Found an AHR CZ 550 in 375 H&H for US4000, anyone has info or opinions?

Longwalker said:

...It's already as smooth as the design allows. If speed is such an issue, I'll use my Merkel double instead.

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Problem is, in the example above, I didn't think speed was an issue. The whole thing was unplanned. Truly a case of you don't know if you will need it until you need it.

roverandbrew said:

Can you recommend a gunsmith who will do a custom Mauser build complete for $4500? I honestly am not to smart on the custom scene. Most gunsmiths where I live are well over AHR prices and take a year.

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I parse it out to specialists:
Action is built by Defiance Machine, with CRF option: https://defiancemachine.com/actions/deviant/deviant-hunter/
Barreled for the caliber of your choice, SSK Industries: http://sskindustries.com/
Stock of your choice from Accurate Innovations: https://www.aigunstocks.com/

Total build time 6-9 months. Basically action gets build, goes to SSK for barreling, then AI gets the barreled action for the stock and back to SSK for final check then to you. Barreled action will cost about $2,500 before it gets to AI and then sky is the limit depending on the grade of stock. But, a very decent build can be done for $4,500 overall.

Here is an example for one of the builds (action is Montana though, my old vendor).

Can't comment the value of the rifle you are looking at, but I own a CZ550 Safari Classic in 375 H+ H . The wood is nicely figured, the action is robust and smooth, the gun is reliable and accurate. Probably the most accurate rifle I own. Or the equal... I had heard all this talk about sticky magazines being an issue, send it off fast to get it fixed etc. but I had to watch a video to see WTF they were talking about, and set my gun up to fail. There is no way the sticking issue would ever be an issue with me, but I cut my gums loading the magazine of a .303 British Jungle Carbine.
So what? Well, it is one the guns I will cry over if heaven forbid, I have sell.
I meant to add: not sure of this rifles value on the market, but it will about a $1000 US I think. It is in good shape, but is a hunter.

Tanks said:

I parse it out to specialists:
Action is built by Defiance Machine, with CRF option: https://defiancemachine.com/actions/deviant/deviant-hunter/
Barreled for the caliber of your choice, SSK Industries: http://sskindustries.com/
Stock of your choice from Accurate Innovations: https://www.aigunstocks.com/

Total build time 6-9 months. Basically action gets build, goes to SSK for barreling, then AI gets the barreled action for the stock and back to SSK for final check then to you. Barreled action will cost about $2,500 before it gets to AI and then sky is the limit depending on the grade of stock. But, a very decent build can be done for $4,500 overall.

Here is an example for one of the builds (action is Montana though, my old vendor).

500 MDM Rifle

• Tanks
• Jan 27, 2020

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Thanks! I will check it out.

Tanks said:

I parse it out to specialists:
Action is built by Defiance Machine, with CRF option: https://defiancemachine.com/actions/deviant/deviant-hunter/
Barreled for the caliber of your choice, SSK Industries: http://sskindustries.com/
Stock of your choice from Accurate Innovations: https://www.aigunstocks.com/

Total build time 6-9 months. Basically action gets build, goes to SSK for barreling, then AI gets the barreled action for the stock and back to SSK for final check then to you. Barreled action will cost about $2,500 before it gets to AI and then sky is the limit depending on the grade of stock. But, a very decent build can be done for $4,500 overall.

Here is an example for one of the builds (action is Montana though, my old vendor).

500 MDM Rifle

• Tanks
• Jan 27, 2020

Click to expand...

Seriously great info. Thanks.

Av8or said:

Found an AHR CZ 550 in 375 H&H for 4000.00$ seems like a good price. Anyone have info or opinions?
It is the full upgrade which costs 3750 on the website.
Thanks

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Many members know that I like CZ550 I have owned quite a few and worked on many more. If it was my money which it is not, I would buy a .375 H&H CZ. Purchase a Timney trigger and a "action tool" from Brownells one weekend of smoothing the action and you have a rifle that is ready for Africa. The only other option is you might think about is a Bell & Carlson stock in the LOP and colorization of your choice. Your total investment would be anywhere from about $1,250 to $1,700.00. If you decide to sell the rifle at a later date you should get most if not all of your money back (if you buy right). When you put your bullet into the buffs heart, trust me he will not know if you spent $1,500.00 or $15,000.00 on the rifle!

Well, it's all in the name, I suppose..

Hello Av8or.,

Some words are loaded: for example, say "CZ 550" and you will generally trigger a fair amount of loathing from many (most of whom have never held, never mind owned a CZ 550), and ... dare I say? ... a fair amount of respect from a few in the know

This above statement alone ought to trigger a wave of hate mail

Another one of those hair triggers is "R8". Instantly a relatively limited by absolutely fervent group will extol its near-magical virtues, while others will recognize clever engineering and a new answer to the bolt rifle question but remain cold to the implement

In your case, I suppose the rifle you are referring to is this one.



May I propose that you described it wrong. It is not an AHR CZ 550 - which most people will understand as a factory CZ 550 tuned up by Wayne; it is a full custom rifle built from the ground up on, indeed, a CZ 550 action, which Rigby of London themselves did for the many decades when the magnum length Mauser 98 was out of production .

By the looks of it, this rifle features a hand made custom high grade stock; ebony forehand tip; custom Oberdorf-style bottom metal; custom barrel; British style rear and barrel front sight; straight bolt handle; three position bolt-mounted safety; etc.



This, my friend, is hardly a CZ 550, it is a full blown bespoke rifle built by a well renown gunsmith on one of the best magnum length, double square bridge, deep belly, "Mauser" actions in the world... And I am willing to take a fair wager that it is as smooth as melting butter, and as reliable as a Swiss clock...

For my taste, the bolt and extractor ought to be jeweled (this is easy to add), but what you are looking at, is the full functional and aesthetics equivalent to a $15,000 Rigby, or the beautiful $xx,xxx CZ 550 actionned Craig Libhart's rifle owned by Red Leg (here under).

At $4,000 it actually is a bargain

One Day... said:

Well, it's all in the name, I suppose..

Hello Av8or.,

Some words are loaded: for example, say "CZ 550" and you will generally trigger a fair amount of loathing from many (most of whom have never held, never mind owned a CZ 550), and ... dare I say? ... a fair amount of respect from a few in the know

This above statement alone ought to trigger a wave of hate mail

Another one of those hair triggers is "R8". Instantly a relatively limited by absolutely fervent group will extol its near-magical virtues, while others will recognize clever engineering and a new answer to the bolt rifle question but remain cold to the implement

In your case, I suppose the rifle you are referring to is this one.

View attachment 341664

May I propose that you described it wrong. It is not an AHR CZ 550 - which most people will understand as a factory CZ 550 tuned up by Wayne; it is a full custom rifle built from the ground up on, indeed, a CZ 550 action, which Rigby of London themselves did for the many decades when the magnum length Mauser 98 was out of production .

By the looks of it, this rifle features a hand made custom high grade stock; ebony forehand tip; custom Oberdorf-style bottom metal; custom barrel; British style rear and barrel front sight; straight bolt handle; three position bolt-mounted safety; etc.

View attachment 341669

This, my friend, is hardly a CZ 550, it is a full blown bespoke rifle built by a well renown gunsmith on one of the best magnum length, double square bridge, deep belly, "Mauser" actions in the world... And I am willing to take a fair wager that it is as smooth as melting butter, and as reliable as a Swiss clock...

For my taste, the bolt and extractor ought to be jeweled (this is easy to add), but what you are looking at, is the full functional and aesthetics equivalent to a $15,000 Rigby, or the beautiful $xx,xxx Craig Libhart's rifle owned by Red Leg (here under).

At $4,000 it actually is a bargain

View attachment 341668

Click to expand...

Now there is a quality preemptive strike if I ever saw one!

And you are correct. I absolutely would describe the rifle differently. A 550 out of the box too often seems to need a bit of professional TLC to truly be a dependable rifle for Africa. I have held, shot, seen a lot of them and owned one - for a short period of time - the bolt was like trying to crank a lawn mower - but I digress.

Using a 550 action as the basis of a custom rifle by a competent gunmaker is another issue entirely. I frankly had not looked at the OP's question in that way. By "tuned" 550, I am thinking action polishing, assuring proper feeding, a dependable trigger - all those things a good rifle should have before ever leaving the factory. You know - like - well - an R8! Four grand seemed like a lot of money for a thousand dollar rifle, however much "tuning" went into it.

But you are correct, using the action as the basis of essentially a new custom rifle is a different consideration. If the rifle the Op is considering is the rifle pictured, then it would indeed make a shortlist of potential 4K candidates.

Perhaps it is Wayne's descriptions of his creations that aren't helping?

Who said former military men have to be thick around the edges

Fully agreed on the TLC requirement... Since I provide my own, it has never cost me much but my time, which is in plentiful supply during long winter evenings when polishing to a mirror finish parts one by one sure beats wasting my time in front of the stupid box. I actually enjoy it, I truly do. It keeps my soul closer to the next bush

I had an unfair advantage, I had seen the rifle (assuming it is the same, but this is a fair assumption owing to the accumulation of circumstantial evidence details: CZ550, AHR, .375 H&H, GunBroker, $4,000).

By the way, this is only half of a matched pair, there is also the identical .458 Lott, for $4,000 too.

PS1: I forgot to mention in the previous post description: AAA deluxe English walnut and pistol grip cap. I could think of worse ways to spend $8,000 on a traditional African Battery...

PS2: Non-traditional, and for the same $$$ would be a R8 pro with steel receiver and two Selous barrels... Add $2,000 for a third one in .300 for good measure

One Day... said:

Who said former military men have to be thick around the edges

Fully agreed on the TLC requirement... Since I provide my own, it has never cost me much but my time, which is in plentiful supply during long winter evenings when polishing to a mirror finish parts one by one sure beats wasting my time in front of the stupid box. I actually enjoy it, I truly do. It keeps my soul closer to the next bush

I had an unfair advantage, I had seen the rifle (assuming it is the same, but this is a fair assumption owing to the accumulation of circumstantial evidence details: CZ550, AHR, .375 H&H, GunBroker, $4,000).

By the way, this is only half of a matched pair, there is also the identical .458 Lott, for $4,000 too.

PS1: I forgot to mention in the previous post description: AAA deluxe English walnut and pistol grip cap. I could think of worse ways to spend $8,000 on a traditional African Battery...

PS2: Non-traditional, and for the same $$$ would be a R8 pro with steel receiver and two Selous barrels... Add $2,000 for a third one in .300 for good measure

Click to expand...

Can’t go wrong either way

Absolutely

Mine (.300 Wby, .375 H&H, .416 Rigby) are utilitarian looking, but this is on purpose. I have already paid my dues with $xx,xxx rifles on which the rust blue turns into rust, and the linseed oil finish AAA walnut turns into a warped grey plank over the course of a 10 day non-stop rain hunt... But make no mistake about it, they feed as smooth as poop-through-a-goose, and are as reliable the Gold Standard

One Day... said:

Well, it's all in the name, I suppose..

Hello Av8or.,

Some words are loaded: for example, say "CZ 550" and you will generally trigger a fair amount of loathing from many (most of whom have never held, never mind owned a CZ 550), and ... dare I say? ... a fair amount of respect from a few in the know

This above statement alone ought to trigger a wave of hate mail

Another one of those hair triggers is "R8". Instantly a relatively limited by absolutely fervent group will extol its near-magical virtues, while others will recognize clever engineering and a new answer to the bolt rifle question but remain cold to the implement

In your case, I suppose the rifle you are referring to is this one.

View attachment 341664

May I propose that you described it wrong. It is not an AHR CZ 550 - which most people will understand as a factory CZ 550 tuned up by Wayne; it is a full custom rifle built from the ground up on, indeed, a CZ 550 action, which Rigby of London themselves did for the many decades when the magnum length Mauser 98 was out of production .

By the looks of it, this rifle features a hand made custom high grade stock; ebony forehand tip; custom Oberdorf-style bottom metal; custom barrel; British style rear and barrel front sight; straight bolt handle; three position bolt-mounted safety; etc.

View attachment 341669

This, my friend, is hardly a CZ 550, it is a full blown bespoke rifle built by a well renown gunsmith on one of the best magnum length, double square bridge, deep belly, "Mauser" actions in the world... And I am willing to take a fair wager that it is as smooth as melting butter, and as reliable as a Swiss clock...

For my taste, the bolt and extractor ought to be jeweled (this is easy to add), but what you are looking at, is the full functional and aesthetics equivalent to a $15,000 Rigby, or the beautiful $xx,xxx CZ 550 actionned Craig Libhart's rifle owned by Red Leg (here under).

At $4,000 it actually is a bargain

View attachment 341668

Click to expand...

You need need to spend more time contributing to AH...

One Day... said:

Absolutely

Mine (.300 Wby, .375 H&H, .416 Rigby) are utilitarian looking, but this is on purpose. I have already paid my dues with $xx,xxx rifles on which the rust blue turns into rust, and the linseed oil finish AAA walnut turns into a warped grey plank over the course of a 10 day non-stop rain hunt... But make no mistake about it, they feed as smooth as poop-through-a-goose, and are as reliable the Gold Standard

View attachment 341680

Click to expand...

What brand stocks are those?

Bell & Carlson. They are the one who actually make the CZ factory "Aramid" stock.

Best costs/benefits offer in the market. Actually I do not know what offerings at twice the price offer in addition to those. I own over half a dozen of these and recommend them wholeheartedly.

Tokoloshe Safaris said:

Many members know that I like CZ550 I have owned quite a few and worked on many more. If it was my money which it is not, I would buy a .375 H&H CZ. Purchase a Timney trigger and a "action tool" from Brownells one weekend of smoothing the action and you have a rifle that is ready for Africa. The only other option is you might think about is a Bell & Carlson stock in the LOP and colorization of your choice. Your total investment would be anywhere from about $1,250 to $1,700.00. If you decide to sell the rifle at a later date you should get most if not all of your money back (if you buy right). When you put your bullet into the buffs heart, trust me he will not know if you spent $1,500.00 or $15,000.00 on the rifle!

Click to expand...

Great advice, honestly...the only thing I'd add to this would be...

At which point, why not buy a Winchester Model 70 Safari and call it a day! I KEED I KEED...but seriously?

Rick Cox said:

Can't comment the value of the rifle you are looking at, but I own a CZ550 Safari Classic in 375 H+ H . The wood is nicely figured, the action is robust and smooth, the gun is reliable and accurate. Probably the most accurate rifle I own. Or the equal... I had heard all this talk about sticky magazines being an issue, send it off fast to get it fixed etc. but I had to watch a video to see WTF they were talking about, and set my gun up to fail. There is no way the sticking issue would ever be an issue with me, but I cut my gums loading the magazine of a .303 British Jungle Carbine.
So what? Well, it is one the guns I will cry over if heaven forbid, I have sell.
I meant to add: not sure of this rifles value on the market, but it will about a $1000 US I think. It is in good shape, but is a hunter.

Click to expand...

Anyone who can properly load a jungle carbine for proper feeding can load any rifle correctly. This I know from bitter experience. Finicky does not begin to describe it.

One Day... said:

Absolutely

Mine (.300 Wby, .375 H&H, .416 Rigby) are utilitarian looking, but this is on purpose. I have already paid my dues with $xx,xxx rifles on which the rust blue turns into rust, and the linseed oil finish AAA walnut turns into a warped grey plank over the course of a 10 day non-stop rain hunt... But make no mistake about it, they feed as smooth as poop-through-a-goose, and are as reliable the Gold Standard

View attachment 341680

Click to expand...

Functional yes but so darn ugly.

There's a nice "looking" CZ 550 in 416 Rigby listed on GB, price $3k. No info if the action has been worked on or still factory rough. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/860626511

The seller is a gun store in Dallas: http://www.jacksonarmory.com/JA/riflesDetail.php?mainID=16453

Disclaimer: I'm a AHR fan. They've done work for me in the past and will do work for me in the future but the rifle in the OP is slightly overpriced IMO. The added cost for the premium AHR wood stock isn't worth it. A rifle has to have a stock and a premium fancy grade stock doesn't add much additional value IMO. That's a $2800-3000 rifle with the OEM stock and maybe $3200-3400 with the fancy wood. That's just one man's opinion. YMMV.

I paid roughly $1100 for a new CZ550 375H&H a couple of years ago. Along the way I bought a B&C stock for $275 and then sent it to Wayne for upgrades 1 & 2 ($1800). Total out of pocket just under $3200. I could have bought a new Kimber Caprivi or Sako Brown Bear for around $2800 but IMO the CZ after the upgrades is a better bargain than either of them despite being slightly more expensive.

I don't agree that AHR's upgrades are 'mainly' cosmetic. There's an element of that but having shot the rifle before and after the upgrades there's no doubt my rifle is now smoother, handier, more reliable, more durable and more accurate. I'm sure the Sako and Kimber are excellent rifles out of the box but I'd still rather have a tuned, bedded and blueprinted CZ550 Mauser action over any other rifle at roughly the same price point.

A Blaser R8 is out of the question. As someone above posted they aren't my cup of tea. I concede they're fantastic rifles. I just don't like them. They're the Tesla of gun world. There's a million reasons why they're superior to old school design. I still don't like them and if you gave me one I'd sell it and buy something else. If you're a Blaser owner don't take my comment personally. It's strictly a Ford vs Chevy; blond, brunette or redhead thing. BTW, Ford and redheads for me please.

I'd like to know where all these custom rifle builders are that will build me a 100% custom build magnum caliber rifle for $4500. I know what Wayne charges because I'm having him build me one. I did consider other options but most weren't even in the same ballpark let alone less expensive. A couple were close to AHR's quote but I already have personal experience with Wayne's quality of work. The other builders would have to had beat Wayne by quite a bit for me to realistically consider them. Even then I'd have to ask myself if the quality could be comparable for that much of a discounted price. YMMV.

One Day... said:

Well, it's all in the name, I suppose..

Hello Av8or.,

Some words are loaded: for example, say "CZ 550" and you will generally trigger a fair amount of loathing from many (most of whom have never held, never mind owned a CZ 550), and ... dare I say? ... a fair amount of respect from a few in the know

This above statement alone ought to trigger a wave of hate mail

Another one of those hair triggers is "R8". Instantly a relatively limited by absolutely fervent group will extol its near-magical virtues, while others will recognize clever engineering and a new answer to the bolt rifle question but remain cold to the implement

In your case, I suppose the rifle you are referring to is this one.

View attachment 341664

May I propose that you described it wrong. It is not an AHR CZ 550 - which most people will understand as a factory CZ 550 tuned up by Wayne; it is a full custom rifle built from the ground up on, indeed, a CZ 550 action, which Rigby of London themselves did for the many decades when the magnum length Mauser 98 was out of production .

By the looks of it, this rifle features a hand made custom high grade stock; ebony forehand tip; custom Oberdorf-style bottom metal; custom barrel; British style rear and barrel front sight; straight bolt handle; three position bolt-mounted safety; etc.

View attachment 341669

This, my friend, is hardly a CZ 550, it is a full blown bespoke rifle built by a well renown gunsmith on one of the best magnum length, double square bridge, deep belly, "Mauser" actions in the world... And I am willing to take a fair wager that it is as smooth as melting butter, and as reliable as a Swiss clock...

For my taste, the bolt and extractor ought to be jeweled (this is easy to add), but what you are looking at, is the full functional and aesthetics equivalent to a $15,000 Rigby, or the beautiful $xx,xxx CZ 550 actionned Craig Libhart's rifle owned by Red Leg (here under).

At $4,000 it actually is a bargain

View attachment 341668

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. Always looking for a nice rifle. I have a Montana Rifke co 375 H&H that is perfect and will be great on my safari. I am just a sucker for beautiful wood and traditional looking guns.