Got out to shoot my new 28", CZ 712 Magnum (3-1/2") today for the first time. I didn't really want the mag. version as I intend to shoot casual trap with the gun, but I couldn't find a standard 712 (currently discontinued) with a 28" barrel. I got the mag. new for only $365 ($499 msrp) so I couldn't pass.
Fit & finish on this gun is excellent. The Turkish Walnut stock is as nice as many guns costing 4X the price. The black chromed finish is matte in appearance and looks very rich & true black. The action cycles very smooth with no noticable rough spots in the stroke. It has a single brass bead.
Prior to firing the gun for the first time I disassembled it and cleaned the factory lube from all the parts. I re-lubed all moving parts with a drop or two of Tri-Flow, including a light coat of oil rubbed into the O.D. of the magazine tube.
I purchased three different inexpensive light game, or trap loads to see if the mag. version would cycle with the ammo. I hoped to shoot in it for clays.
I purchased Remington "Game Load" (1oz. of #7-1/2 shot, 3-1/4drm, 1290fps), Remington "Gun Club" (1-1/8 oz. of #8 shot, 2-3/4drm, 1145fps), and Federal "Top Gun" (1-1/8 oz. of #8 shot, 2-3/4drm, 1145fps). I figured since these are about as light as factory trap loads come, If the gun cycled these it would cycle anything.
My two shooting buddies thought it would be smart to break-in the magnum with a few rounds of "hot" loads, and offered me 25 rounds of their reloaded "Chuker loads". These loads were AA hulls, with 1-3/8 oz. of #7 shot going fast (I don't remember the velocity).
We all took turns shooting the new CZ from behind a Do-All-Trap. Two of us are 6'1", and one fellow is 6'3". Long story short is that we all "smoked" clays equally well with the 712 Mag.! While we didn't pattern the gun on paper to check POI, it would seem that the gun shoots where it's suppose to (pattern work to follow).
Out of 125 rounds of 4 different loads, the brand new CZ only had one faliure to feed! One of the Gun Club rounds caught at the front edge of the breech and wedged the bolt open. Pretty darn good feeding with only one failure out of 125 various rounds from a brand new gun!
As of this time the CZ 712 Magnum gets a big "thumbs Up" from me
Details about this gun can be found at
www.czusa.com
