CZ action lock time

[milanuk]

Hello,
           
            Does anyone have any idea what the lock time is on the CZ rifle actions?  i.e. relative to the Remington and Winchester actions?  I'd always heard that set triggers kind of got a bum rap for being light, but slow lock time (not good for say, Offhand).
           
            TIA,
           
            Monte

[Fred Flinstone]

The old Brno set-trigger system was a bit slow, but the CZ set-trigger has been greatly improved. The cocking piece which is attached to the firing-pin has been hollowed-out(for quicker lock-time) yet safely, a U.S. mfgr. also does a titanium tipped alumunum firing-pin for Mauser 98's(which should be easy to convert: threading firing-pin for CZ applications). Wolf (gunsprings) sells a heavier lbs/spring for the firing-pin(thus lowering the lock-time but harder to cycle compressed spring). All & all the lock-time is more for extreme competitive shooting but sheldom noticed for plinking, target practice, or hunting. As to precise lock-time figures I can't help you.
           
            This is where Remington excells with their electricaly
             fired version rifle. As for Win., the time should be very similar.

[milanuk]

Actually, the competition thing is part of what I had in mind
           
            I was thinking if a person could pick up a CZ 527 action reasonably priced, fit it w/ a 26-30" barrel w/ a 1-7" or even 1-6.5" twist, put a match stock on it, etc., a person could have the makings of a neat little match rifle in .223 Rem.  The 5 rd mags are ideal as far as capacity, but perhaps lacking in OAL for the long bullets for Slow Fire strings.  A person could most likely fashion a magazine 'block' or follower for single loading rounds like what is used in an AR-15, though.   The single set trigger would be nice in that for the Rapid Fire sections (200yd Sitting and 300yd Prone) you could just use the trigger as is.  But for the 600yd Slowfire Prone, a nice light set trigger would be handy.  Might have to turn it *up* a little for safe handling, but still it'd be nice.  In all reality, a match version of the 550 would be better, but mod'ing the mags to hold 5 (requirement) might be a PITA/cost prohibitive.
           
            Now, since Tikka is discontinuing the 595 Continental, a Match stocked version of the 527 or 550 might be just the ticket.  Give new shooters an affordable bolt gun to get started w/.  Biggest problem w/ the Tikka was that whoever laid out the specs on it obviously never shot HighPower, so it had to be extensively reworked from the get-go to make it competitively, and mostly basic stuff that a factory could do fairly cheaply during production (like turn the barrel at the muzzle for a front sight, provisions for mounting rear sight, fore-end rail, adjustable stock (LOP and cheekpiece)).  Who would I need to poke to send this idea to?
           
            BTW, from what I've heard, the Etronix systems on the Remingtons don't speed up the lock time as much as a person might think.  Nobody that I've heard of that competes w/ Remington rifles actually uses one, instead using stuff like the titanium pin, better spring, etc.
           
            Thanks,
           
            Monte

[Fred Flinstone]

Hi milanuk,
           
            The CZ-527 would be an ideal platform for your custom rifle, the 527 has won many International events but is just getting to be known in the U.S., a modification such as performed in extensioning a conventional Mauser magazine box(as to have it accept long magnum rounds) could easily be done by a good smith. A rail could easily be installed by H.S. Precision on their own stock(they could also easily install a Tubbs adj. 3-axis recoil pad.), the original CZ-527 composite(synthetic) stock would be a sweet platform. As to have these installed(fore-end rail) when buying a CZ-527 Synthetic give CZ-USA a call to their marketing poking  guy(you just never know). Wolff also make a super lbs. spring just for the CZ-527 as to lower lock-time. You could easily sell the spare heavy barrel easily to cover the acquisition of the new longer barrel.
           
            It's comforting still to see some people with fire in the belly doing fine firearm projects of tomorrow
            -Fred-

[milanuk]

Actually I don't see many people using HS Precision stocks outside the varmint/tactical arena.  They really don't have much in the way of dedicated target rifle stocks.  McMillan has some, but I almost think a person is better off going w/ some form of wood, in that you can get perfectly acceptable stability w/ a good thorough bedding job, but can stil take a rasp or file and 'custom' fit the stock to your body.
           
            Anywho, tell me more about this magazine conversion you are talking about?  What I'm talking about is that for the Rapidfire strings, a match rifle (by definition, anything that doesn't look like a Service Rifle i.e. as issued configuration AR15/M1A/M1) has to be able to load, fire, do a magazine change/reload, and fire some more, in a fairly short time span.  Usually 10rds total in 60-70 seconds, and normal scheme is 5+5, i.e. two strings of 5rds each, so you normally have to have either stripper clips or magazines that can hold 5 cartridges comfortably, hopefully w/o restricting unduly the OAL of the loaded rounds (which would impinge on the powder capacity).  Like I said, the 527 mags already do hold 5rds, but I don't know about OAL.  But the 550, which would be nicer to build off of, because you can then get into the cartridges w/ the .473  casehead, such as the .308 Win family (notably, the 6.5-08 Win/.260 Rem), and some of the short 6mm derivatives like the 6mm-.22-250, .240NMC, 6X  and 6XC.  The possibility of perhaps stuffing a 6.5mm Grendel in a 527 would be interesting, but I'm not sure it would be worth the hassle considering the all around performance of the 6.5-08.  Barrel life would probably be a bit better, though, I guess.
           
            Ah, well.  Time to get off the soap box.  I'll have to draft something up and shoot it off to CZ-USA about some sort of match ready rifle.
           
            Thanks,
           
            Monte