Categories
Category: All About Guns
Wiley Clapp: This Colt Python Business
by Wiley Clapp – Friday, March 9, 2018
I may be dating myself to the detriment of my ongoing credibility, but I do remember the incident. No less of an authority than Maj. Gen. Julian Hatcher, editor of the prestigious American Rifleman, was commenting on a new product of a major American Arms maker. Colt Firearms had just introduced a completely new gun. As was the Colt custom, the gun was a six-shot revolver, but this one was fancy well beyond the norm. So much so that the good general wondered in print whether or not enough shooters would ever pony up $125 for a .357 Mag. revolver.
4″ barrel blued Colt Python
It was the mid 1950s and Colt had just announced a revolver they called the Python. That was better than 60 years ago and public acceptance of the big wheelgun has always been strong. As a matter of fact, General Hatcher would doubtless be completely dumbfounded at what he could get for a mint condition 1955 Python today. It might be as much as $5,000 to $6,000 and sure, a great deal of that differential is what has happened to our money in six decades. But a lot more is because the gun is a classic symbol of the best of old-time gunmaking. Mostly however, the astronomical price tags are a function of the fact that the supply of Pythons is finite. And they’ll never make any more.
There was plenty to get excited about in 1955, as the Python was a hell of a nice revolver. The exotic name might have been questionable in the minds of traditional shooters, but it seems to me that it gave just the right touch of adventure in the outdoors. The name followed the Cobra, the very successful hideout revolver that was the first to use an aluminum frame. Essentially, the Cobra was a lighter version of the pre-war Detective Special. But the Python was not only a bigger gun, there was a bigger story behind it.
Just before the start of World War II, Smith & Wesson had scored a major coup with the first .357 Mag. known as the Pre-War Registered Magnum. Although Colt made .357s in the late 30s (Peacemakers and New Services), the Python was introduced to compete with a post-war version of the same S&W gun. (In ’55, no one knew what S&W had in store for post-war shooters, but they found out in 1956—the .44 Magnum). Colt management wanted to offer a premium revolver with traditional, visual and practical appeal. In other words, the new Python had to look like a Colt, but with a new sort of updated aspect and it had to shoot as well as anything they had ever made.
Bullseye shooting was very popular in those days and many shooters used special custom revolvers from King’s of San Francisco. These guns were usually medium-to-large frame Colt or S&Ws with longer barrels. They were fitted with precisely adjustable rear sights, ventilated ribs and their lockwork was tuned to perfection. For shooters who wanted a gun with a more forward point of balance, King also offered a weighted tube on the lower edge of the barrel. Originally, the idea was to mount a weight in such a way that it can be moved back and forth to stay at that “just right” point of balance. It worked rather well and was even used on the customized Colt Woodsman .22s. The major visual appeal to the King revolvers was used on the Python—the ventilated rib.
Initially, the Python came with a 6” barrel and weighed 43 ozs. The gun was instantly popular, but there was an almost immediate demand for a shorter version for police holster carry. The factory wasted no time in getting the four” ones in production. Snubbies (2 ½-inchers) came along a little later and Target .38s with impossibly long eight” barrels were sold in the waning years of Python popularity. And there is a handful of almost mystic 3” Pythons that command incredible prices in today’s market. Most Pythons were polished and blued, but nickel plating was also popular. A couple of other rough service plating systems came along and a complete stainless steel Python pleased the growing range of fans at its introduction in 1983.
6″ barrel Colt Python with blued (top) and nickel finishes
Everything about the big revolver was first class. It was polished and assembled by hand and if the action needed a few strokes of a stone, it got them. When the makers determined that the hollow, adjustable-weight barrel lug was not going to be a useful touch, it became solid. In any length, the Pythons had a comfortable, muzzle-heavy feel to them. Even with the hotter loads, there was serious weight to the gun and it did not beat you up with recoil. As pricey as they may have been, Pythons initially sold well and respectable numbers of the guns actually ended up in the basketweave holsters of the nation’s police officers.
It was in the early 1970s that I began to pay attention to combat shooting in general and Pythons in particular. I had taken a job with the Sheriff’s Department in Orange County, Calif., and even managed to geezer my way through their academy. As was the case with most of my fellow deputies, I used S&W revolvers. I grew familiar with the subtleties of that great S&W action and used guns of four different sizes—J, K, L and N. But I also paid attention to the Colts and fired them whenever I could. One of my academy buddies used a 4” Python and I ran over the PPC course with that one once in a while. Eventually, he decided to sell the gun and I was right there with the C-note that he needed. I knew that Dave had the Python come out of a suspicious holster one night and bounce across an asphalt parking lot. He was chasing somebody who richly needed to be chased. The big Colt landed right on the edge of one cylinder notch and it never locked up right—on that chamber—after that. The permanent and positive solution was a new cylinder, which I was saving to have done. It was safe to shoot, so I fired the gun a good bit before I could assemble sufficient bucks to have that accomplished. In the interim, the Python was stolen, along with seven or eight other nice shooters. My learning program with Colts was curtailed. That’s too bad, as I was getting downright respectful of the Colt system.
2.5″ barrel snub-nose Colt Python
Later on, I went into the writing business and got assignments that had me shooting Pythons from time to time. I always came away with respect for their accuracy and performance. As a police officer, I had been one of the fans of the so-called “Smython” revolver, which marries a Python barrel to a Smith K frame. This gives you Python accuracy and heft, plus the Smith action and reliability. A Python barrel cost $35 in those days and when it was mounted on a S&W action, the result was one damned fine PPC revolver. But time passed and most police agencies began to shift to high-capacity semi-automatic pistols. As police weapons, the revolver saw declining interest, even though Ruger’s GP100 and S&W’s L frames were the finest service revolvers ever made. Colt was running to catch up and never really did. Their DA revolvers were eventually all discontinued. Including that magnificent Colt Python.
The Colt Python revolver was made from 1955 ’til 2006, about 51 years. It was a black day for Colt people when the maker was no longer able to offer this gun to the American shooter. This was a firearm that demanded too much time from experienced craftsmen, so much so that its own excellence drove it out of the marketplace. In order to thrive in today’s mass-produced polymer world, a product has to enjoy a steady and continuing demand. Too many up and down spikes in sales send those who count beans into heart palpitations. But what has happened in the firearms second-market defies logic.
4″ barrel Colt Python with stainless steel finish
Some unknown, but relatively small, number of the original 600,000-odd Pythons were never fired. A much larger number of the guns were fired sparingly and most were fired even more. It is rare to see a Python that is worn out, but you do see guns that have been used heavily. I saw one at the Big Reno Show last year that had been through the patrol wars—nicks, small dents and no finish left. The guy wanted $1,300 for it. An early gun, had it been unfired and mint, he could have probably realized three times that. The Colt Python is the hottest gun in circulation.
This unusual and intense demand for pristine specimens has carried over to six other revolvers made by Colt in the latter part of the 20th Century—Cobra, King Cobra, Diamondback, Boa, Viper and the massive Anaconda. An excellent recent book—Seven Serpents—chronicles the production history of the seven. It is, however, with the Python that the values are out of sight. The gun was made in several different barrel lengths and finish variations, as well as specially marked special editions and custom shop engraved. Everything that is done to a Python that makes it different from all others increases its value—as long as the differences are factory original and in good taste. Any new Python lists for at least several thousand dollars. As an example of how crazy this is getting, I recently watched a rare 3” barrel sell on an on-line auction for two grand—just the barrel—not the whole gun.
4″ barrel Colt Python with nickel finish, circa 1975
In the pistolero’s vernacular, these guns are safe queens. Colt made them to be fired in their owner’s service, but shooting a mint or “minty” (whatever that means) Python at this point in time is stupid. It’s just as dumb as lighting your cigar with a C-note. There must be tens of thousands of good used Pythons in circulation, but there aren’t that many of them on the used gun shelf at your local gun store. I am guessing that guys who have one are keeping it to shoot and enjoy. They have doubtless concluded that they will never get another one. They won’t.
We have a major contradiction going on here. Once we had writers hard at work extolling the virtues of the Python as a shooting tool and now they wonder about how much one of these is worth—if they say anything at all. I am a shooter and I want to shoot these grand old guns, not put on kid gloves to admire them once a month when the moon is full. I have discovered a way to create a revolver that has every meaningful shooting characteristic of the Colt Python. Look to the next posting of “Clapp on Handguns” and I’ll explain it in detail. Then … well, we’ll just have to take them to the range … .
4″ barrel blued Colt Python
It was the mid 1950s and Colt had just announced a revolver they called the Python. That was better than 60 years ago and public acceptance of the big wheelgun has always been strong. As a matter of fact, General Hatcher would doubtless be completely dumbfounded at what he could get for a mint condition 1955 Python today. It might be as much as $5,000 to $6,000 and sure, a great deal of that differential is what has happened to our money in six decades. But a lot more is because the gun is a classic symbol of the best of old-time gunmaking. Mostly however, the astronomical price tags are a function of the fact that the supply of Pythons is finite. And they’ll never make any more.
There was plenty to get excited about in 1955, as the Python was a hell of a nice revolver. The exotic name might have been questionable in the minds of traditional shooters, but it seems to me that it gave just the right touch of adventure in the outdoors. The name followed the Cobra, the very successful hideout revolver that was the first to use an aluminum frame. Essentially, the Cobra was a lighter version of the pre-war Detective Special. But the Python was not only a bigger gun, there was a bigger story behind it.
Just before the start of World War II, Smith & Wesson had scored a major coup with the first .357 Mag. known as the Pre-War Registered Magnum. Although Colt made .357s in the late 30s (Peacemakers and New Services), the Python was introduced to compete with a post-war version of the same S&W gun. (In ’55, no one knew what S&W had in store for post-war shooters, but they found out in 1956—the .44 Magnum). Colt management wanted to offer a premium revolver with traditional, visual and practical appeal. In other words, the new Python had to look like a Colt, but with a new sort of updated aspect and it had to shoot as well as anything they had ever made.
Bullseye shooting was very popular in those days and many shooters used special custom revolvers from King’s of San Francisco. These guns were usually medium-to-large frame Colt or S&Ws with longer barrels. They were fitted with precisely adjustable rear sights, ventilated ribs and their lockwork was tuned to perfection. For shooters who wanted a gun with a more forward point of balance, King also offered a weighted tube on the lower edge of the barrel. Originally, the idea was to mount a weight in such a way that it can be moved back and forth to stay at that “just right” point of balance. It worked rather well and was even used on the customized Colt Woodsman .22s. The major visual appeal to the King revolvers was used on the Python—the ventilated rib.
Initially, the Python came with a 6” barrel and weighed 43 ozs. The gun was instantly popular, but there was an almost immediate demand for a shorter version for police holster carry. The factory wasted no time in getting the four” ones in production. Snubbies (2 ½-inchers) came along a little later and Target .38s with impossibly long eight” barrels were sold in the waning years of Python popularity. And there is a handful of almost mystic 3” Pythons that command incredible prices in today’s market. Most Pythons were polished and blued, but nickel plating was also popular. A couple of other rough service plating systems came along and a complete stainless steel Python pleased the growing range of fans at its introduction in 1983.
6″ barrel Colt Python with blued (top) and nickel finishes
Everything about the big revolver was first class. It was polished and assembled by hand and if the action needed a few strokes of a stone, it got them. When the makers determined that the hollow, adjustable-weight barrel lug was not going to be a useful touch, it became solid. In any length, the Pythons had a comfortable, muzzle-heavy feel to them. Even with the hotter loads, there was serious weight to the gun and it did not beat you up with recoil. As pricey as they may have been, Pythons initially sold well and respectable numbers of the guns actually ended up in the basketweave holsters of the nation’s police officers.
It was in the early 1970s that I began to pay attention to combat shooting in general and Pythons in particular. I had taken a job with the Sheriff’s Department in Orange County, Calif., and even managed to geezer my way through their academy. As was the case with most of my fellow deputies, I used S&W revolvers. I grew familiar with the subtleties of that great S&W action and used guns of four different sizes—J, K, L and N. But I also paid attention to the Colts and fired them whenever I could. One of my academy buddies used a 4” Python and I ran over the PPC course with that one once in a while. Eventually, he decided to sell the gun and I was right there with the C-note that he needed. I knew that Dave had the Python come out of a suspicious holster one night and bounce across an asphalt parking lot. He was chasing somebody who richly needed to be chased. The big Colt landed right on the edge of one cylinder notch and it never locked up right—on that chamber—after that. The permanent and positive solution was a new cylinder, which I was saving to have done. It was safe to shoot, so I fired the gun a good bit before I could assemble sufficient bucks to have that accomplished. In the interim, the Python was stolen, along with seven or eight other nice shooters. My learning program with Colts was curtailed. That’s too bad, as I was getting downright respectful of the Colt system.
2.5″ barrel snub-nose Colt Python
Later on, I went into the writing business and got assignments that had me shooting Pythons from time to time. I always came away with respect for their accuracy and performance. As a police officer, I had been one of the fans of the so-called “Smython” revolver, which marries a Python barrel to a Smith K frame. This gives you Python accuracy and heft, plus the Smith action and reliability. A Python barrel cost $35 in those days and when it was mounted on a S&W action, the result was one damned fine PPC revolver. But time passed and most police agencies began to shift to high-capacity semi-automatic pistols. As police weapons, the revolver saw declining interest, even though Ruger’s GP100 and S&W’s L frames were the finest service revolvers ever made. Colt was running to catch up and never really did. Their DA revolvers were eventually all discontinued. Including that magnificent Colt Python.
The Colt Python revolver was made from 1955 ’til 2006, about 51 years. It was a black day for Colt people when the maker was no longer able to offer this gun to the American shooter. This was a firearm that demanded too much time from experienced craftsmen, so much so that its own excellence drove it out of the marketplace. In order to thrive in today’s mass-produced polymer world, a product has to enjoy a steady and continuing demand. Too many up and down spikes in sales send those who count beans into heart palpitations. But what has happened in the firearms second-market defies logic.
4″ barrel Colt Python with stainless steel finish
Some unknown, but relatively small, number of the original 600,000-odd Pythons were never fired. A much larger number of the guns were fired sparingly and most were fired even more. It is rare to see a Python that is worn out, but you do see guns that have been used heavily. I saw one at the Big Reno Show last year that had been through the patrol wars—nicks, small dents and no finish left. The guy wanted $1,300 for it. An early gun, had it been unfired and mint, he could have probably realized three times that. The Colt Python is the hottest gun in circulation.
This unusual and intense demand for pristine specimens has carried over to six other revolvers made by Colt in the latter part of the 20th Century—Cobra, King Cobra, Diamondback, Boa, Viper and the massive Anaconda. An excellent recent book—Seven Serpents—chronicles the production history of the seven. It is, however, with the Python that the values are out of sight. The gun was made in several different barrel lengths and finish variations, as well as specially marked special editions and custom shop engraved. Everything that is done to a Python that makes it different from all others increases its value—as long as the differences are factory original and in good taste. Any new Python lists for at least several thousand dollars. As an example of how crazy this is getting, I recently watched a rare 3” barrel sell on an on-line auction for two grand—just the barrel—not the whole gun.
4″ barrel Colt Python with nickel finish, circa 1975
In the pistolero’s vernacular, these guns are safe queens. Colt made them to be fired in their owner’s service, but shooting a mint or “minty” (whatever that means) Python at this point in time is stupid. It’s just as dumb as lighting your cigar with a C-note. There must be tens of thousands of good used Pythons in circulation, but there aren’t that many of them on the used gun shelf at your local gun store. I am guessing that guys who have one are keeping it to shoot and enjoy. They have doubtless concluded that they will never get another one. They won’t.
We have a major contradiction going on here. Once we had writers hard at work extolling the virtues of the Python as a shooting tool and now they wonder about how much one of these is worth—if they say anything at all. I am a shooter and I want to shoot these grand old guns, not put on kid gloves to admire them once a month when the moon is full. I have discovered a way to create a revolver that has every meaningful shooting characteristic of the Colt Python. Look to the next posting of “Clapp on Handguns” and I’ll explain it in detail. Then … well, we’ll just have to take them to the range … .
Read more at Mossberg: http://www.mossberg.com/category/series/mossberg-patriot/
Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=mossberg%20patriot
Editor’s note: A bolt action rifle in February? Absolutely. There’s no better time. There are clearly more relevant times, like just before the fall whitetail season, but this is the best time to buy a bolt gun. Most hunters are just now getting sick of venison in their chili. The gun stores have all cut the prices on the hunting guns they didn’t sell last fall, and GunsAmerica is full of kickass deals. Steals, really. And this Mossberg Patriot may be an even bigger steal as most people don’t associate the Mossberg name with rifles.
A Box Full of Promise
The last time we met at the range, my editor limped over and handed me a box that obviously contained a rifle. We often get to choose the guns that we review, but sometimes we’re selected because we are the best person for a particular gun. Occasionally we are handed a gun because someone fell off the ladder going up to their attic and can’t operate a shoulder-fired weapon currently… which is exactly what happened with this one.
As soon as I got the rifle home I began the unboxing process. Inside the box was a fresh Mossberg Patriot Bolt-Action Rifle in 30-06 Springfield. This one has thin, fluted barrel with a recessed crown. The action is set in a polymer stock. The Weaver mounting rails on either side of the chamber will be familiar to almost everyone. The action itself has a feed ramp for reliability, and the gun is runs from a detachable box magazine. The bolt has a spiral-flute bolt and two locking lugs.
This version of the Patriot has a humble, no frills, aesthetic.
All-told, this is a utilitarian hunting rifle. The 30-06 is a fantastic round for whitetail. The polymer stock is incredibly light. It is easy to carry, almost indestructible, and–as we’ll get to–it helps with the absorption of recoil. The box mag is useful, too, as it allows (if you have more than one) to carry a variety of different loads for different distances, or types of game.
The fluted bolt is the only obvious adornment.
This trigger reminded me more of a Glock trigger than that of a bolt-action hunting gun. I don’t mean that it’s made of plastic, but the safety release in the center of the trigger reminds me of a Glock. I quickly gave the trigger a couple of pulls, and it was noticeably light. I measured it at a consistent 2 lbs., 1 oz. with my digital trigger gauge. There was some creep to the pull, but nothing intolerable.
I topped the gun with a Leupold VX-2 3-9 X 40 scope and rings. While the 3-9 isn’t nearly enough to maximize the long range potential of the .30-06, it is ideal for the Ozarks, where I hunt. I very rarely get terrain that opens up beyond 300 yards, and most of the hunting we do is at close range.
After a little research, I was shocked to learn that the suggested retail price on this nicely-adorned hunting rifle was a mere $386. I think we all know that after the initial rush, the price of a new gun tends to come down considerably, especially for those of us who are dedicated shoppers. Even so, at full retail price this gun is a bargain if it can shoot anywhere close to as good as it looks.
The flutes on the barrel help reduce weight and disperse heat.
The forend offers a pebbled texture for a good grip.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Caliber | .30-06 SPRG |
| Round Capacity | 5 |
| Barrel Type | Fluted |
| Barrel Length | 22 |
| Sight | Weaver Style Bases |
| Twist | 1:10 |
| LOP Type | Fixed |
| LOP | 13.75 |
| Barrel Finish | Matte Blued |
| Stock Finish | Synthetic (Black) |
| Weight | 6.5 |
| Length | 42.75 |
| MSRP | $386.00 |
The back end is equipped with enough rubber to keep the polymer from eating up your shoulder.
The accuracy that the Patriot offers is rock solid.
On the Range
In preparation for a trip to the range with the Patriot, I selected several brands and weights of ammunition. I think it is important to let a rifle tell you what kind of ammunition it prefers. By taking multiple brands and types of ammunition, I was hoping to give the Patriot a plethora of sweet spots to choose from.
When I got to the range, I set my target up at 50 yards and gave it a quick bore sight. It took me about six rounds to align the point of aim with the point of impact. Once everything was in sync, I set out to try the rifle for accuracy. I decided that my methodology would be to fire no more than a total of six rounds before allowing the barrel to cool to the touch. There are some who would prefer to let the barrel cool between every shot–and that may be the most honest assessment. Pencil thin barrels are easy to carry, but heat up fast. This is a lightweight hunting rifle–not a heavy-barreled bench gun. Odds are you will only get one shot that really matters on a hunt. Maybe two.
The heavier Wolf spread out a bit more.
I started off with some Hornady Reduced Recoil 125gr SST to establish a good baseline. The gun quickly demonstrated its ability for accuracy. I was able to consistently shoot 1 MOA groups from the bench–not a bad start at all. I switched to some heavier Wolf 180gr copper soft-point brass-cased ammunition, and the accuracy of my shots was greatly diminished. I’m still not sure whether this was an issue with ammunition quality, or with the weight of the bullet. The rifle was still producing accurate groups, but they were much wider than those shot with the lighter rounds.
This is where the box mag could come in useful. Sitting in a tree-stand, waiting for that trophy buck? Rack in a round you know will drop a deer when placed with precision. And if a sounder of swine should saunter out under the feeder, pack in the heavier Wolf rounds and try to pop off as many pigs as you can before their flight instinct wins out.
The light rifle is very easy to carry, and stabilizes well on a sturdy surface.
Let’s take a moment to discuss the Patriot’s recoil. I found the rifle to be light-recoiling, and not at all as punishing and I had expected. Some light 30-06 rifles kick hard, but the polymer in the stock must be flexing and absorbing some of the impact. And the butt pad is thick enough to take out the shock. I had somehow managed to forget my Caldwell lead sled, and was using a range bag in its stead. All told, the whole package seems ideally suited for the caliber, and wasn’t at all hard on the shooter.
Versatility
Whenever I see a gun with a value price but a load of features, I always wonder, “Can they repeat this? Or is this configuration a one hit wonder?” Well, when it comes to the Patriot, Mossberg produces way more flavors than the mere 31 that Baskin-Robbins offers. I stopped counting at 60 different variants based on caliber, finish, stock and optics. That’s a lot of options for such a modestly-priced rifle!
My takeaway from all this is that this rifle deserves a look no matter what your application is for a bolt-action gun. Whether the environment is hunting or tactical, the Patriot must be seriously considered among the bolt-action candidates. This is coming from someone who’s always equated Mossberg strictly with shotguns: not any longer.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in the market for a rifle, can you spend more and get more than the Patriot offers? Certainly. Is this gun going to compete with guns at ten times the cost? I don’t think so. But is the Mossberg Patriot going to go toe-to-toe with rifles that cost twice as much? I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.
The box mag.
Branded well, so there won’t be any confusion with other mags.
The safety is easy to access with the thumb.
The Hornaday was the clear winner with the rounds we tried.
Velocity held steady in the 2,600+ FPS range.
This is three shots, but it is the first that counts, and it was almost dead on.
Categories
Types of Bullets | Gun Guide
Safari. The mere mention of the word obtains my undivided attention. it is the concept of a hunting adventure in the wild places of Africa. It’s undoubtedly my happy thought.
The word safari is taken from the Kiswahili dialect of East Africa. It simply means ‘journey.’ It represents the challenge of shooting a big-bore rifle.
It also represents being in an environment where there are animals large enough to take your life with ease. The CZ 550 American Safari rifle is, in and of itself, a journey. It has its roots in the Czechoslovakian Brno ZKK 602 rifle, and has come a long way to get to the current inception.
That ZKK 602 is still revered among those who enjoy the big bore bolt-action rifles. The action is considered as rock-solid and reliable as a Mauser 98.
The action itself is very strong, making a perfect platform for the popular rimless safari cartridges: like the .375 Holland & Holland Belted Magnum, the .416 Rigby and Remington Magnum, and the .458 Winchester and .458 Lott. Today’s CZ 550 is a worthy descendant of the ZKK 602.
Because it is a true controlled round feed action, it has the same large magazine capacity as the 602, and offers the reliability needed for those who are among dangerous game on a daily basis.
Bolt Action Rifles
In the last century, bolt-action rifles become the consummate blend of reliability and affordability when it comes to dangerous game rifles. Yes, I am a fan of the double rifle and all of its baggage, including the logistic and romantic virtues.
However, if I need a rifle capable of handling the world’s game and I need it on a budget, the bolt rifle will get the nod every time. The Mauser 98 action, developed at the end of the 19th century, remains to this day a staple among bolt rifle designs.
There’s a good reason for this. Its design is simple, strong, and fully functional at the worst of moments. Mauser 98 clones are still the basis for fine dangerous game rifles. And the CZ 550 action is a proud descendant of that honored German design.
The 550 is a controlled-round-feed action. This means the bolt face uses a claw to grasp the cartridge rim directly out of the magazine and will control that cartridge all the way into the chamber.
While having been debated for decades, this feature is usually a universal requirement among the Professional Hunters who use a bolt-action rifle.
I personally insist on it – though I know those who do not and have lives to tell the tale – for my own dangerous game guns, and the CZ 550 action is properly equipped with this feature, again a carryover from the Mauser 98 design. The 550 also uses a blade ejector, one of the strongest and most reliable designs on the market.
Those two features alone should warrant the choice of a CZ 550 as a safari gun, but there’s much more offered that adds to the list of benefits of this rifle.
CZ 550 Ergonomics
If you prefer iron sights for dangerous game work, and that’s a perfectly viable sighting system, the CZ 550 is well equipped. Express sights, built around a fixed rear sight for 100 yards and undershooting, features a wide V and a vertical white line in the classic safari tradition. Additional leaves, marked for 200 and 300 yards, flip up to extend the range of the rifle.
All these possibilities mate up with a fine barrel-band front sight bead, hooded for protection. The hood has a nice little window cut in the top to allow the natural light to flow to the front bead. The sights align very naturally, and though that small bead can be a bit tricky on a dark background, it allows for precise shot placement.
SPECS
- Cartridges: .375 H&H (tested), .416 Rigby, .458 Winchester Magnum, .458 Lott, .505 Gibbs
- Capacity: 5 + 1 rds.
- Overall Length: 46.5 in.
- Barrel Length: 25 in. Hammer-forged steel; 1:12-in. twist
- Trigger: 2 lbs., 4 oz.; single set
- Stock: Turkish walnut
- Weight: 9. 4 lbs.
- Sights: Express three-leaf iron sights, receiver milled for Talley scope mounts
- Safety: Two position
- MSRP: $1,215
- Manufacturer: CZ
Features
The CZ 550 differs from the Mauser design in its safety, which is a two-position affair. Flip it forward to fire. It’s located on the right rear portion of the receiver. The forward position puts the rifle into battery, and allows the operator to work the bolt.
The rearward position blocks the sear and the bolt together. To remove the bolt from the action, a small spring-loaded tab is depressed on the rear left side of the receiver, and the bolt pulls out of the action.
The CZ 550 also has a handy maroon colored cocking indicator at the rear of the bolt. I like these little visual reminders of the status of a rifle, especially when I’m after dangerous game. A hinged floorplate with its release located on the muzzle side of the trigger guard is a smart idea.
It releases the cartridges in the magazine for unloading. That magazine is another of the positive features of the CZ 550. My test rifle was chambered in .375 Holland & Holland Belted Magnum. It held five cartridges in the magazine and one in the chamber. That is a very reassuring number.
The CZ 550 American Safari Magnum uses a 25-inch hammer forged barrel in .375 H&H. The battle is of a rather heavy contour, keeping the weight forward. The rifle’s trigger is a proprietary CZ design and is a single set trigger.
In the standard mode of operation, the trigger breaks at 2 pounds, 4 ounces. When the trigger is pushed forward, you get the ‘set’ mode, where it will break at a mere 11.5 ounces.
A good trigger will make or break a rifle, and the CZ 550 has a good trigger, for certain. Coupled with the capabilities of the .375 H&H cartridge, this makes for a solid setup.
American vs. European Safari Stocks
The CZ 550 American Safari Magnum is designated as such due to the configuration of its stock. The CZ550 Safari Magnum – what I would call the European counterpart – has a significant drop at the heel in comparison to the American Safari Magnum, which is stocked with a straight comb, perfect for use with a scope.
The stock is Turkish walnut, with two crossbolts to combat the effects of recoil. CZ has opted to go with a sling stud on the forend of the stock, rather than the traditional barrel band location.
This could pose an issue with a hard-recoiling caliber like the .458 Lott, but I found it to pose no problem with the lighter recoiling .375 H&H.
A pliable, 1-inch black recoil pad helps to take the sting out of the big safari cartridges. My test rifle had a length of pull measuring 14 ¼ inches, which just so happens to fit me perfectly.
For reasons I cannot firmly ascertain, rifles of European design tend to run longer than do our American rifles. I’ve found they fit me better, especially in serious cartridges.
One Complaint—
If I had to file a complaint about the CZ 550 American, it would be in the size of the stock. Simply put, it’s huge.
Now, when it comes to a hard-recoiling rifle, I’d certainly want a stock that’s too thick than one that is under-built and would risk a break or crack at the most inopportune time, but I firmly believe the CZ 550 would balance and carry much better if the stock were put on a diet.
It feels, well, swollen, for lack of a better term. It feels a bit thick through the wrist and pistol grip, and is certainly bigger than any of the other safari guns I’ve spent time with. Again, mechanically this poses no problem.
I usually like things over designed, but in comparison to other stock designs, it’s definitely shopping in the plus-sized department.
I suspect the stocks for the whole line are cut to the same dimensions, so on a .375 H&H it would feel large. That said, the overall shape of the stock, if chunky, is good, and helps to keep recoil to a minimum.
Mounts
The CZ 550 action uses an integral scope base cut into the receiver. This is good, as less moving parts equals less opportunity for something to shoot loose or for a screw to be sheared off. For my dangerous game guns, I like Talley rings. They have tight tolerances, and when they machine apart, they machine it right.
I’ve yet to need to lap their rings. The detachable models, as I installed on the CZ 550, return to zero each and every time. I’ve used them on rifles as big as the .500 Jeffery and .505 Gibbs and they’ve yet to fail in any aspect. In those Talley rings, I mounted a Riton 1-5x24mm riflescope, with a 30mm tube and an illuminated reticle.
Now Riton isn’t exactly a household name, but I’ve seen their scopes around. I was as eager to test their glass. I’m usually not much of an illuminated reticle guy, but considering the caliber and the possible uses of this firearm – Cape buffalo, which are a black target in the shadows, or perhaps a leopard at last light, or even black bear – I thought it’d be fitting.
Off to the Bench
The .375 H&H Magnum has the reputation it does for very good reasons. It is, in the opinion of this author, the single most useful cartridge ever developed. It was designed to use bullets weighing between 235 grains and 300 grains, all at respectable velocities. With a good spitzer bullet, the .375 H&H will mimic the trajectory curve of the .30-’06 out to any sane hunting range.
It will do so with considerably more horsepower. Modern bullet developments have done nothing but augment the capabilities of the cartridge, including monometal designs, and commercial heavyweight offerings up to 350 grains. I grabbed a pretty diverse selection of factory ammunition for testing, wired up the ol’ Oehler 35P, and headed to work.
For testing, I chose the Nosler Custom with 260-grain AccuBonds, the Federal Cape Shok Premium Safari with 300-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, Norma American PH with the 300-grain Oryx bullets, and the Norma African PH ammunition with 350-grain Woodleigh soft points and full metal jacket bullets.
This covers a pretty broad spectrum of hunting situations, from plains game, elk or moose out to 300 yards. It could go even more with the 260s, general hunting with a .375 with the 300 grainers. The pair of Woodleighs would be absolutely perfect for hippo, buffalo and elephant. Well, it turns out this CZ 550 is a shooter.
First, all the ammunition both fed and extracted perfectly, a very important point for a dangerous game rifle. Even unfired ammunition cycled out of the rifle without issue, which is something all hunters should check in their rifle, should you have a misfire that needs to be cleared quickly. Recoil was more than manageable, and I’ll attribute that to a rifle on the heavier side of average and a well-proportioned stock.
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WINCHESTER Model 43
I had one of these in 218 Bee until the price of ammo became unreal and extremely hard to find. Someday I would like to get one in 22 Hornet.
As I have said before. I like this man and respect him a lot. As it takes a lot of guts to go out and start a business here in the USofA.
But I do have some ideas about his videos. In that I do NOT have a large building and enough money or time to outfit a personal gunshop. Nor do I have the talent. My skill level being that to be able to say.”This looks like I needs a bigger hammer for this project”
But his videos are fun to watch and I have learned a lot from him. So in conclusion God bless and keep up the good work Larry.
Here are some of his better videos:
