How many folks remove the barrel lug and shoot with only the one action screw??? My Varmint is less than impressive in the accuracy department ... wondering if a floated barrel with only one action screw may help.

Thanks!

-g

5 million CZ fans here and no one has tried this?

How about just removing material around lug and see how it shoots. I no it would be a pain.

Never had to do anything to my CZ453 to get it to shoot other than load it, sight it, and squeeze the trigger. Son-in-law's 452 was the same after a Yo Dave trigger kit.

Well there you go ...

The 452 models vary in how the action is secured to the stock:

The 452 American has two action screws and the barrel is free floated. Well, it is supposed to be - sometimes they are not properly stocked and the wood touches the barrel on one side or the other. My first American (2003) arrived perfectly free floated and it is still that way to this day. It is a very accurate rifle. My second American had the wood touching on one side of the barrel channel. I used a sandpaper wrapped dowel rod to remove the offending wood and then refinished the barrel channel. It's groups tightened up appreciably.

The 452 Special/Trainer, FS, Lux, and UltraLux all have a single action screw and a forward forearm screw threading in to hole in the rear sight screw's barrel band. I shoot these as is and they seem to be acceptably accurate.

The 452 Varmint, Style, and Silhouette all use a single action screw and a forward forearm screw that attaches to the barrel via a threaded lug that dovetails into the bottom of the barrel. CZ refers to the lug as a nut.

I don't have a Style or Silhouette but I acquired a 452 Varmint last year used from a friend. I noticed that the forward screw and the internal "nut" were both missing. He said that someone told him that the rifle would shoot better with "the barrel floated" and he removed it. I asked him for them and he looked for them but could not find the parts. The rifle, scope, rings, and three boxes of Wolf MT was a good deal and I bought it anyway.

I tried the rifle without the front screw and it shot 3/4 to 1 inch groups at 50 yards. This was my 8th CZ rimfire and I new it should perform better. I called CZ and a helpful shop guy told me that he would send me the missing forward screw and barrel nut but the cost was $8.50. He must have felt somewhat sorry for me though. He waived the shipping.

Just two days later they arrived, I installed them and voila:

Five rounds of Wolf Match Target at 50 yards - best $8.50 I ever spent!




In my experience, these forearm screw models are usually floated in front of and even past the screw. The gunsmith party line on achieving a truly floated barrel on the 452 Varmints is to drill and tap the action for a second action screw, eliminate the nut and forward screw, and then clean up the channel to insure that no wood touches the barrel - the same as on the 452 Americans.

I have heard mixed results after burning the energy and expense. I think the Varmint owner's time may be better spent tweaking the front and rear screws' tension until a proper harmonic is achieved. Just some effort and earnest range time can yield the kind of accuracy we all look for.

By the way, the 452 Varmints chambered in .22 Magnum and .17 HMR employ two action screws - just like the CZ 452 American.

The single set triggered CZ 453 .22 LR Varmint model also has two action screws - no forearm screw.

Crazy stuff, huh?

I had my gunsmith pillar-bed the two action screws on my CZ453, glass-bed the action and re-float the heavy barrel... it shoots pretty darned good... especially with Wolf Match/Target ammo as some of the hot-shot "Annie" owners in the Club found out (hehehehehe)!~!~!

I keep tellin' 'em, "When you lose the bet, you haveta buy the Diet 'Dew'... jezzzzz, no 'biggie' fer gosh sakes!" ("Annie" owners don't LIKE to lose... ESPECIALLY to CZs, don't cha know)


Strength and Honor...

Ron T.

I understand & that is my quest ... but I do NOT have two action screws ... several scout owners have touted their rifle's accuracy and they only have one action screw .... what gave me the idea.

Well... shucky-darn, George,

I feel as if I "know" you well 'cause I've been readin' your posts for a good many years here on the "Fire". And I was jus' wishin' I could help you out a little by giving you some ideas along the lines of what worked for me.

I guess I was wonderin' out loud and thinkin' that if you pillar bed that single action screw, glass-bed the whole action and float the barrel, it might help, but then I don't know for sure if it would or not and I hate to see you waste the money and effort if it didn't work.

I wonder why CZ didn't use 2 screws in ALL of their model's actions??? But one thing's for sure... without that 2nd action screw, that barrel lug has GOT to be solidly set up in the stock... and fiber-glassing the whole action (including the lug's notch in the stock) together with pillar-bedding that single screw might just do the "trick".

Then you could add or subtract the pressure on the action in the stock by tightening or loosening that pillar-bedded single screw. That's where the "fine-tuning" comes in with a rifle with the two pilar-bedded screws, you don't tighten either one of 'em up as "hard" as you can, you "play" with the amount of tightness of each of the screw's until you get the accuracy results you want.

And I was thinking that you might be able to accomplish the same thing if you "locked" the barrel lug TIGHT into the notch in the stock with fiber-glass, pillar-bedded the one action screw you have, floated the barrel at the single screw's tightest and loosest point and then, played with the tightness adjustment of the ONLY action screw you've got until you got the greatest level of accuracy your rifle can give you.

But all of this is just-a-thought. I've never done it... and can't say that it would actually work, but it seems as if it would.

Another "solution" would be to sell your CZ and buy a 453 with the single-set trigger and TWO (2) action screws!

Sorry I can't be of more help, my friend...


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Thanks for the kind words and do hold most of your musings in high regard.

In all honestly, I have no one to blame but myself. I didn't research the rifle well enough before I bought it. Had I know about the barrel mounting issue I probably would have done the 453 Varmint vs. the 452 Varmint. Not a set trigger fan, so I figured I put a Rifle Basix in it, so might as well save the coin and get the 452. This is why stoopid gets expensive!! I was in the hospital for my B-day last December and as a getting out present I got the 452 Varmint given all the fabulous press CZ gets on this and other forums. Davidsons is out of them, so finding one will be an issue of luck. I'm working on building up a 77/22 now, if that goes well the CZ will go down the road as a $500 lesson (rifle/trigger/rings). Hopefully its next owner will make it sing. Then again, it may be the Indian and not the arrow.

Again, thanks for the well wishes. ...

-g

I have the 452 varmint it shoots excellent. Wasn't aware of the barrel screw till I took it apart to put in the trigger spring. At the time thought about getting rid of it, would have to bed it for sure. Didn't mess with it because the gun can still shoot. I'm not convinced it's an issue.

I tried all available match ammunition in saskatchewan(about 4 kinds at the time lol)and the 452 varmint didnt shoot any of them.It wasn't until i tried Winchester power points and federal classic 38gr copper plated hollow point that the gun came into its own.Might be worth a shot to try lots of differant kinds of ammunition.It definitely worked for my rifle.

I think this is one of the reasons CZ is switching to the 455 model, to simplify production and get everything on one page. That makes sense to me, anyhow.

The savings in machine time and aggravation alone, not to mention model-specific parts, would sure help the bottom line.

As does everyone's ... Shot with the same with barrel lug removed. Two or three in the same hole, and two or three about 0.75" from each other. (just like installed) No rhyme or reason ... Didn't want to shoot more expensive ammo in this rifle. Getting close to cutting my losses in this one.

Maybe its just me. I can shoot centerfire's into 1/2" at 100 yards with regularity, but MOA at 50 yards for me with a bolt action lr rifle is a no can do. I've built a 10/22 T-ish that will be < 1/2" about 75% of the time (for 5 rounds). My WMR and HMR will both be MOA at 50 & 100 yards, ... perhaps there is a technique for the much slower lr I don't know about that is less critical when shooting a round with more velocity. ..... It has printed < 1/2" groups but only one outta ten. IMHO, a rilfle isn't an MOA shooter unless it can 5 MOA groups in a row. ... not one now and then.

Thanks to all for their help and thanks to all who offered nothing of value except to say that "their" CZ shoots bulk pack gerbil pellets in a hurricane in to , 1/2" at 1000 yards, everytime.

-g

Polish the firing pin and inside of bolt with jewellers rouge and a dremel.Get the trigger pull consistent.Bed the rifle properly.Set up a small mag base dial indicater stand on the barrel and zero a dial indicater on the stock.The bedding wont be correct until u can loosen the action screws and barrel lug without the dial indicator moving much if any .002 max.Try some gerbil pellets and see if it shoots consistantly.I apologize for not mentioning that tidbit as it has been close to 10 years since the 452 has been tuned up.

Maybe it has been 10 years since i last worked on that rifle.I'm getting [bleep] old.lol

I think with correct bedding, the barrel lug is of little consequence.

George...

I can "sense" the frustration in your posts... and, BROTHER, I "feel" for ya 'cause many of us have "been there/done that" with other rifles.

It sounds to me that the "problem" is NOT "you", but the rifle, possibly the bedding or maybe the barrel... or maybe BOTH !!!

Me thinks, at this point, it is probably best that you merely SELL the rifle and buy a standard 452 or possibly a 453 Varmint. From everything I've ever read about CZ452's, they are usually "excellent" in the accuracy department. However, while I probably don't need to say it, MAKE SURE ANY CZ YOU BUY HAS TWO (2) ACTION SCREWS... (not that you need to be reminded of this).

Make sure your barrel is "floated", too. I've never had a rifle that floating-the-barrel didn't improve it's accuracy and I'm sure CZs are not any different.

I can't abide an inaccurate rifle and you sound like a man who can't abide one either. So "go bold" and make-your-move... and cut away the FRUSTRATION you're currently living with. I.E., SELL it or trade the darned thing in on something else... or you'll end up so mad that you'll kick the poor dog!

Life is too short to put up with crap like this... n'est pas, mon ami?


Strength & Honor, my friend...

Ron T.

Been thinking about cutting bait on this one for awhile, but HOPE springs eternal. Hate to dispatch a decent rifle over an easy massage issue. Finally broke down and bought a torque screwdriver and put a starting torque of 20/12 in-lbs. on the action/barrel bolts respectively. To my surprise that isn't all that much torque!!! I've always been of the "when hairline fractures occur in your wrists" torque club. If a little is goodly a lot much be greatly .... we will see how it rolls.

It shoots well enough for squirrels, BUT so do all my rf's and a most have checkering on the forearm.

Maybe this week-end ... we'll see.

Good luck! We will be waiting for results. I just bought a 452 varmint and have not shot this one yet.

stuff mouse turds in it ... should easily shoot MOA

George,

Had a varmit, shot the best of all my CZ's(got 4 now, have sold several), but I think it was only due to the extra weight out front and the shape of the forend and how it settled into my front rest. It would shoot pretty close to 0.300" at 50 yards with it's favorite ammo, they all pretty much shoot at or just under 0.5" at 50 yards with preferred ammo.

Take Sheffeild shooter's advice and try varying the pressure of the forend screw. If that doesn't fly try removing the screw and making sure the lug is not contacting wood.

Had/have two trainers that I quit using the barrel lug screw and drilled and tapped the action for a second action screw (easy to do, but a little work and there is not much meat for the 2nd action screw but I've had no problem)shot pretty much the same, no major improvement.

I had three scouts, they all shot fine. Put a second action screw on one, and again didn't notice any major improvement in groups. Will note that I've glass bedded all of my CZ's.

Haven't tried the Basix trigger (yet) or the Timney for that matter. Tried two of the automation solutions adjustable sears... like them. Also bought a trainer that the previous owner had set the trigger up with one of the trigger shim kits (ask who is selling them now over at rimfirecentral), they run around $18 and this trigger is as good as the triggers with the AS sear.

Oh yeah... What ammo are you using? I have had the most consistent luck(?) with Wolf Match Target. Even that can depend on the lot of ammo... Wolf match Extra is supposed to be more consistent than WMT (it's more expensive) but the lot that I have does not shoot as well, SK Jag Und is the same round as WMT with a different name on the box yet the lot I have does not shoot as well as WMT in several of my rifles. The best groups I shot with my CZ Varmit were with of all things PMC Sidewinder, so it pays to try different ammo.

Jerry