I know people here are frequently asking about the best way to put a peep un a CZ. THis is a .416 I just finished up for an Alaskan bear guide. It started life as a CZ American and was modified. He specified a peep sight and detachable scope.

I welded up the rear bridge, dovetailed it, and then made a peep from bar stock. It is adjustable for windage by drifting in the dovetail, and the elevation adjustment is via the front sight. I wound up going with a partridge front, and it can be filed or swapped as needed for elevation changes.

THe CZ's are very crude out of the box, but can be made into decent rifles. This one had:

-bbl cut to 22"
-bbl band sling swivel
-new front sight
-peep
-AHR safety (I will never use another AHR safety)
-AHR trigger (eliminates the set feature)
-new bolt handle
-eliminated the front tie-down screw
-ebony tip
-grip cap
-stock TOTALLY reshaped (probably reduced the outer dimensions by at least 15% from the club that left the CZ factory)
-reshaped trigger guard
-spent hours slicking up the action
-1.5-5 Leupold in Talley rings
-rust blued

This is a using rifle that will back up clients. As such, he asked me to not go overboard on fit and finish, as it will get beat to hell in short order anyway.

link to .416 pics

Marc,

I think the justice you did this rifle is ill-fitting for something that's going to see a hard life. In my opinion, its just too damned nice to get all beat up!

Love the peep sight too. I'm still getting used to shooting with them, but they make an awesome answer to a scope.

The checkering pattern is EXACTLY what I have been looking for to duplicate some of the old express/stalking rifles I viewed at the old Pachmayr Club in souther California years ago. The only modification I want is a double border.

What is that pattern called? Do you have any shots of the underside of the forearm checkering?

The pattern is the "Marc Stokeld standard point." It is my default checkering pattern. I never use any actual patterns, but rather lay them out on each stock. It involves a lot of measuring and pricking the ends of the points and reference points on curved lines with a sharp scribe. On the grip, I lay out one side, then make a template and trasfer that to the othe rside. On fleur-de-lis patterns, I lay out half and then make a template from the pricked places on the stock and transfer that to the other side of the pattern. I am sure there are easier ways to do it, but it works for me and always gives me balanced patterns if I do enough measuring along the way.

My standard pattern has 4 points forward and 5 rearward on the fore arm, and 2 points forward with each half just barely touching on the grip. If my checkering starts on top of the grip, it gives funky angles to the points. I prefer to have the points in a verticle plane and pointed in line with the bore.The fore arm is a lot like Balickie did in his checkering video some years ago. The grip was inspired by a Westley RIchards rifle I saw a long time ago.

Great looking rifle but why no crossbolts with all that work?

it has 3 internal cross bolts. One behind the barrel lug, one behind the action recoil, and one in the web in front of the trigger. Bedded with Marine-Tex.

I read a story by Jack Lott back in the mid-80's and he showed how he beeded rifles. He preferred internal cross bolts because they did not break up the grain of the wood on the outside of the stock. The internal cross bolts are just as strong and he thought they were prettier.

I have several rifles that way since reading the article when I was in high school. Never had one crack after shooting a combined thousands of rounds.

Marc,

One other observation/question - I like the stock color. Did it come like that or did you apply anything to redden it?

quote:

The grip was inspired by a Westley Richards rifle I saw a long time ago.

Exactly what I am using for an example of what I am looking for in a rifle. Love the looks and the checkering looks great as does the bolt handle and the overall execution of the rifle.

That is a beautiful rifle!

I consider this as exactly what should be done to a CZ. Good planning, good execution. Mark, which safety will you use next time? Just so that I know before I send you my CZ.

Nice work - good solution to the problem..............

Tex-

I did stain it a red color. THe color balance was not 100% on the pic I took (I just set up the tripod and snapped a few quick ones on the living room floor before boxing it up). When you hold it in your hands, it looks a little more red. The wood was plain old AMerican walnut and would surely have exploded before the first box of ammo was sent down the barrel. The inletting was very loose and the wood was not all that great. With the MArine Tex and 3 internal bolts, it is as stout as that piece of wood can be now.

I still prefer quarter sawn English, but the client did not want to spend the extra money for a hard-use rifle. I have personally bounced around in the back of his Super Cub before, so I know exactly what will happen to the rifle. If it were a gun I was submitting for Guild judging, I would have spent more time on external polishing and been more anal about some things. But it is actually a little overkill for the gun's intended use. But the client will love it, and that is what matters to me.

Wink-

I will use a LaPour safety on the next CZ I do. WHen I bought the parts for this rifle, AHR was the only game in town. My mentor did a Lapour the other day for an AR emember who posts here, and he said it dropped right in as easy as a 3 position safety can. Not so with my AHR. But it functions fine now, so that is good.

Marc,
I am going by the same process right now. I even print your pictures and went to my gunsmith and told him: "I want this"

I am (actually he)suffering trying to instal a Gentry safety It seems the safety works for the CZ 550 but not for my ZKK 602

Do you say the LaPour safety is easy to instal in the ZKK 602??

It seems you cut the barrel and also work it a little bit to make it thinner..?

Great rifle, I really like it, a pity Talley don't have CZ QR rings for 30mm scopes..increadible..

Good job
L

Nicely done. Well thought out... Overall, something is right about the look of it now. Almost makes me want a CZ.

That's an example of your "rough" work???

Marc,

I am in the process with a CZ 416 right now and wondering about your approach to doing away with the barrel tie down. Did you still use the F block?. BTW Roger Ferrell did my metal work and he used Ed Lapour's safety which I do like. I dont know how easy or hard the instalation was but it functions and looks good.

Many Thanks

HBH

HBH-

Actually, what I wrote earlier in this post was wrong. I said I used 3 internal cross bolts, but what I actually did was use an internal cross bolt behind the action recoil lug and in the web in front of the trigger guard. I bedded the action from the rear tang through the front of the recoil lug and captured the F block in the bedding.

I recently finished a .375 on a CZ 550 for a guy and made a new stock for it. It was on that stock that I used 3 internal bolts-guess I was thinking about that when I wrote about the .416 yesterday. I am getting old and sometimes things run together!

As for eliminating the screw, I shortened the fore arm a good deal on the rifle, so I made aplug out of that piece of walnut and plugged the tie-down screw hole. Part of the plug is covered by the checkering. You have to be looking closely to see that there is a plug in the wood.

DeBee-

I like the way it turned out and it made me look at CZ's more favorably. They are so crude from the factory that I never liked them before. One thing I will say about the rifle-it has always fed rounds from the magazine without a hitch. I cycled a bunch through there and had narry a bobble. But I did have to do amny hours of polishing to make it feel smooth when cycling the bolt.

Lorenzo-

this client specified only a peep sight and no rear sight on the barrel. So all I did to the contour was file off the integral rear sight base. Interestingly, the guy who ordered the .375 I mentioned above wanted no iron sights at all, so I had to file that off to. I am getting a lot of practice removing integral rear sight bases!

This guy wanted a .22 inch barrel, so I cut 3 inches off and recrowned the barrel.

As for the LaPour, I have not personally use done, but will next time some one orders a CZ. I heard very good things about it. I beleive it is the old safety that Jim Wisner (who posts here) used to make and sold to Ed Lapour. I have fooled with a Wisner safety on a M98 before, and went on with minimal fuss.

I hate that y'all can't handle this rifle. I really slimmed it down from the way it came from the factory. CZ's are total clubs out of the box, but even a .416 can be made svelt and slim and sexy while still keeping enough wood to have strength to handle the recoil and give you enough to hold onto. THis client is right handed, but left eye dominant. He shoots off both shoulders, so he specified no cheek piece on this rifle.

Thats a fine and serious big game rifle, that one has the touch of Britsh classicisme over her ...

How much will it cost make one like that?

I think the rifle looks great! I often find myself torn between a pretty wood stock vs a more practical "working gun". I hate worrying about scratching up a gun on a hard hunt. I think your client will be very please - I know I would. The only change I would make is a barrel band front sight - I just prefer them on a big bore rifle.

How does it shoot?

Mr Rigby-

If you are serious, drop me an email and we can discuss specifics.

thanks!

Marc,

That is really beautiful work. I would have enver guessed that started out as a CZ American. The metal and woodwork make it a much more beautiful and I am sure handier rifle. Well done.

Marc,

Very nice transformation. If CZ 550's came out of the factory like that no one would buy them because of the price!

I can't help but flinch knowing that the rifle will be trashed in the bush. Why bother fixing it all up?!!

I know this is personal preference stuff but do not see the need for a 3-position safety. They are slow and cumbersome. When the poop hits the fan, who needs a 3-position safety?!!

It looks nice without the rear sight/barrel lug but geez that must have been a lot of work filing that off.

The best part is the new bolt handle, which is really the only complaint I have with stock CZ 550 Magnums.

Also, I was wondering why bother having a peep w/o QR scope rings? If you have to carry a screwdriver to remove the scope, why bother with the peep?

I prefer a M70 safety, but it is a Ford vs. Chevy thing. I also prefer redheaded women, but that does not work for everyone! I have never had a problem getting any safety to "fire" position in a hurry. I have hunted with all sorts of safeties and never found style one to be faster or slower than the others.

The Talley rings have levers on them and that is what unscrews the rings from the action, so they are "quick-release". There is then an unobstructed view for the peep and front sight. He wanted something tough enough to handle what Alaska can dish out and still be available immediately after taking off the scope.

As for beating guns up, my Alpine rifle is the only one that is stainless/synthetic. I have carried blued steel/English walnut after goats. But rocks are brutal on wood stocks, so I made up a 5# 8oz .270 for myself. this is the weight with it ready to hit the hill. I have drug it across rocks and never worreid about it. But trust me, I beat up wood and blue rifles too. I see it as giving it scars.

The bumper sticker on the back of my truck shows a bull rider and says

"SCARS ARE TATTOOS WITH BETTER STORIES!"

Pretty much sums up the way I see life. And yes, I have ridden bulls, have a lot of scars, and more than a few tattoos. So do my rifles!

and I am going through my latest "scar." I had an emrgency root canal Wednesday afternoon, and them my dentist went on vacation. SOmething is wrong and my tooth is killing me, so I have been taking prescription drugs and surfing the net a lot more than normal. Been getting in a little shop time, but it is hard to concentrate on my work with this red-hot poker stuck in my upper gum!

Great looking work Marc! I especially like the trimmer stock.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Regards,
Dave

Mark, that is a great solution on the peep. I would be interested in having some talley bases for some of my various rifles that were set up like that--simple, clean and durable!
That rifle looks like a great one to add a few scars to in real using out in the world.
Great Work!

Don't mess around with that tooth, I had a co-worker that waited after a post root-canal infection, and he had to have some of his jaw bone ground away, as it got infected! I would go to some doctor on Tuesday at latest if the pain hasn't subsided.

Marc,

My apologies for not noticing the ring levers. What a dork!

Very nice!

Is the skinny grip area a result of the rather heavy, crude original checkering on theese rifles? I really liked the red colour and the superb new checkering!

Marc, that is a super looking rifle. As you have demonstrated, factory CZs can be made into great rifles with a little extra work.

Bent-
I slimmed down the stock just because I like them that way. I could have made it much thicker and still erased the factory checkering. And calling it "checkering" is being very generous. There was one part of it that literally looked like they hit the wood with a sharp toothed rap to make impressions, and left it at that. Anyway, I like slim rifles, and keeping things proportioned is where that art comes into it. THis rifle is still a heavy .416, but it feels great in the hands.

FLA-
I wish you could feel how slick it now operates. I have no idea th enumber of hours I spent polishing the action, but it is very "buttery" now. A very nice rifle can be built off the basic CZ platform. The main things that irks me is the metric threads and lack of guide rib. But after finishing this one i have a new respect for the basic rifle. THe last one I did was made to strict client specifications and the style was not really my cup of tea. But I had plenty of free rein with this one and like the way it turned out.

Well, I had to go back to a dentist today. My dentist will not be back in town until next Monday, so his best friend saw me today. He said my gum is not infected and I just have to ride it out until next Monday. He gave me more drugs and sent me home. So here I sit, feeling no pain!

Now that is a GREAT RIFLE!!! I wish mine was that purdy!!!

I thought that I had really accomplished something when I removed the rear sight bridge and contoured to match.....what a PITA!!!

My recontour:

My .416 Rigby ELK rifle :

22WRF-

The CZ American stocks do have a cheekpiece from the factory. I took it off with my #49 rasp. If he wanted it to stay, I would probably have turned it into an "English" cheekpiece, as opposed to the "Amercian" cheekpiece that they come with.

Woodsracer-

Do you relk fight back!?! I have never hunted elk, but think that rifle should have no problem taking down any elk out there! And yes, there is a surprising amount of steel in those intergral rear bases, isn't there? I have now filed 2 off, and it is a very tireing experience, to say the least.

Does the standard CZ safety lock the bolt back when engaged?

Jaywalker

I have just seen this thread.
What a beautiful rifle you have made!

Nice job Marc,very complete wood and metal treatment. I photographed a .505 a few months back and thought there might be enough wood for two stocks.
As for CZ metal, even my 17 rimfire feels like there is a handful of gravel in the action and the safety works backwards. Shoots good though!
Again, Nice Job!

I like the plain front ramp! The NECG banded front sight base has become so ubiquitous that seeing a change now and then is nice. It (your ramp) seems particularly elegant on that rifle.

I agree that that is one lovely job Marc! I happen to know that a very faithful reproduction of the early style H&H folding hood sight is in the works. It will be nice to have a few options besides NECG for banded front sights. Here is the original that the new ones will be modeled on.