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Carabiner CZ 550 Standard
Carbine CZ 550 Predator
The CZ 550 carbine, manufactured by Ceska Zbrojovka as (Ceska Zbrojovka) in the Czech foothills of the Carpathians, the city of Uherský Brod, was developed based on the design of the Mauser 98 bolt group, which is one of the most successful military rifles from the times of both world wars and is produced today in huge quantities options by various gun manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic, in a wide range of calibers.
From its famous prototype, the CZ 550 carbine inherited such qualities as high reliability in difficult operating conditions, durability and long service life, simplicity and safety in handling. The CZ 550 is designed for sport, amateur and commercial hunting of medium and large game.
Technically, the CZ 550 is a bolt-action repeating rifle. The weapon is equipped with a compact trigger mechanism that allows adjustment of the force on the trigger and the length of its working stroke, with a single trigger. The trigger is activated by moving the trigger forward. The adjustment of the trigger is made with a screw located in front of the trigger. The trigger can be easily removed without harming the trigger mechanism.
In carbines with a two-position safety, when it is turned on, the trigger mechanism and the bolt are blocked, so that when the safety is on, it is impossible to open the bolt or trigger the trigger. Carbines with a three-position safety have an additional middle position of the safety, in which it remains possible to open and close the bolt, but the trigger mechanism is blocked and a shot is impossible. In this position, only the white dot is visible. The weapon is equipped with a firing pin cocking indicator located at the rear of the bolt. When the firing pin is cocked, the indicator protrudes from the bolt, which can be checked both visually and by touch.
CZ550 carbines are equipped with a so-called “free-floating barrel” that does not touch the fore-end along the entire length from the receiver to the front edge of the stock. The barrels of all versions of the CZ 550 are produced by cold rotary forging and have four right-hand rifling. The barrel length depends on the modification: 520, 600, 610, 635, 650, 660 mm. In order to reduce production costs and final cost, the CZ550 receiver is manufactured to the maximum length of cartridges used in the line. The cost here is the extra weight of the weapon for the shortest cartridges.
The upper part of the receiver has milled grooves for installing optical sight mounts. The stock is equipped with sling swivels. The swivel bases allow the use of a quick-release shoulder strap and the installation of a bipod on the front swivel to give the rifle stability when shooting from a prone position.
The CZ 550 carbines have the following distinctive features:
- wide range of available calibers
- easy installation of an optical sight
- ease of operation
- fully adjustable trigger (with or without trigger)
- striker cocking indicator
- Easy to disassemble for cleaning and maintenance
- Mauser type ejector
- forged barrel
- high precision, reliability and long service life
The CZ 550 Standard carbine is available with or without open sights for use with an optical sight. Open sights are positioned so as not to interfere with the use of optical sights with large lenses. All CZ 550 Standards feature a classic 19mm wide dovetail right on the receiver for mounting optics.
What is a carbine?
The Cheset 550 is considered the most popular of all Czech-made hunting rifle models. Sports, amateur and commercial hunting cannot take place without the use of this carbine. The production of these weapons is carried out by the Czech Zbrojovka enterprise, which is located in the city of Uhersky Brod (the foothills of the Carpathians). To develop the Czech Chezet 550 carbine, the designers used the Mauser 98 rifle, which was considered the most successful weapon during the First and Second World Wars.
Ergonomics
For lovers of hunting and sporting weapons, March 2019 was marked by the 46th international exhibition IWA. Fans of Czech small-caliber carbines from Ceska Zbrojovka, which presented the world with a new line of rifles - CZ 457, were especially happy.
Having become a direct successor to the CZ 455 and CZ 452, the new carbine has absorbed all the best, and now surpasses the outdated models in all characteristics. The manufacturer achieved this effect thanks to painstaking work with clients. Studying reviews of past lines and eliminating all traditional shortcomings is the secret of a successful product.
And of course, the company did not forget about its early creations. For the gradual transition of users to the new development, engineers have provided compatibility of barrels and magazines with the CZ 455 model.
Trigger mechanism design
The Cheset 550 uses a USM-containing scheller. Due to this, the firing mechanism allows the function of adjusting the trigger force and the length of the trigger stroke. Its movement to the forward position cocks the striker, resulting in the switch being turned on. According to consumer reviews, the use of a sneller has a positive effect on the descent characteristics. The safety feature in the Chezet 550 carbine protects the owners of this weapon from unexpected shots. The shutter is locked using a fuse. According to user reviews, for trigger guns it is often necessary to fine-tune the tips of the stock: widen its hole under the barrel and securely fix it. To perform this job, you must have plumbing skills. Finishing is carried out to avoid a decrease in accuracy when shooting and the loss of an insufficiently firmly fixed tip.
Working with the CZ 550 rifle
Ammo
Use only factory-made cartridges that meet CIP or SAAMI requirements.
Removing the magazine
Press the magazine latch (Fig. 2) and remove the magazine.
Store equipment
(In versions equipped with a detachable magazine)
Insert cartridges into the magazine by pressing down on the feeder and pushing the cartridge case towards the rear of the magazine.
Loading a rifle
(In versions equipped with a detachable magazine)
Make sure the rifle barrel is pointed in a safe direction!
Set up a stocked magazine.
Cock the bolt: turn the handle, pull it all the way back, then push it forward and close the bolt by turning the handle down, thereby sending the cartridge into the chamber and cocking the rifle. The rifle is now ready to fire. If you are not going to shoot, put the safety on the rifle (see p. Operation of the safety).
(In versions not equipped with a removable magazine)
Cock the bolt: turn the handle, pull it all the way back. Insert cartridges into the rifle from the top by pressing down on the feeder and pushing the shell toward the rear of the magazine. After filling, push the bolt forward and close it by turning the handle down, thereby sending the cartridge into the chamber and cocking the rifle. The rifle is now ready to fire. If you are not going to shoot, put the safety on the rifle (Section Operation of the Safety).
Unloading the rifle
Make sure the rifle barrel is pointed in a safe direction!
- remove the magazine or open the magazine cover (Fig. 4) (in modifications not equipped with a removable magazine) and accept the dropped cartridges in the palm of your hand;
- remove the rifle from the safety;
- open the bolt and make sure that the cartridge is removed from the chamber;
- close the shutter;
- perform an idle descent;
Fuse operation
Move the fuse forward to the “safety” position (Fig. 5), thereby closing the red dot. The safety locks the trigger and bolt.
Platoon indicator
When the rifle is cocked, the rear part of the bolt protrudes back (Fig. 6) and can be controlled by touch.
Schneller
The trigger is activated by moving the trigger forward. Turn on the gun only immediately before shooting. Do not carry the rifle with the trigger engaged. If there is no shot after turning on the trigger, point the rifle in a safe direction, engage the safety and remove the rifle from the trigger.
Trigger Adjustment
The adjustment is made after removing the stock by rotating screw A (trigger force), screw B (movement of the trigger before release), screw C (movement of the trigger after release) (Fig. 7).
If the rifle is equipped with a trigger, its adjustment is made with a screw located in front of the trigger (Fig. 8). For safety reasons, you should not weaken the trigger force too much when the trigger is on, in order to avoid an unauthorized shot. The adjustment should be made with the rifle unloaded, closing and opening the bolt, turning the safety on and off. Unauthorized shooting must be excluded.
Adjusting sights
Amendments are made as follows:
Loosen the rear sight screw H horizontally and screw V vertically (Fig. 9). The correction division price is 3cm vertically and 15cm horizontally per 100m.
Optical sight
The optical sight should only be installed by an experienced gunsmith.
How is the receiver arranged?
One of the advantages of the Chezet 550 model is the ease of installation of optical sights on weapons. Ease of installation is ensured by the special design of the receiver, the upper part of which is milled for mounting brackets for a sight. The receiver has a dovetail shape. Its rear part contains a locking groove. The breech is equipped with gas discharge holes. According to reviews from owners of the Czech hunting carbine “Chezet 550”, the profiling and polishing of the surfaces of the receivers is not done well enough: the edges on the cartridge windows do not contain chamfers. According to the owners, they were inaccurately removed using a drill or a coarse file. The quality of the barrel polishing also leaves much to be desired.
Rifle care
Disassembly
- Remove the magazine or open the magazine cover
- Remove the safety from the rifle
- Open the bolt and remove the cartridge from the chamber, then press the bolt stop (Fig. 10) and remove the bolt from the box.
Disassembling the shutter
Make sure there is no cartridge in the chamber!
Lift the bolt handle up, press the bolt disassembly button (Fig. 6) and partially extend the bolt with the other hand. Unscrew the rear part of the bolt assembly with the firing pin and remove it from the bolt stem.
Attention!
Do not further disassemble the rifle!
Cleaning the rifle
When to clean:
- after each shooting;
- if the weapon gets wet;
- at least once a year in normal climates;
- at least once a month in tropical climates;
Barrel cleaning
If the barrel is not very dirty, clean it with a bronze brush. Then use a rag soaked in oil until it is completely clean. If necessary, use special solvents. Clean from the chamber side.
Cleaning rifle parts
Wipe and oil the external parts of the rifle. Do not use solvents intended for bore cleaning.
Use appropriate oil to care for wooden parts.
How is the hardware attached to the stock?
The factory wooden stock is produced with a receiver installed in it. For this purpose, craftsmen use epoxy resin. During laying, workers weigh the barrel in the fore-end. According to reviews, this work is not done carefully enough, since, having purchased a carbine, users often have to repack the receiver themselves. The re-laying process is called “bedding”. For one of the versions of the Chezet 550 carbine – “Synthetic” – bedding is not typical.
The barrel in the forend of this weapon is not located along the axis, which gives a gap between the stock and the barrel. According to reviews from Synthetic owners, this negatively affects accuracy and stability when shooting.
Options
- CZ 550 Lux. Walnut wood is used to make the stock. The owners of this version of the carbine highly appreciate its Bavarian design style. The stock has special corrugations, the butts are equipped with rubber butt pads. The trunk length is 60 cm.
- "Chezet 550 - Standard". The walnut stock is equipped with notches. Rubber butt pads have been replaced with plastic ones. The design of the carbine allows the use of optics and open sights. The weapon is designed for 30-06 mm caliber, like the rest of the Chezet 550 series. Price CZ 550 Standard – 69,600 rubles.
- CZ 550 FS. The walnut stock is identical to the CZ 550 Lux. Carbines differ in barrel length. In the CZ 550 FS version it is shorter. Length is 52 cm.
- CZ 550 Varmint. The walnut stock of this carbine has no cheek piece. The stocks are available with corrugation and rubber butt pads. In the design of the CZ 550 Varmint, the developers do not provide for the use of open sights. The sports barrel sample has a length of 65 cm.
- CZ 550 Magnum Standard. Its design is identical to the CZ 550 Lux, but has a barrel length of 63 cm.
- CZ 550 Hunter. Czech carbine with a barrel length of 60 cm. The walnut stock is not intended for mounting open sights on it.
Technical characteristics and modifications:
• CZ 457 Varmint MTR 22LR – a high-precision model equipped with a heavy barrel, which allows shooting at medium and long distances. Even with intense shooting, the barrel suffers minimal damage.
· CZ 457 Premium 22LR – a classic option for hunters. It features an oiled walnut stock and a comfortable buttstock. Barrel length – 630 mm. Total length – 1084 mm. Weight – 2.9 kg
· CZ 457 Jaguar 22LR – owner of the longest barrel – 726 mm, equipped with a 10-round metal magazine.
The carbine can be purchased in 22WMR, 17HMR and 22LR calibers. Almost all modifications come with 5-round magazines. Otherwise, the characteristics of each modification are unique.
The new product looks competitive in relation to its previous versions. And it will be possible to talk about whether Ceska Zbrojovka managed to create an ideal small-caliber weapon after reports from the shooting ranges. The price on the Russian market starts from 50 thousand rubles.
Reviews
Owners of the CZ 550 universal carbines highly appreciate the following features of the weapon.
The occurrence of any surprises during shooting from Czech carbines is considered an atypical phenomenon. In the absence of optical sights, from a distance of 100 meters the accuracy is 5-6 cm.
The stability of the battle is influenced by the fine-tuning of the carbine carried out by the owner himself. As a result, when shooting from a hundred-meter distance, you can achieve accuracy not exceeding 3 cm.
The quality of combat, according to the owners of the CZ 550, depends on the cartridges used. When shooting from a rifle, it is recommended to use imported ammunition. Domestic cartridges have similar accuracy, but, unlike imported ones, they are characterized by uncontrolled separation.
Using the 30-06mm caliber produces negligible recoil. This is due to the presence of a decent weight of the carbine.
Removing the spent cartridge case from the weapon is carried out without any complaints from the owners. The extraction process occurs quickly and smoothly, which cannot be said about the operation of the carbine bolt. The trigger mechanism needs processing. For this, the owner of a CZ 550 will need a needle file, emery paper and diamond paste.
Rough processing of the shutter was noted. As a result, it is often compared to the German Mausers produced during the war years.
The disadvantage of the bolt is its unstable oxidation, as a result of which the surfaces of the carbine spare parts can quickly rust. The owners have noticed this feature even if the carbine is not in use.
Those who decide to acquire a Czech carbine should familiarize themselves with its control target before purchasing. It comes complete with a weapon passport. Using a target, you can select the rifle you like on the spot without resorting to shooting. As experienced hunters recommend, when purchasing, you need to pay attention to every little detail. In the future, this can free the owner of the carbine from the need to work with needle files and emery.
Rules for safe handling of weapons (CZ 550 carbines)
As a firearm owner, you should take note of certain rules for handling firearms. Compliance with them is a matter of life or death. When using a weapon, you should always remember that you are holding a powerful and potentially dangerous instrument in your hands.
- Always point the barrel(s) of your weapon in a safe direction, even if you are sure it is not loaded. Never point the barrel(s) of your weapon at any object unless you intend to fire. There should be no people or any foreign objects within the affected area.
- Never rely entirely on the mechanical safety of your weapon.
The word "safety" means that the trigger, release lever, hammer or firing pin is locked. However, a shot cannot be completely excluded, even if the safety button is in the “safety” position. See paragraph "Fuse operation" in this manual.Like any mechanical device, a “fuse” can fail.
A mechanical “fuse” makes it easier to operate the weapon, but does not give the right to point the barrel in an unsafe direction. It is necessary to periodically check the operation of the “fuse”.
Never test the safety while your firearm is loaded or the muzzle(s) are pointed in an unsafe direction.
Gun safety doesn't end with the safety - it starts there. Always assume that your weapon is loaded and ready to fire.
- When you are not going to shoot or are transferring the weapon to another person, immediately open the bolt and inspect the chamber, feed mechanism and magazine.
Make sure they don't contain any ammunition. Always keep the chamber empty and the weapon in the safety position unless you intend to fire. - Do not transport your firearm loaded, regardless of whether it is packed in a case, hard case, etc.
- Hunting and shooting from towers, etc.
devices is dangerous. Make sure the tower, etc. is stable and stable. Climbing and dismounting from a tower, etc. devices should only be used with an unloaded weapon. Be extremely careful not to drop your weapon from a height. Remember that if the weapon is dropped, it may fire, even if the safety is on. - Avoid getting foreign objects into parts and mechanisms of the weapon.
Getting dirt, snow and other foreign objects into the bore can lead to swelling or rupture of the barrel when firing.Before checking the bore, make sure that there is no cartridge in the chamber, the magazine has been removed and the cartridge feeder is empty. Set the fuse to the “safety” position.
Inspect the bore. If there is a foreign object in it, regardless of its size, clean the bore with a cleaning rod as indicated in the paragraph "Cleaning and caring for the weapon." Before the first shot, use a cleaning rod and a rag to remove grease from the receiver, chamber and barrel mechanisms.
- Always keep your weapon unloaded.
Store weapons and ammunition separately, out of the reach of children. Take all precautions to ensure that your weapon does not fall into the wrong hands. - Use the appropriate ammunition.
The barrel and receiver are designed to use only standard ammunition. The manufacturer is not responsible for possible incidents when using non-standard cartridges.Attention: if you notice an unusually quiet sound or weak recoil when firing, do not chamber another cartridge.
Remove the magazine, open the bolt and unload the weapon. Inspect the barrel with the bolt open and make sure that no foreign objects are in the bore. If they are found, thoroughly clean the bore. Failure to comply with this rule can lead to serious injury not only to the shooter, but also to others.
Unload and clean weapons in a well-ventilated room. Wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning and lubricating your firearm.
Lead can be harmful to health, negatively affecting the respiratory system and reproductive function.
- Do not perform a “idle” trigger - there may be a cartridge in the chamber.
Always treat your firearm as if it were loaded, even if you believe it is unloaded. - When loading and unloading, keep your fingers away from the trigger.
- Shoot only at a clearly visible target.
Be aware of the affected area of your ammunition. Never shoot in the direction of water or solid objects because rocks, stones, etc. - Always unload your weapon before climbing a tree, jumping a ditch, or crossing anything.
let. See the “Unloading the Weapon” paragraph of these instructions. Never lean a loaded weapon against a fence, tree, car, etc. objects. - Use shooting glasses and antiphons when shooting.
Prolonged exposure to gunfire can adversely affect the shooter's hearing. Use special devices to reduce the impact of gunshot noise on your hearing. When shooting, as well as disassembling and assembling weapons, it is recommended to use safety glasses. To avoid injury, keep the scope at a safe distance from your eye. During shooting, bystanders must remain at a safe distance from the shooter to avoid injury from powder gases or ejected spent cartridges. - Avoid dropping a loaded weapon to avoid an accidental discharge, even if it is on safety.
- If there is a misfire or delay during the shot, point the barrel(s) in a safe direction.
Hold the barrel(s) in this position for at least 30 seconds, then carefully open the bolt and remove the cartridge from the chamber. If there is a puncture on the primer, destroy the cartridge in a safe manner. If the cartridge primer is not touched, contact a qualified gunsmith to identify and correct the problem with the weapon. - Do not violate or allow others to violate the rules of safe handling of weapons.
If you see other shooters violating gun safety rules, politely warn them of the possible danger and show them gun safety techniques. - Make sure your gun is unloaded before cleaning it.
Ammunition should not be in the area where weapons are cleaned or disassembled. Never test the operation of a weapon with loaded cartridges. - Teach gun safety to everyone in your family—especially children and people who have no experience with guns.
Beginner shooters should be supervised by an experienced shooter. - Never use alcohol or drugs before or during shooting.
Consumption of the above can significantly reduce the degree of your concentration and control over your actions, which is unsafe for you and others. - Read and remember all warnings found in this manual and on ammunition packaging and firearm accessories.
- Weapon service and care
Your firearm is a mechanical device that requires periodic inspection, adjustment and maintenance. Weapons must be serviced by qualified gunsmiths.
Never, under any circumstances, make changes to the design of the trigger group and safety mechanism. Failure to do so could result in injury or death to the owner or others.
Be careful!
