Cz 550 maybe sorta?

[Nhoro]

It is obvious that a number off posters above do not own and have not used a CZ 550. I have 2, a 30-06 and a 458 lott.
1. The SAFETY on a CZ 550 works the 'correct' way, same as most rifles. The earlier Brno had backwards safety. I haven't changed the safety on either of mine and don't feel the need to.
2. Set trigger can be disabled by turning 1 screw. I have disabled it on my 458 but left it operational on my 3006. The trigger can be adjusted for travel and weight and I polished the surfaces. Both my rifles have excellent triggers with the 458 being slightly better.

 

[skydiver386]

This is a Marlin rimfire that nearly everyone I knew had growing up. Notice the safety is forward for safe, back to fire? I never heard a single person whine about it, that is until some Gun Magazine writer told them to. Depending on what era your Marlin was manufactured, it may move forward or rearwards to fire.

The safety on the CZ and BRNO rifles is fine for me no matter which direction they operate in , just get used to the one you have.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The reverse safety was changed several years ago. I prefer the newer CZ safety to a 3-position M70 safety because I can keep my thumb on it and my finger along the trigger guard at the same time and shoot in an instant when tracking wounded game. The M70 safety is not the best for quickness on a stopping rifle so I did not change it on my Lott but I do have a 375 H&H with the M70 safety.

@Muskox it is usually the 458 Lott CZs that need polished and tuned to not jam.

I had Wayne at AHR change out the trigger, fix feeding issues, Cerakote the entire rifle, add a barrel band sling mount, etc… but the set trigger was rather nice to have at times before I had it changed.

From the time I started hunting more than sixty years ago I developed the habit of disengaging my shotgun's safety with my thumb even though the safety is on the trigger guard. I want my trigger finger nowhere near the trigger until the gun is mounted. The safety is disengaged before the gun is mounted.

I can easily disengaged the Model 70 safety on my Czech Mauser with my thumb even while the trigger finger is resting on the trigger (though I would never have the finger on the trigger with a live round while disengaging the trigger on ANY gun). And my hands are far from huge in size. My Springfield has a striker wing safety on the left side of bolt shroud and I can easily disengage it with my right thumb while mounting the rifle. And very quickly. Quickly enough to shoot this buck on the run before he could take two strides after I jumped him out of his bed.

 

[cajunchefray]

Get your 375 and shoot it. then decide if it needs a few upgrades or is good as is.

It is a bit overkill in the lower 48 but if you wait till you are ready to hunt DG in africa the same rifle will cost 4000.

Take my overkill comments with a grain of salt as I shot a jackal with a 500 Jeff on one trip because it was causing problems and the 500 was what I had in the bakkie at the time.

Umm, a 500 Jeffery, was it a one shot stop?

 

[LimbNoMo]

It amazes me how many hunters buy rifles and never bother to read the instruction manuals. But then I was trained by drill Sargents.

Most CZ’s now are on their second, third, fourth owner. I’ve never gotten a used rifle with the manual.

Scott, amen on the CZ .458 Lott having feeding problems. I had one that was stock, couldn’t get it to feed for anything. Matrix at the time was a year out and Wayne had quit all but custom rifles. He was nice enough to coach me through it and I got it working, sold it soon after.

Btw…I’m a few days off, but Happy Anniversary!

The reverse safety was changed several years ago. I prefer the newer CZ safety to a 3-position M70 safety because I can keep my thumb on it and my finger along the trigger guard at the same time and shoot in an instant when tracking wounded game. The M70 safety is not the best for quickness on a stopping rifle so I did not change it on my Lott but I do have a 375 H&H with the M70 safety.

@Muskox it is usually the 458 Lott CZs that need polished and tuned to not jam.

I had Wayne at AHR change out the trigger, fix feeding issues, Cerakote the entire rifle, add a barrel band sling mount, etc… but the set trigger was rather nice to have at times before I had it changed.

 

[Badboymelvin]

I was always critical of the fact that when you buy a CZ (I've owned 2 in .458WM), they needed some work, but Farmboy, the custom rifle builder from NT Firearms Gove, said in reality, a lot of rifles need 'tweaking', and once done, the CZ is better than most.

I always liked the set trigger; it was great for off-the-bench sighting in, and once sighted in, I never used it in the field.

I would absolutely get a .375 over a .35 Whelen if you wanted a step up from .30-06 power.
Actually, I'd probably get a .338WM, but the .375 is probably even more versatile than the .338...
The .375 is such a great cartridge, and if you reload it, it can be as mild or wild as you want...

Russ

 

[MS 9x56]

Most CZ’s now are on their second, third, fourth owner. I’ve never gotten a used rifle with the manual.

Scott, amen on the CZ .458 Lott having feeding problems. I had one that was stock, couldn’t get it to feed for anything. Matrix at the time was a year out and Wayne had quit all but custom rifles. He was nice enough to coach me through it and I got it working, sold it soon after.

Btw…I’m a few days off, but Happy Anniversary!

Last I checked the manual was available on the CZ USA website. Hope this helps.

 

[LimbNoMo]

Thank you. That is good to know. I don’t have one anymore though.

 

[Charlie64]

.

Purchased a CZ 550 in .416 years back. If I remember it was about $ 1.750,- off the shelf. Tweeked it a bit - moved front sling to barrel band, had the bolt polished, swapped out the front sight for a hi vis sight, added a couple of cross bolts & welded the magazine closed (too often see someone dump a handful of rounds on the ground from a magazine by mistake!). Have used it in Africa many times & no plans to let it go.

Also looking at a .375 at the moment. Stock is a disaster but its the metal that I am after. Will then have it restocked & some upgrades. That's the plan.

IMO a great magnum system & hard wearing plus reliable. Everything I want in a DG rifle! As said when CZ stopped producing them & started producing rifles with plastic & rubber stocks the prices of 550s went up & up & are still up there!

I'm a fan!
.