Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Since we seem to be on a roll with threads and queries RE CZ550's and 416 Rigby's...

After a couple of years hiatus (I think) I will again bring mine to the attention of those who like and appreciate such things. This one has much blood upon it, including Elephant, Cape Buffalo and Brown Bear. CZ550 with an Ed LaPour model 70 style safety, NECG single stage Mauser trigger with a model 70 trigger pad welded on (Done by Ed LaPour) Wiesner bottom metal which now holds 5 down, Stock by our own Karnis including a real ebony forend tip and hidden slot style sling mounts. Same Burris signature 'safari' model post and crosshair posi-lock scope I put on it back in about 1995 or so and which has NEVER had to be re zeroed or adjusted since original sight in those almost 20 years and many hard hunts ago. Leather cartridge case is from Murray Leather and the knife is a Bruce Bump who used a little 'excess' Elephant Ivory I had for the scales. My most prized and sentimentally valued piece, although my very fast wildcat 338 is a close second.



I much prefer a rather slender, oval in contour, grip. This one measures 4.25 inches - which was my spec - around and for strength has a rather large stainless steel bolt mounted through it bedded in with Brownells Steelbed compound. Finished with a Pewter grip cap:



Just enough color in the buttstock to be attractive and interesting, yet still stable and strong:



Only twisted the scope detatchments off to use these once, while stalking a large brown bear in some stupidthick alders. But, a nice option to have. Fortunately for me, the Burris PosiLock has never neccesitated me having to rely on these:




Anyways, this is my one, lone big bore but I am proud of it and use it pretty well. Probably the only one I will ever own. Its build was featured in African Hunter magazine in my one lone published magazine article. Also seen prominently in my old 28 minute DVD on hunting in Zimbabwe from back when I was booking hunts there and accopmanying my clients in most cases as a bit of a defacto asssistant PH but more often camp problem solver and bait shooter for cat hunters. Grand days, those were.

PS, I have toyed with selling this rifle, along with a copy of the magazine featuring its build and write up with a copy of the aforementioned DVD showing it in use on Ele and Cape Buff. If someone here would maybe like to own this whole set up including dies, brass and some now impossible to buy Barnes Monolithic solids the Pewter grip cap has yet to be inscribed with anyone's initials..... I am pretty sick and very unlikely to make it back to Africa where this rifle belongs. PM me if you think this should accompany you on safari or reside in your safe. SM

beautiful rifle. One day I will make it to Africa myself with hopefully such a stellar example of a rifle

Your PM is over the limit. Good thing I hope. Please send me a PM about the rifle.

Done, and I cleared some messages out. Sorry for the delay.

Thank you! If I do not sell it before you go, and you wish to borrow it for some future safari you are welcome to do so.

If I am ever able to take you up on the offer, I would make it proud

That is nicely customized CZ. Factory offerings have stocks that remind me of amorphous blob of wood. There is either too much wood or there is that next to worthless pathetically ugly hog back Euro style stock.

Thank you. This one came originally with a zero figure or color Euro Hogback stock. It did not last long on there, but when I bought the rifle ALL CZ's had those hogback thingy's on them. When a striaght comb American style stock became available, I bought one, and then came along Karnis and his woodworking magic.

safariman...that is a fine rifle,congrats.

Looks like you restocked it after I saw it. Is this the third stock or a rework of the second?

Hello Mike my friend! Great to see you dropping in here for a bit!

Believe it or not, this is what was hiding inside of the too bulky factory stock! Brought out to more correct proportions and good handling plus showing the color and grain in the wood by our very own wood magician, Karnis.

I am impressed that you remembered that the stock you saw in Africa was the second stock. This rifle came from CZ with the Euro style stock.

RogerD, thank you for the compliment. I am a little bit proud of this rifle.....

He did a very good job. The CZ USA "American" pattern stocks are different than the "American" stocks we get up here. There is too much drop on ours, but they are quite a bit slimmer. Its amazing that he found this stock hiding inside stock #2.

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My sentiments exactly.

I remember handling your "American-Canadian" CZ stock at the hunting camp in Zimbabwe we met up at, and trying to buy it from you.

You've got to get that rifle hunting again.

That is my hope! Keeping it around helps me to hang on to some hope for future use.

It would sure be fun to share a distant hunting camp with you again someday.

Beautiful rifle! The CZs can form the basis for a great rifle. I love mine too.

Amazing. Good honest sellers use the classified forum. Perhaps it would be wise to check the classifieds for safariman.
The question, "Anyone here dealt with safariman?" should work quite well and may save you a bit of grief.

Caveat emptor

I'd enjoy that; we could talk buffalo and rifles, elephant and more rifles til the fire burns down. I've got stories you haven't even heard yet.

Thank you! And I quite agree. AHR does some really excellent customs based on the big CZ action. One of the best starting points for a large caliber DGR IMO.

Model 70 guy, Mike

Lets make it a plan. As soon as I get a Kidney transplant I will talk with you about the when and where since you have still been in the game while I have been sidelined in more ways than one for a few years.

Stories I have not heard yet, eh? I will look forward to hearing them over a real campfire with cocktails in hand while resting from a long day of chasing something really big, preferably dangerous, somewhere far away.

Got to keep the dream alive! My sweetie wants to visit both southern Africa, possibly seeing Victoria Falls with me, AND Australia where you just did that buffalo cull that looks like just WAY too much fun!

Thanks for an uplifting conversation here, with a re kindling of a dream. Hard times are, in most cases, temporary.