Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 3 position safety for CZ550

I am considering getting a Mod.70 type 3 position safety installed on my CZ 550 Magnum American in .416 Rigby. Has anyone tried the Gentry or the LaPour. I would like to get the better one as the price is very close.
I would also like to know if this mod is worth the money.
Thanks

I cannot see how the third position would make a better setup than the factory 2 position. If you're looking to hunt dangerous game with it, then you want a safety that is either on or off, not hung in the middle ground somewhere.

I got the LaPour for my ZKK 602 and like it -- no longer backwards. However, my 'smith had to do a BUNCH of re-cutting.
$260.00 for the kit and I ain't saying how much for the install.

I have a CZ550 Safari Magnum and don't like how sharp the edges are. My 7x64 is also forwards to fire but not as sharp. FWIW.

The three position from Ed LaPour is much more robust and Rugged than the original safety and I am a big fan of a mans rifles all having the same safety mechanism so that he does not find himslef reaching or fumbling around on a tang, or triggerguard or..... when the safety is on the bolt shroud and a size XXX toothy critter is bearing down! Thus, for me the decision was easy. My other big game rifles are model 70;s or an FN with a three position model 70 style safety so it had to be the same on my DGR. As a plus, Ed Lapour is a first rate perfectionist gunsmith and will make the rifle work exactly right if asked to do so.

Not so bad of an idea to be able to put the safety in the middle position for unloading with the trigger still blocked. Contact Ed LaPour and tell him I sent you and said hello.

No need for a three position. Just something else to have to think about. On or Off.

You see it often enough on commercial African DVD's, the client is fumbling with his rifle, looking down at it while the game looks at them deciding when to take off.

Spend the money on practise ammo instead and practice without looking at your rifle, just the target.

Check out www.hunting-rifles.com AHR makes a good three position safety and has a good track record of working on the CZ 550.

Personally, I prefer the factory safety on my 9.3x62 CZ 550. It is easy to use, unobtrusive and well positioned for manipulation with my right thumb. I prefer it to my Winchester Model 70 safeties, of which I have about a half dozen or so in varying calibers.

I completely agree with this........that said I think a guy should stick with what he is accustomed to....I grew up with the M70 safety and even this year,on a moving buck and about 4 seconds to react and kill him, I have no conscious memory of moving the safety off.Happens every time.....and should if you are focused on making the shot.

I have never looked down to release a safety.....doing so simply demontsrates a complete lack of familiarity with your rifle.....practice and familiarity are the key.

Have no knowledge of the LaPour. But as I'm planning to have a 3-position safety installed on my CZ 550 9.3x62 inquired of my GS and he offered that his experience with the Gentry had been that it required a very significant amount of work and that he would not recommend it.

As my other DGRs are M-70s and Ruger MKIIs with 3-position safeties I plan on a similar install on my CZ but I'm leaning toward an AHR model installed by them as I've heard good reports.

I've gotten used to using the middle position when action is imminent and find it very useful. Strongly believe in practice with identical mechanisms in all DGRs is the best insurance.

The CZ safety works very well, but apparently many hunters don't know that when on safe it blocks the firing pin from falling.

In 99% of the instance where somebody feels comepelled to change the CZ fety for a M70 type, the reason is totally knee-jerk, not based on any real knowledge of how safeties work. We have simply been told over and over again about the fantastic M70 safety (which is just a horizontal modification of the old 98 Mauser safety) that we're willing to spend several hundred dollars to replace a CZ safety that works just as well, if not better.

The CZ safety's are ass backwards compared to other US makers of rifles past and present. I will concure that I believe in having all my bolt guns used for hunting big game animals, should have the same type safety......as in model 70 Winchesters!!!

Tonk,

Evidently you haven't shot a CZ 550 in a while. The safeties on the 550 work in the same direction as "American" safeties: push forward to go.

Now, if they would just change the .22 rimfire safeties to "American" style, they'd have a new customer in me.

Just bought a CZ rimfire, and its a cracking rifle, but I hate the safety with a passion!

Better not use it on Cape buffalo, then!

Yeah, I know....Bought the thing but after trying the safety I just know it will never be any good for DG...Have to go back to the .17HMR...

Am I missing something? I have a CZ 550 Minnisota, it was sold here prior to CZ-USA, and it has a 3 position safety. Looks exactly like the current CZ 550. I assumed the new ones were just like my old one.

Same for me with the 527's. I cannot stomach the safety being the wrong direction. Had one in 204 and it was accurate enough, just hated the safety so sold it. For a while Calhoun rifles was putting 3 position safeties on 527's when they re-barrelled them to .19 calhoun. Anyone know if they still do that or if the kit to change these out is available as a componnent from them?

BlairVT, The US CZ's are all push forward to fire, unlike the BRNO's from years past, but the shape of the safety and function is different enough from a model 70 that some of us feel the need to change them out. Others do not and I must admit here that the CZ's as they come from the factory do have a good record in PH firing trials as well as in the hands of many hunters and PH's in Africa.

It is more of a prefereence thing than a need for the most part but I still very much prefer, and feel it safer overall, for the safties on a mans rifles to be as similar and alike as can be made possible. My .02, others equally educated and well established opinions may differ.

safariman,

Jim Calhoon is still converting safeties on 527's, but I dunno if he does it on rifles aside from the ones he turns into .19's. You can contact him at www.jamescalhoon.com or
406-395-4079.

Excellent! Thanks for the link. If he would sell these conversions as kits I think he could make some good money.