Can someone give me an estimate on what it might cost to rebarrel a CZ-550 in 375 to 416 rem mag. I'm thinking about this as an option for a DG rifle and want to get an idea as to what it might cost if I choose to go this route. Thanks for your input.

Sevens

Sevens,
this can be done, but it would be cheaper/faster/better to sell the 375 and then get a 416 rigby.. to recreate the cz barrel, you'll spend at least 500$, and then add sights

jeffe

Just buy a cz .416 Rigby Jeffo is spot on the money.

The things to consider are these:
The price of the barrel ($175 approx)
The price of the sights (anywhere from $70-$275)
Barrel band swivel base ?? (if you want one ($30-$55)
Secondary recoil lug (really all just a "labor cost")
Plus about $200-$300 labor to do the work and blue it.
So...........as You can see, even at the bottom end, it would cost about $470 and it could be as much as $700 + so it might be better to just buy a CZ 416 Rigby and be done with it.
If You have some custom work done on Your CZ 375 already (like a new stock or something) then it may be worth it to you to spend the money to get the 416 Remington that you want on your "favorite rifle". It's your choice.

Rule #1 in gunsmithing is : It always costs twice as much as you thought it would.

Sell the 375 and buy a new 416. You'll be money way ahead. You COULD keep the 375 and buy a 416 and STILL be money ahead.

One day I'll post the story of the $4350.00 BRNO Model 1 stock.(Yes , a 22lr).

As of yet, I don't own the CZ. It was just an idea I had. It apprears though that it would be more cost effective to buy the winchester m70 in 416 rem mag and have a smith perfect it. (Let me guess the reply though, "Buy the cz in 416 rigby." )

Sevens

yeah.. buy the cz..

but the win is already ready.. see if it has any feeding issues...

jeffe

I would buy them both

OK Dr. Duc you've let the cat out of the bag & stired our interest! Now how bout the rest of the story?

I'm on my way out to dinner at the moment but as a preface, it was done by a member of the Gunmakers Guild who's average rifle stock from a blank went about $6000(that's real nice walnut of course).

Do any of you worry about that c-clip in the CZ? Jeffe, the quality of the m70's is their only deterrent.



Sevens

To continue the stock saga: About 5 or 6 years ago a friend of mine got an inletted blank for his BRNO 1 and had my gunsmith friend replace the stock. It turned out marvelously and cost about $1000 by the time it was finished and checkered. I had a little money in my jeans at the time and thought I'd like to do the same since Henry was getting on in years and I'd like to have a nice 22 anyway. This particular rifle will shoot 10 rounds into an inch at 100 yds on a good day so it was a keeper anyway.
I called the stock supplier and asked him for an inletted blank in nice walnut . He said he had a "cancelled project stock" that was exhibition grade and he let me have it real right with the Nieder buttplate and grip cap. It was also inletted for a bullet trap. I told him to ship it.
The blank was nice and I gave it to Henry and he looked it over and said Yes with some work he could make it nice. Well, from the start things started going above budget. The hardware wasn't right, etc. But the biggest thing was Henry's age. He still charged the same hourly rate but it took him 3 times as long to do anything. I knew I was in big trouble when after a month of work he said, "I could have started with a fresh blank and been ahead of where I am now". Warning bells went off because I had just seen him make a Model 70 stock for $7000 from a blank. But he was a dear friend and I respected and admired his work. Little things kept the time table going and finaly the rifle was finished. It really turned out nicely. Very European but a practical American hunting smallbore.
Now the time keeping. "Boy this thing sure did get tiresome. I had to redo most everything". Now I really knew.
"I've got 137 hours in this stock at $40/hr but subtracting your 20%----" Well, You can do the math. I paid him and thanked him and took my rifle home. I don't think it's ever been fired since that day.
That's how I came to have a $4300 BRNO model 1. I'll never have to worry about it. Only my children will need to have it priced.
He died soon after that after a series of strokes.
He did me a lot of favors over the years and I miss his company and knowledge daily. This just wasn't one of those favors.

If your in the states the c-clip is an easy fix....cz offer a swap out on there fireing pins so if you score a bolt with a c-clip instead of the second nut just send it to cz USA and they will fix it. I am in Australia so I have recently takedn my bolts from my cz 9.3 & .416 to my smith for fixing. My 3 other cz's do not have c clips but rather the second nut which is superior IMHO, either way it is an easy fix.