Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires CZ 452 American - are they worth the money?

I am considering my first, quality LH .22 bolt action. At age 63, it's about time! Thoughts on the CZs - are they worth the money? Thanks. DJB

Not sure how much money you are talking about, but I have 2. A 22 and a 17 HMR. they are fine rifles.

I have 22 mag lux and a 22 lr Varmint. Both are excellent rifles.

I don't believe CZ still makes left hand .22s. I just sold my 452 American LH for over $1000. They are worth what someone is willing to pay. Mine was very reliable and accurate.

yup! Of course I bought mine when they just came out.... $200.00..

Mine is one of those military type training rifles... has the old Mauser slide sites on it...25 inch barrel.

Mine will head shoot gophers or sage rats at 125 yrds all day long, and with almost any ammo you feed it...

Mine also has about 32 to 33,000 rounds down the barrel.. accuracy has shown no signs of diminishing any time soon.

Have a Picatinny rail on it, and it wears both a 3 x 9 and also, a 4 x 16, depending on what it is going to be used for...

I wouldn't sell it or trade it off.. its ALL a 22 should be..... that and my 94/22 Winchester....

I sure like mine, but only paid 400.

The current model is the 457, which addresses a number of shortcomings of previous models, and is IMO, a better rifle. Still many prefer the 452 and 453, and they may bring a premium. I’ve had a 453, still have my second 455 SS, and have a 457 Varmint MTR. All are great rifles and excellent values.

The 457 corrected the bass-ackwards safety, has a nice trigger guard, has a lower bolt lift, and is nitrided. Not all regard those as important issues, but some did. Pretty much moot now if you’re buying new.

Pappy, those are all improvements that I won’t hesitate to acknowledge.

Ruger American special editions may also have what you are looking for ; however, the fine touches may not be as nice (like butt pad mismatch to the stock).

CZ 452 is worth every penny you pay, period. Happy shopping.
Remember: Quality remains when price is forgotten.

Thanks for the input

Yes, I've had the 452 trainer, and currently have a 452fs.

I do believe the tikka t1x come in left hand, but are hard to find.

Unless you can find a 452 in the $350 range I would say no, the prices they are selling for now makes them overpriced IMO. I have owned five of them through the years (4 Americans and 1 trainer) I still own one American. At a minimum they need some trigger work, the trigger guard while functional is nothing more than a metal strap and scope mounting can be problematic because of the bolt handle configuration. Although I am one of the few though that like the bolt locking safety even if it is backwards to most other manufacturers.

As a value for the money the 457 would be a better choice, it has a nice trigger guard, a conventional safety, and an adjustable trigger. I have read quite a few reports of good accuracy from them, and for me at least the stock seems to fit better than the 452. If I were purchasing one today the 457 would be my choice since the 452 seem to be as much or higher priced.

drover

Do they make the 457 in a LH version? That is the OP's goal.

Oops! I missed that, I am not sure if they have a LH version or not.

drover

Wow, Paul! A $1,000 for your LH CZ 452 American! I put an aftermarket polished blue steel trigger on mine. Looks pretty good.

Absolutely worth it

I replaced the stamp metal trigger guard on my 452 with this one:

https://www.diproductsinc.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=126539

I have a 457 standard and the varmint model, nice rifles both but wish they would have left the damn safety's alone. The old style locked your bolt down when in battery, the new style is no better than a Savage or Marlin. JMO

Wife and I both have $350ish 452 Americans. Hers is a lefty. Really like them. $1000 might tempt me to make hers disappear.

My gripe with the new 457s is they took a classic stocked rifle and ruined it with their new checkering and stick shape. Keep the improvements, adapt the old stock to it. That would have been a winner in my opinion.