Anybody seen this AHR rifle on Gunbroker

[nksmfamjp]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/839275014

Tears me up that this was listed right after I bought my Win M70....mine is at the gunsmith being converted to Lott and adjusted to my vision for a 458 Lott. It pains me ever time Gunbroker tells me it still for sale!

I hope somebody gets it and shoots it!

If sharing somebody else’s auction violates policy, please delete this thread.

 

[CoElkHunter]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/839275014

Tears me up that this was listed right after I bought my Win M70....mine is at the gunsmith being converted to Lott and adjusted to my vision for a 458 Lott. It pains me ever time Gunbroker tells me it still for sale!

I hope somebody gets it and shoots it!

If sharing somebody else’s auction violates policy, please delete this thread.

I have seen it there on GB, but I’m always leery of a non FFL seller with so few sales on GB. It’s probably OK, but I’m not that learned about sales on GB to take that chance?

 

[tarbe]

That rifle had been for sale quite a long time on AHR's website.

They are no longer selling rifles on their page, preferring to move rifles in another fashion, evidently.

I saw several other rifles that were formerly listed on AHR's website, now over on GB.

Notice in the description the seller says the rifle is at AHR.

 

[CoElkHunter]

That rifle had been for sale quite a long time on AHR's website.

They are no longer selling rifles on their page, preferring to move rifles in another fashion, evidently.

I saw several other rifles that were formerly listed on AHR's website, now over on GB.

Notice in the description the seller says the rifle is at AHR.

Yeah, I noticed that about the ad stating the rifle was AT AHR. I thought it was unusual and the seller isn’t a FFL and has only nine sales on GB? I’ve only bought one rifle on GB through a well established FFL company with many sales on GB. I’m not a multi firearm buyer, so I don’t know all of the ins and outs of buying online at GB or any other auction style site? Thanks Tarbe!

 

[Bullthrower338]

CEH,
If you are interested in the rifle I’m sure we can arrange for my brother to go take a look at it in person for you. He lives just up the road from where the seller is. PM if I can help

 

[CoElkHunter]

CEH,
If you are interested in the rifle I’m sure we can arrange for my brother to go take a look at it in person for you. He lives just up the road from where the seller is. PM if I can help

Bullthrower338,
Thanks for the offer, I really appreciate it! But I’m really not looking for a Lott right now even though the rifle seems to be priced very fair. I saw the ad as when I have time, my new “hobby” is perusing through GB looking at large bore rifles along with ammo and learning the GB auction thing. Thanks to you and so many others here on AH, I continue to learn about calibers, rifles and ammunition choices.
Thanks again!
CEH

 

[WAB]

That’s a very good price on an exceptional rifle. If anyone is interested I’d just call Wayne and ask his opinion. It sounds like it’s sitting in his shop.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Yea, I don’t think it has been in his shop long. I called him about 1 week before I bought my Winchester M70. That was maybe 1 week before this was listed. I asked specifically about 458 Lotts that he might know of around $3000.

He had a #2 AHR on a plain CZ550 Safari with a 25” barrel. To me, the above rifle is several steps better for about the same price.

 

[One Day...]

If the stamping on the barrel said Rigby & Co instead of American Hunting Rifles, it would fetch $10,000...

Frequent readers will smile because I keep making this point with boring repetitiveness...

These customized CZ (AHR, Triple River, etc.) offer incredible - as in: hard to believe - value. It only takes half a dozen hours of work to turn a factory CZ into a classic gem, fully the functional equivalent and, in the present case with the restock work, not far from the aesthetic equivalent of London's best.

My .45+ bore is a double .470 NE, and I already have a .458 Lott collecting dust in the safe, so I am not in the market, but I would not hesitate one second buying this rifle, especially if it is at Wayne's. Truth be told, I am surprised it is still for sale after, what has it been? two weeks on GB?...

Actually, if I wanted a .458 Lott, nksmfamjp, and assuming cash flow / savings creativity could allow, I would probably snatch this one real fast and resell the Win 70. This is way more DG rifle than a Win 70 can ever be, regardless of how much money is spent at the smith... What with double square bridge, integral scope bases, integral rear sight, barrel band swivel, barrel band front sight, drop belly magazine, 5+1 capacity, steel bottom, direct trigger, etc. etc.

 

[WAB]

If the stamping on the barrel said Rigby & Co instead of American Hunting Rifles, it would fetch $10,000...

Frequent readers will smile because I keep making this point with boring repetitiveness...

These customized CZ (AHR, Triple River, etc.) offer incredible - as in: hard to believe - value. It only takes half a dozen hours of work to turn a factory CZ into a classic gem, fully the functional equivalent and, in the present case with the restock work, not far from the aesthetic equivalent of London's best.

My .45+ bore is a double .470 NE, and I already have a .458 Lott collecting dust in the safe, so I am not in the market, but I would not hesitate one second buying this rifle, especially if it is at Wayne's. Truth be told, I am surprised it is still for sale after, what has it been? two weeks on GB?...

Actually, if I wanted a .458 Lott, nksmfamjp, and assuming cash flow / savings creativity could allow, I would probably snatch this one real fast and resell the Win 70. This is way more DG rifle than a Win 70 can ever be, regardless of how much money is spent at the smith... What with double square bridge, integral scope bases, integral rear sight, barrel band swivel, barrel band front sight, drop belly magazine, 5+1 capacity, steel bottom, direct trigger, etc. etc.

I agree, this is a great rifle. However I don’t understand the need to denigrate another great gun, the M-70, to praise this one.

Interesting point on the Rigby. Not that I will ever sell it, but I feel fairly confident that If my son chooses to sell my Rigby when I am gone, it will likely fetch as much or more than I paid for it. However, I doubt he will get what I’ve put into my custom M-70’s. And I doubt that my buddy’s heirs will get what he’s put into his AHR CZ’s. Sad because they arguably match or beat many London guns in form and function.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I’m more than comfortable with where I’m at with my M70, except I’m not shooting it yet!

I just wanted to confirm that this looks like a great rifle....sometimes I overlook things others see right away. Frankly, I would like about 0.5” more LOP.

 

[One Day...]

Sorry WAB, if my post came through the wrong way, I did not mean to denigrate the Win 70. Actually I am on simultaneous record to own and like the Win 70. See https://www.africahunting.com/threads/winchester-70-stainless-classic-375-h-h.53647/#post-586300.

But I can like the Win 70 for what it is, a great light CRF rifle which to me is about perfect, especially in its stainless rendition, for a go anywhere do anything PG rifle, and still at the same time recognize objectively that it misses a number of features that have more or less universally been sought in generations of classic Rigby, Mauser, Holland& Holland, Griffin & How, etc. etc. DG rifles, namely, as previously stated: double square bridge, integral scope bases, integral rear sight, barrel band swivel, barrel band front sight, drop belly magazine, 5+1 capacity, steel bottom, etc. etc.

As to resale value, it will be interesting indeed. I am noticing that the ZKK 602 rifles, now raised to legend status, are selling used today for more money than they did when new. I suspect that when the CZ 550 (which is the same action as the ZKK 602 with minor evolution) gets discontinued by CZ as rumors keep circulating, used factory CZ 550 will rapidly cost more than the ~$1,000 they cost new today and I would expect that customized CZ 550 (AHR, Triple River, etc.) will climb up the value ladder even faster. Nothing like penury to push up the price in a supply & demand economy, right?

 

[WAB]

No worries One Day, I was on the road for 28 hours driving back from Nova Scotia. Was probably too punch drunk to be reading anything correctly let alone responding! I’m attaching a pic with two custom .458 Lott’s, one n AHR CZ, the other a M-70 (interestingly stocked by the same fellow). I would gladly hunt with either.

The third rifle, unscoped, is a 450 Ackley

 

[One Day...]

Yep, I remember this picture. Great pic, great story
I too would use any of the three.

We often tend to get verrrrry deep in the weeds discussing minute points on AH, and we are all the product of our own experience.

Personal example: having had the ill fortune to loose a screwed-on front sight on a best-quality German KDF Titan custom .375 H&H Mag, and to have screwed-on scope bases go loose on a .340 Wby Mag despite being put on by a very reputable best-quality American gunsmith of national recognition, I have probably developed a strong case of over-sensitivity when it comes to integral scope bases on a double square bridge action, integral rear sight island, and barrel band front sight, all three features truly found ONLY on the CZ 550 in this price range...

Truth be told, I never understood why Winchester are not producing a special series of M 70, machining the top of their action differently to incorporate integral dovetails (it would not cost much on CNC machinery), providing barrel band rear sight, barrel band front swivel, barrel band front sight and a slightly deeper steel bottom (also so easy to do on CNC), and using their original Win 70 trigger. The added manufacturing cost would be minimal, folks would gladly pay for it, and they would OWN the DG market in the US and likely the world...

 

[nksmfamjp]

I’m attaching a pic with two custom .458 Lott’s, one n AHR CZ, the other a M-70 (interestingly stocked by the same fellow). I would gladly hunt with either.

Both are great rifles! For me it came down to having more hands on time with the M70, really liking the M70 stock shape and knowing that feeding would be almost automatic. The CZ550 is a great base rifle, but feeding seems a bit suspect. The stocks are generally a little thick....and other than this one, I haven’t seen one ready to shoot for $3000!

Truth be told, I never understood why Winchester are not producing a special series of M 70, machining the top of their action differently to incorporate integral dovetails (it would not cost much on CNC machinery), providing barrel band rear sight, barrel band front swivel, barrel band front sight and a slightly deeper steel bottom (also so easy to do on CNC), and using their original Win 70 trigger. The added manufacturing cost would be minimal, folks would gladly pay for it, and they would OWN the DG market in the US and likely the world...

That is truth, especially if CZ is going away....can’t imagine that. They own the market...

 

[One Day...]

... The CZ550 is a great base rifle, but feeding seems a bit suspect ... I haven’t seen one ready to shoot for $3000!

I have no doubt that there is occasionally a factory CZ with a problem - heck my Win 70 Stainless Classic safety could not engage from the factory, I had to adjust the camming surface for it to work! So, I guess it happens with all makers. But it really seems that most every time a CZ issue is documented to its logical end, it involves a rechambering job: .458 Win to .458 Lott were great candidates before the factory produced the Lott, and the usual issue was half-witted "gunsmiths" pushing a reamer through the chamber (easy) without adjusting the feed ramps to the longer cartridge - duh !?!?!? Or, it involves a re-barreling job, especially in the hard to feed .500 Jeffery with rebated rim, or the monster .505 Gibbs, etc. Clear back to the early 1900's British gun makers had to design special magazines to feed the .500 in a single stack column, and wider magazines for actions with deeper feed rails to contain the .505, so that they could feed reliably. What makes folks believe that this ought to be any different today !?!?!?

There is nothing suspect with the feeding of a $1,000 factory CZ and every last one of them is function tested and test fired at the factory, and delivered with its target. Yes, the feeding rails undersides may be rough from machining marks and the action may be tight, but ready to shoot they are, and not for $3,000 but for $1,000...

Here is the dirty secret, and no I am not denigrating the Win 70: what folks interpret as a smooth action in the Win 70 is actually a loose action. For sure it does not need a break-in period, the tolerances are much higher. In truth, CZ actions do require a break in period, or as competent gunsmiths say, they need to be "released." This is because they are machined much tighter, with lower tolerances than the Winchester. I see this as a plus, not a minus...

No contest on the lack of elemental deburring and polishing of machine cuts on the CZ, and I just cannot fathom why they continue to shoot themselves in the foot with that, but do not be confused by the internet bashing. As I am fond of saying, there are pretty darn good reasons why Rigby of London used the CZ 550 actions to build their $10,000+ rifles for decades when the Mauser magnum actions were out of production...

As to the CZ 550 going away, I hate to say that this would not surprise me. Objectively, they are worth a heck of a lot more than what they are sold for. The company must not make much money on them. I for one would wish that they cleaned up their act (and their actions - pun fully intended) and sold a fully polished rifle for a little more money rather than discontinue a rough rifle. Oh well, what can I say, some marketing genius probably knows better

 

[CoElkHunter]

I have no doubt that there is occasionally a factory CZ with a problem - heck my Win 70 Stainless Classic safety could not engage from the factory, I had to adjust the camming surface for it to work! So, I guess it happens with all makers. But it really seems that most every time a CZ issue is documented to its logical end, it involves a rechambering job: .458 Win to .458 Lott were great candidates before the factory produced the Lott, and the usual issue was half-witted "gunsmiths" pushing a reamer through the chamber (easy) without adjusting the feed ramps to the longer cartridge - duh !?!?!? Or, it involves a re-barreling job, especially in the hard to feed .500 Jeffery with rebated rim or the monster .505 Gibbs, etc. Clear back to the early 1900's British gun makers had to design special magazines to feed the .500 in a single stack column, and wider magazines with deeper feed ramps to contain the .505, for them to work reliably. What makes current folks believe that this ought to be any different today !?!?!?

There is nothing suspect with the feeding of a $1,000 factory CZ and every last one of them is function tested and test fired at the factory, and delivered with its target. Yes, the feeding ramps may be rough from machining marks and the action may be tight, but ready to shoot they are, and not for $3,000 but for $1,000...

Here is the dirty secret, and no I am not denigrating the Win 70: what folks interpret as a smooth action in the Win 70 is actually a loose action. For sure it does not need a break-in period, the tolerances are much bigger. In truth, CZ actions do require a break in period, because this is because they are machined much tighter, with lower tolerances than the Winchester. I see this as a plus, not a minus...

No contest on the lack of elemental deburring and polishing of machine cuts on the CZ, and I just cannot fathom why they continue to shoot themselves in the foot with that, but do not be confused by the internet bashing. As I am fond of saying, there are pretty darn good reasons why Rigby of London used the CZ 550 actions to build their $15,000 rifles for decades when the Mauser magnum was out of production...

As to the CZ 550 going away, I hate to say that this would not surprise me. Objectively, they are worth a heck of a lot more what they are sold for, the company must not make much money on them. I for one would wish that they cleaned up their act (and their actions) and sold a fully polished rifle for a little more money rather than discontinue a rough rifle. Oh well, what can I say, some marketing genius probably knows better

One Day,
As I have mentioned to you before, my new CZ .458WM functions flawlessly and balances and shoots very well! When it comes to firearms, I’m really a cheap bastard that looks for value at a fair price. I’ve never owned a CZ before, but for the $1,019.00us I paid for it, I’m truly impressed. I’m also very cynical when it comes to unproven claims about most anything. There are MANY more much better quality rifles out there at a higher cost. I’m sure most of them are WELL
worth the extra money, but when your on a rifle budget and your wife is breathing down your wallet, one takes what he can get! Ha! Ha! But true!
CEH

 

[nksmfamjp]

Sold for $2800....who is the lucky person?


It is truly awful to hear that the CZ550 safari might be going away. I really cannot imagine it. It is a great action at a good price.

What it really needs is to overcome the rem 700’s stranglehold on the us market. They are marginal guns that don’t compete well with win 70’s, cz’s or Ruger 77’s. Unfortunately, the Usa is going through some infatuation with the accurate $350 rifle!

 

[Newboomer]

If CZ does away with the 550 what will replace it? They are going to have to come up with something pretty good to beat it. I keep checking GB for a 9.3x62 but none show up. Guess I'll have to get it at the SCI show.

 

[WAB]

I would think most safari rifle sales would shift to the M-70. Its marginally more expensive, but in the price range it would be the only CRF option without increasing cost significantly.