527 in new US army cartridge, 6.8 x 43mm

[Unregistered(d)]

There is a window of opportunity here for a firearms manufacturer who is fast on their feet.  Remington has announced the factory loads, but CZ has a better rifle for this cartridge than anyone else (except for the AR-15/M-16A2/M4 of course) in the form of the 527.

The 7.62 x 39 M43 not highly regarded for accuracy or for medium game hunting, this new cartridge should have everything going for it from the start.  This is CZs chance to add a lightweight mountain rifle to the line up for minimal investment.

[Fred Flinstone]

For CZ-UB to produce the 6.8 X 43mm then they would need a new mandrel to produce the barrels, reamers, go, no-go gauges. This would still be possible if demand was there but the ballistics for this round is'nt available yet, so you can imagine getting ammo(no ammo- no rifle sold). This round is a very specialised one: higher performance/low recoil are easily obtainable thru already existant rounds. This round is made as to carry maximum cariable quantity of ammo for a soldier to carry(remember .30-06, .308 getting replaced by .223/5.56mm).

The over-abondant surplus rifle are available(notice the armies are getting rid of odd calibers, poor performant calibers, crappy rifle design, etc.), which have given birth to new demand for: 7,62 X 39mm, .30-06, .308 ammo. This ammo has been made excessively cheap($/not quality vise) & giving access to a public eager to have a cheap($/but sometimes suffering in quality) rifle & ammo combo.

A much more easier access to low recoil/high performance is acquired with: 6.5 X 55mm(under-rated good performance), .243 Win., .270 Win.(another favorite), .308 Win., .30-06 Springfield, etc. If higher performance is needed then jump up to 7mm Rem. Mag. or .300 Win. Mag.

In a few years from now M-16 variants will abound the surplus market(making wonder why certain custom rifle-builders went with part kits), 5.56 will be floading the surplus ammo shelves. In 30 odd years from now the 6.8 X 43mm surplus will do the same. Don't fall to easily into the novelty act but invest in a good performance rifle.

Sincerely,
Fred

[Unregistered(d)]

Remington has announced the specs of three loads and production of a rifle.  The ammo is all 115 grain; FMJ, HPBT match and HP match, but I think that is a good start.

CZ has to decide what is best for them, but if I produced a rifle like the 527, and I thought that a new deer class cartridge was about to be adopted by the US Army, and that cartridge was the perfect size to fit into my little 6#, extra short action rifle and was really too small to be a good fit in a Rem 700, Win 70 or Ruger 77, I know what my next move would be.

The 6.5x55, .243, .308, '06 or .270 are great in the 550, but the 6.8x43 was designed to fit the the M-16 magazine, which means that it fits the CZ 527 like someone said "let's design a nice deer cartridge for mini Mauser rifles".

I think that there was some demand for a 527 in 7.62x39mm from deer hunters, right?  Despite the somewhat less that great accuracy of that cartridge.  I think that the 6.8mm might have an accuracy edge over the highly variable Russian AR cartridge.

Whatever CZ does, nothing is going to change my opinion of them, my .223 527-FS is one of the finest rifles I have ever fired, much less owned.  Anybody who produces a six pound, full stock carbine that refuses to shoot in excess of 15/16 dia groups is golden in my book.

[Atlatl]

All CZ would need is a reamer and go, no go guages.   The bore size is .277 same as the .270 if what I read elsewhere is correct.   This would make manufacture of pretty simple and a very low dollar investment for CZ.
I agree, a CZ-527 would be the best bolt action platform for this catridge.

[Fred Flinstone]

Well your swift kick to my butt made me thinking. I gave the info. to a CZ rep. who'll pass it on, hoping the energy(not the p.s.i., but rather a pressure/time curve) given will not wreck the action(cross your fingers).

[Unregistered(d)]

Glad to hear it is being considered.  Now if the US Army will just co-operate and finally replace the poodle shooter cartridge.

[Anejo Tequila]

There is at least one 527 in 6.8 Remington. Check out the current issue of Rifle Shooter. Gary Paul Johnson wrote an article on the new caliber. His test rifle is a custom 527. An article he also has in the current issue of SOF compares the new round to 5.56 and 7.62X39. No contest. I can not believe that CZ would pass this up. The Remington ammo is already listed on their web site as available this year. It is a natural for thin skinned game and I would think that many in need of a Tactical rifle would give a close look at a light weight rifle such as the 527 HS stocked Varmint. Several Pros that have shot my HS Varminter in 223 were impressed. Looks like a very urban tactical rifle to me. I own six CZ guns now. I will order another Varminter the day I hear they are available in 6.8 Remington. I will also order the 550 Varminter in .308 as soon as they are available with the HS stock.
Come on CZ opportunity is not knocking it is banging.

[Fred Flinstone]

In the various post regarding the 6.8 Rem.there's no mention that this round IS the 6.8 X 43mm. The round goes by 6.8 mm Rem. SPC appelation as stated in Rifle Shooter. Initialy I though that this 6.8 Rem. round was but another plain new kid on the block, which firearm companies are always spewing up(with little new revelations). This round promises to be a top performer in the field, much more so than the 7.62 X39mm. Let's see if CZ will jump on this one

[chrome]

Yea, I'll take two - a carbine and the 527 Varmint in this caliber.
How about a 110 gr. Hornady V-max at 2,800 fps. for deer and the Speer 90 gr.TNT for varmints at 3,000 fps.

[Unregistered(d)]

Fred, remember when we talked last year about my two 527 carbine projects, the 6mm and 6.5PPC.  I sure wish I had known the 6.8 and 6.5 Grendel were going to happen.  I don't know yet if my 6.5 PPC is the same as the Grendel but it would be nice to be able to buy brass that I don't have to neck up.  And I think the ballistics on the 6.8 are going to be a lot better than the 6.5 PPC.  Oh well, another project