Folks just interested to hear peoples experiences when they buy a McMillan 602 Express stock for there 550 safari is it set up right for that funky forend screw which ties in the barrel lug ?? or does someone with a little no how need to inlet the McMillan for that ??

PC,

I got two McMillan Express stocks on order and they have been ordered for a while now (a good 2.5 months) so I expect them to arrive at anyday.

When you order the stock, you have to specify the barrel contour whether it is a cutom contour or the factory contour. If you tell them to inlett according to the factory setup then they will inlett stock to fit your factory barreled action including the barrel lug and screw hole, etc. According to McMillan, their drop-in stocks will be just be drop-in fit and should not require any additional operation other than glass bedding. I suggest that you contact them directly for other specific questions. Good luck!

I should think you will have to get rid of the CZ contraption on the barrel and replace it with a standard recoil lug and glass bed it into the barrel. Otherwise it is up to you and the smith to custom fit any hardware on the forearm or barrel channel.

The CZ 550 stock is just the same as the BRNO ZKK 602 stock, last time I checked. I used one and just rebarreled with a standard recoil lug on the barrel and lots of epoxy and a hidden crossbolt in the forearm. You will also have to rework the trigger well to fit the CZ trigger, which is bulhier than the previous BRNO ZKK 602 trigger.

The stock I got for the BRNO ZKK 602 had no allowances for any forearm hardware or recoil lugs, just a do-it-yourself fitting, of a smooth surfaced barrel channel and forearm.

So, Ming is getting McMillan to make a stock for the BBK-01?

I wonder if this will work with my old BBK-02, the forerunner of the BBK-01, oddly enough?

Ron,

Yes, I ordered one for the BBK-01 and one for the CZ 550 and both will be inletted according to my own custom barrel contour design. I am very exicted to get my stocks, especially to see how well they fit the BBK-01 and the CZ 550. I will try to post pictures when I get them. Later buddy!

Ming,
Thanks for pioneering the McMillan BBK-01 stock.
The CZ 550 Magnum and the BBK-01 are different beasts, but I am hoping the BBK-01 and the BBK-02 are the same beast when it comes to stock fit on the action.

I ordered a standard McMillan Express Rifle Stock from my CZ 550 Safari Magnum in Feb and received it in June or thereabouts. I told them standard factory inletting...nothing fancy. for a factory contoured barrel in .416 Rigby. It didn't come with the Barrel lug inletted and as I was taking apart my rifle I noticed all the extra parts when I put it in the McMillan and called em about it. IIRC the gunsmith I spoke with said they don't offer the inletting on the barrel lugs unless you send the gun in and have it custom fitted. Being the stock has a lifetime warranty and all I'm not really all that worried shooting the thing w/out the barrel lugs anyhow.

I suppose that tie down lug on the bottom of the cz 550 barrels can be removed if one wishes ??

I have read on this forum that barrel lugs are only needed for caliber above .375 H&H would others agree with this ??

Kentucky Nimrod is correct about sending in the action or the barreled action for fitting but it is FREE unless you want them to custom bed the whole thing. In fact, one of my actions is at McMillan right now for inletting and fitting.

McMillan told me that their custom stocks do not require a barrel recoil lug as they can reinforce the action lug area for maximum strength. Good luck.

Mingo is it possible to rid the standard CZ barrles of that tie down lug if you do not want it ?? then you float the barrel right back to the contour on the cz's.

PC,
You might not know this...the barrel recoil lug consists of 3 parts: The barrel with an integral (read milled into the barrel) recoil lug bearing surface, an actual recoil lug that floats under the barrel and is inletted into the forearm--it has two recoil lug bearing surfaces which transfer recoil to the forearm) and finally the screw and nut system which tighten the whole shebang down...the nut actually rides in a bearing groove milled on the bottom of the barrel.
The McMillan stock will accomodate the thick sight base and recoil lug bearing system on the bottom of the barrel. It is not inletted, as it comes from the factory, for the actual recoil lug nor the screw/nut system.
I'm sure my terminology is off and I hope I'm not confusing you. But this conveys the situation about as simply as you can make it. I didn't know that McMillan inletted the forearm free if you sent the action or I might have opted for that. OTOH, they said it wasn't necessary and they make the stock!

First- dump that hokey CZ barrel lug contraption and replace it with a prperly contoured second barrel lug. The Mcmillan express stock does not come inletted ( although you can send your action to them). You have to fit the second lug yourself. This takes about 1/2 hr with a dremel tool. Do not for even a second believe that any amout of reinforcing in the action lug area will produce a stock in a heavy recoiling caliber that will survive more that a dozen rounds. You positivelyneed a second barrel lug that is properly engineered and installed.
I have to say that I have two Mcmillan express CZ550 stocks , one for my 500A2 and the other on my 585 NYATI. I was unimpressed to say the least with Mcmillans service. It took six months to get the first stock and I got some serious ATTITUDE from them when I attempted to follow-up with them. I had better luck the second time with the stock taking only 4 months.
I was in fact so bothered by their inability to even find my order, that I steadfastly refused to send them my barreled action. In the end the stocks did arrive, and fit very well, but it has left me with a less than positive impression of Mcmillan.
I've had alot of dealings with McBros their sister or brother company and with just the opposite experiences. They could not be more helpfull.-Rob

Rob,
Please explain what you mean by: "a properly contoured second recoil lug?" Also, what's wrong with the original CZ hokey contraption?

Kentucky Nimrod- the second recoil lug should match the diameter of the barrel as well as the slope along it's length. Thus ,you can attach it with hi force 44 solder and a screw. Mine are 1 inch long and provide about an inch of bearing area. I've described these before and built a few for some folks who post here.
The size of the Cz contraption is also clearly inadequate in size for anything bigger than a .416 or .458..-Rob

Rob,

for a .375 H&H do you feel the barrel lug is neccesary at all ??

I thought once you steped over .375 then your into barrel lug territory.

The stock builder whom stocked my .416 Rigby did a great job of bedding the funky cz barrel lug into his stock he actually has the steel bits permantently bedded in his stock. On my .585 I have a more traditional barrel lug that is "a great big hunk of steel" in a step type fashion attached to my barrel. That was made by the smith who built it.

I just thought I might like to try a Mcmillan stock, I thought that as I am only dealing with .375 H&H recoil the barrel lug might not be needed at all and I can just bed it in with Devcon and have it fully floated. Rob is it possible to machine off the barrel lug bit on the factory CZ barrels ??

Thanks, PC.

Dick Davis from McMillan told me that they make stocks for their brother company that makes the 50 BMG bolt action and no secondary recoil lug is required. I would believe them because I have their Super Grade stock housing my M-70 action in the 458 Winchester. This rifle does not have the secondary recoil lug on the barrel and it's been working fine. Of course, it has been fully bedded in the reciever and action lug area.

It should not be a problem to mill off the factory barrel lug of the CZ with a radius cutter. You will probably need to reblue the barrel after it's done. Good luck.

[ 12-10-2002, 05:57: Message edited by: Mingo ]

I think in a .375 H&H Mingo it would be probably more sensible to mill that lug off and then have the ability to free float the whole barrel, or bed it in up until lthe end of the barrel contour.

I kept the barrel lug on my .416 Rigby as I though some on this forum said once over .375 it's best to have a barrel lug.

PC- The second lugs are so cheap and easy to do, I stick -em on everything from .375 and up. Is it necessary on a .375? probably not.
Sure you can mill off the stuff on a CZ barrel, But you'd probably be better off with grinding it off rather than milling.
The Mcmillan .50 BMG stocks don't require a second lug, because the action lug is about 2 inches across and 3/8 thick. That's an enormous increase in area over std rifle lugs.- These things weigh 20-40lbs anyway.-Rob

Thanks Rob,

So when I get a McMillan or what ever I should just put a standard lug on it you reckon.

What I plan to eventually do is to buy the McMillan stock and a lighter contour stainless barrel and make an all weather .375 H&H out of my CZ 550 I would get the current irons of this barrel put on to the stainless one (can this be done). After reading J.Belks comments about stainless actions I now reckon that normal steel actions mated to stainless barrels is the go. I like the extra mag capaity of the cz magnum actions.

HI,

I also have a Mcmillan stock on order for a cz550. It will be around 3 months before I see it,but the gentleman there also is going to put a extra thick butt pad on it. He told me the type of pad is what they use on there 50 cal stuff as the weight of the 416 rigby will be under 9 pounds so the extra pad will help. Thanks,Kev