because I adjusted the set trigger properly it's now one of his "goto" rifles.
They may need a little work but are excellent rifles when properly tuned.......DJ

PeteE: In answer to your questions the CZ 550 is freefloated. Next, a few, not many, but a few of the CZ 550s were, in my opinion, not bedded correctly. I now have a CZ 550 American in 7x57mm that I bought brand new. I could feel a little bumping on the rear tang when I pushed the barrel near the end of the forearm with my fingers one way or the other. The rifle shot 2.5 inch groups with handloaded 162 grain Hornady bullets. This is certainly not what I was expecting, especially after reading all the hype about CZs on this forum and HuntAmerica forum. I found out the action was moving in its bedding and the bumps I felt was the teeth cut into the bottom of the action riding over the teeth cut into the wood stock bedding. My first thought was to dump the rifle and consider it a lesson learned. But, what if, this rifle was an actual shooter? By dumping it I would never know. To make a longer story shorter, I got some Probed 2000 from Scorehi gunsmithing in Albuquerque and bedded the action and rear tang, and the first inch and one-half of the chamber area. I let it dry, loaded up some promising loads with the 162 grain Hornady SST and H414 powder, headed to the range and immediately was amazed. After a tiny bit of refining, I got the load perfected: 162 grain Hornady SSTs seated to .01 inch from the lands, 48.9 grains of H414 powder, Remington cases, Federal primers, a bench rest and I had a shooter. That rifle prints the loads into three shot groups which measure less than .5 inch center-to-center from 100 yards (.481 average and one that went .216 inch) at an average velocity of 2,855 fps. On general principals I glassbed action areas anyway now. My suggestion is buy the thing, glassbed the action area and freefloat the barrel, then have fun shooting it. Tom Purdom

My 9.3 had a little pressure pad in the forend, and it shot well out of the box. I recently had it glass bedded, more as a hedge against problems with moisture than anything else. I haven't shot it yet, as I'm very short of funds and it's up for sale. Okie John.

I just bought one yesterday. I see no bending of the stock. We'll see how it shoots (hoping for the best).

Well Folks,

The 9.3x62 is now sitting in my gun cabinet! After wondering what to do I decided to take the chance and buy it. I stripped her out the stock when I got home and observed that there was a "pad" after a fashion at the tip. It was actually a ridge about 3/4" running length ways, and the movement I could feel was when I pulled the barrel to the side of this... Its really strange. I think it was deliberate as it was actually marked with a couple of pencil marks...Anyway, I have free floated the barrel and we will ses how it shoots; I can always repalce the pressure pad with something a pit more positive,

Regards,

Pete

My cz 9.3 had the a little pressure to the bolt side of the forend. I have gently sanded that pressure away and re-sealed it but I will still get it bedded I think when funds are a little more availble. Either way I love the rifle.

pete - i had this exact same thing in my cz m550 (7x57), but it was down toward the action. once i smoothed it all down, it became an EXCELLENT shooter!

click here to read my saga on this incident.