Parker Hale 404 Jeffrey Has Arrived

[Milan]

Santa Barbara are actually "truer" Mauser actions than Zastava because they retain the C-collar in the front bridge. This deflects gases better in case of a rupture case than the Zastava internal collar cut on both sides.

Where do you have this info from? Just curious as I'd like to know more. My understanding was that Zastava has been using the same original Mauser based design just like CZ. Their modernized versions may have changed slightly but the receivers have not changed much in the front end area so I assumed the Zastavas retained the C just like the CZs but I have never seen Zastava action alone. Maybe I should take my Whitworth apart completely.

 

[sestoppelman]

Frank De Haas book, "Bolt Action Rifles" confirms this.

 

[TOBY458]

Where do you have this info from? Just curious as I'd like to know more. My understanding was that Zastava has been using the same original Mauser based design just like CZ. Their modernized versions may have changed slightly but the receivers have not changed much in the front end area so I assumed the Zastavas retained the C just like the CZs but I have never seen Zastava action alone. Maybe I should take my Whitworth apart completely.

Just take the bolt out and look at the chamber section of your barrel. The c ring, or lack thereof should be seen fairly easily. The Zastava has both sides of the ring cut out, whereas the Santa Barbara has only one side cut out, which form the "c ring".

 

[Milan]

@TOBY458 Doh! This occurred to me as I was reading your reply. I did not even finish reading it and went to check and indeed the Zastava based Whitworth is not a C-ring. Thanks!

 

[sestoppelman]

The lack of or presence of the vaunted C ring is one of those things that has never concerned me one way or another. I consider it a non issue. Its like the split lug for the ejector. I don't worry about that either. And I don't obsess over the shortening up of the lower lug recess to make room for the longer mag box for .375 rounds.
My feeble brain aint got time for this kind of minutiae!

 

[Milan]

Not obsessing... ... yet. Just learning.

I don't mind the split lug at all. But I did have primer puncture on a Brno ZKK 600 and the gasses and powder hit me in the face right where old school Mauser maybe (I do say MAYBE) would have deflected some of them with its bigger bolt shroud. But mainly everything else went out the port and through the vents into the magazine. No injuries, no foul, ZKK600 feels safe. Not saying Zastava is not. As a matter of fact I think it is. But it does make me wonder how the gases would behave in such case. Probably no different, given the exhausts are in the same location...if anything I wonder how much the Mauser style bolt stop comes into play on that left side bolt lug raceway.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Interesting technical posts on the different action subtleties. I have a CZ 550 and two Whitworths. Never new the differences? I do know the Whitworths will load a single cartridge from on top of the magazine into the chamber like a push feed style action, but the CZ will only load from the magazine? Moot point, just interesting?

 

[Major Khan]

Congratulations , Toby !
Many of these rifles were made for Rhodesian game departments until 1963 , when ICI Kynoch ceased manufacturing centre fire rifle cartridges ( including the .404 Jeffery ) .