floating barrel problem with cz455

Mungo

Well-Known Member
Hi folks,

some suggestions would be much appreciated.

After the appearance of some accuracy problems with a CZ455 in .22LR, I did a thorough check of the rifle.

It turns out that the barrel was pressing against the stock: when the front stock screw is tightened fully, it forces the barrel down against the stock.

What would people suggest as a possible solution?
 
Having seen several 455's with similar problems, my first thought would be that the inletting is too loose. I would suspect that even with everything tightened down to (reasonable) levels, there will still be some movement within the stock. If so, the simplest and most effective solution is to bed it.

When things are stable, you can check again and if you are still not satisfied, carefully take a little out to release the barrel.

HTH
Knots
 
You have what is know as pressure point bedding and was quite normal.

Now what ammunition did you try?

Did you consider it might be an ammunition problem?

Have you checking your sightign arrangement to eliminate that as the problem?
 
Thanks Brithunter.

In understood that the CZ455 was meant to have a floating barrel? It is certainly sold as such...

Ammunition has been Winchester 40gr subsonics and CCI Velocitor.

Sight checked.

Problem is not devastating, just an opening up of the groups at 50m, with the occasional (1 in 8 or so) flyer.
 
I am not up to speed on the newer models I have to admit. I suppose the free floating mantra has even effected CZ for their sales in the US :rolleyes:.

I gather the rifle is fairly new. So if it was me I would clean the barrel and chamber and carefully inspect the crown for any minute burrs. Cotton bud will catch on any present. Then start over with zeroing and testing. If possible try some ammunition from a different batch................................ they can and do vary.

I really do suspect ammunition it the cause.
 
I am not up to speed on the newer models I have to admit. I suppose the free floating mantra has even effected CZ for their sales in the US :rolleyes:.

I take it you're a sceptic... I'd be curious to hear why? I really don't know enough to make a sensible judgement, so would be very interested to hear the pros and cons.
 
I take it you're a sceptic... I'd be curious to hear why? I really don't know enough to make a sensible judgement, so would be very interested to hear the pros and cons.

Manufacturers, or rather their accountants, jumped on free floating as it's cheap and quick to do. Where a proper pressure point bedding takes more skill and time. Same goes for the "Anti Glare" finish so touted by manufacturers now. in fact it's a cost saving measure as it takes a few seconds to bung a barrelled action through a bead blaster against much more time to properly polish for blacking. Sales then jump on it and hype it up as the latest desirable thing and the punters fall for it.

Kiln dried wood is the same thing it's a cost saving idea hyped up and the best thing when if fact it's not. Kiln dried timber is vastly inferior to Air dried timber and so it goes on. In the US the "Free floating" mantra has a real hold. So much so that one reads about a shooter buying a new rifle and straight away stripping it down to free float it BEFORE they have even shot it. They then brag how well it shoots yet it may well have shot better before they messed with it and of course all warranty is now voided.

Yes some rifles will shoot better floated others shoot better with the pressure point. Have a barrel free of any support past the receiver ring puts a lot of pressure on the front bedding and i have seen quite a few where this has crushed the bedding area over time. One rarely sees this with a pressure point bedding in the fore-stock as there is not the huge cantilever effect.

I once too swallowed the gun whores diatribe about floated barrels and to my shame wrecked the bedding on a Swedish mauser to free float it :oops: since then I have learned that this is not always the best way. The majority of my rifles still have their pressure point bedded stocks.
 
I`m not sure what your groups were like. but with Winchester subs, don`t expect too much.

interesting comment Rake, friend of mine just bought a cz .22, first real rifle after air rifles, and got 500 winchester subs at the same time. he wasnt getting particularly good groups even after he had fired 3 or 4 hundred through it over a couple of months, I handed him a box of RWS subs and 'bobs your mothers brother', a little group....and another....and another.

suprised me I must say cos I used to use a lot of win subs 10 15 yrs ago and really liked them....things change I suppose.
 
I bought a wooden stocked 452 new and noticed the barrel touching on one side. I just enlarged the stock gap with sandpaper, using a suitable dowel as a guide, until I could slide a fiver easily up and down the barrel. Then I restained the sanded wood - colour not critical as under barrel. Then just refitted stock and it shoots well.
 
Brithunter: thanks for that.

So if the rifle is ostensibly designed as having a floating barrel, and sold as such, but (as mine does) has a barrel that rests firmly against the stock when the screws are tighetned up, is this likely to have any begative consequences?
 
Mungo, your rifle is designed to have a free floating barrel so if it is touching the barrel channel then it is faulty.
The kind of pressure point bedding Brithunter is talking about is a different kettle of fish altogether and will have no bearing (no pun intended) at all on your problem.
Find out where the barrel is touching and relieve this part of the channel untill you get a full float.

Ian
 
Pressure point bedding despite what some say does not really have negative consequences. My Brno Model 2 has pressure point bedding as does my BSA Super Sport Five and the BSA Sportsman Five. Have you thought of asking CZ? Send them an e-mail and it would not surprise me to find that rifles destined for other markets did not have the free floating barrels.

Get the information straight from the horses mouth then you know where you stand.

Personally I would not be losing sleep over it. I would be trying other batches and other types of ammunition though. However that is a normal thing as you never know when you find that one it really likes.
 
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Pressure pint bedding despite what some say does not really have negative consequences. My Brno Model 2 has pressure point bedding as does my BSA Super Sport Five and the BSA Sportsman Five. have you thought of asking CZ? Send them an e-mail and it would not surprise me to find that rifles destined for other markets did not have the free floating barrels.

get the information straight from the horses mouth then you know where you stand.

Personally I would not be losing sleep over it. I would be trying other batches and other types of ammunition though. However that is a normal thing as you never know when you find that one it really likes.

Your rifles are pressure bedded because the full advantages of free floating had not been explored when yours were made:D

Ian
 
Your rifles are pressure bedded because the full advantages of free floating had not been explored when yours were made:D

Ian

Sorry to disappoint ole bean but the proof marks on the Medwell's barrel are 1999. London proof house. It has a tightly bedded barrel just careful hand inletting ;).

Free floating is still the cheap and easy way :old:.
 
Mungo:
Wooden stock?
I spent 6 weeks wasting lead and powder through a BSA .270 with groups around the 3-6" mark until I realised that the recoil lug that houses the front action screw had compressed the wood enough to allow the barrel to drop right into the barrel channel of the stock.

add a non swivel bipod, an overly firm grip and twist of the pistol grip to line reticules on uneven ground and I would have been better off with a 12 bore!

Norma270.jpg


I "Heath Robinsoned" it to prove that was the issue.
I cut a metal shim the same size as the base of the recoil lug and drilled it to accept the front action screw.
1mm at the action gave me plenty of clearance at the forestock and it then consistently produced 1" groups at 140yds

IMAG0215.jpg


IMAG0233.jpg
 
If the front bedding is poor then the rifle will never shot very well. Correct the bedding and it WILL improve.

However the very base of the recoil lug should not contact the stock. Only the rear of that lug should bear on the stock. So bed it properly and it will probably improve yet more.
 
If the front bedding is poor then the rifle will never shot very well. Correct the bedding and it WILL improve. However the very base of the recoil lug should not contact the stock. Only the rear of that lug should bear on the stock. So bed it properly and it will probably improve yet more.

I know what you mean but when the action screw goes into the lug itself then by definition their will be tension pulling it into the stock
over time the action had compressed the wood on mine so the lug was bottoming out.

A full and proper bedding would raise everything back up in the wood but a shim on the lug base achieved a confirmed diagnosis without the ball ache of bedding only to find it wasn't the problem at hand
 
I know what you mean but when the action screw goes into the lug itself then by definition their will be tension pulling it into the stock
over time the action had compressed the wood on mine so the lug was bottoming out.

A full and proper bedding would raise everything back up in the wood but a shim on the lug base achieved a confirmed diagnosis without the ball ache of bedding only to find it wasn't the problem at hand

Yep I understand the pinning down the actual problem ...................................... been there and done it too, but now you know "WHAT" the problem is it's surely time to fix it properly :old:.

I have never really understood why there should be clearance at the base of that lug but it seems that is the way things should be :confused: .
 
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