for the many who may have never heard of the thing. They were made and imported from circa 1993 to late 1990s, then a cheaper built 611A briefly took its place, I decline judgement on the latter gun, but saw photos of one taken down, and some changes were made.
I believe it was designed by the same brothers who gave us the CZ-75. The original version was made entirely of forged machinings and wood with the exception of springs, a stamped flat firing pin, and a stamped hinged bolt stop arm raised by the magazine loading assist button. It is a takedown same as a Marlin 39 with thumb screw and everything. They generally shoot 1-1.25" at 100yds, generally LOVE the lightweights if those are your thing, have a standard 6-shot magazine, and optional 10rd, all of which are unobtainium today with prices now running $200 and $300 respectively, WHEN found at all.
It was an expensive gun then (including various grades of wood, and mine the cheap stuff), and has not gotten cheaper, it originally sold for twice the price of their great bolt action rimfires, and you likely would be looking at a minimum of twice the price of a CZ 457 made today. This one was a Montana rancher's truck gun which was an estate auction gun obtained for not much over 457 price at the time and wears the marks of the old steel rack on the wood, and still one of the nicest firearms I have ever owned, trim, light, high quality, utterly reliable blowback. If you shop for one, make sure forearm not split from improper assembly, and if you get one and simply cannot get forearm to go on without spreading it, remove the bolt and rest assured the bolt CAN be finagled back into the gun even with forearm attached. Also, I do not advise attempting to remove firing pin or its novel return spring, the entire length of pin exposed on top and can be hosed out without removal, keeping in mind spare parts even harder to find than the very sturdy magazines.
If you see one and can afford it, I highly recommend you get it. I have mine next to bed for repel boarders use, the .22WMR from a rifle quite effective at interior home distances, while extremely unlikely to visit nearby next door neighbors. It and my 1980s Super Single Six .22LR/.22WMR my guns for when I can no longer shoot any others. It's a keeper.
PS- they made a .17HMR version which should be avoided unless you know the person shooting it, have witnessed it, and never any injuries. One of the larger importers stated he NEVER had a return on the original .22WMR. The main importers of the early guns were Bavarian Arms California, and Magnum Research Minneapolis, and importer marks factory stamped and blued, some late smaller importers lased the gun, and such a shame.
PPS- you will have a devil of a time scoping one, it has a 16.5mm x 60° (I think) top rail of diamond cross section/beveled top, while nearly all 16-17mm mounts are flat topped and risk gouging/dimpling rail, this including all the advice to use 527 mounts and removing the recoil key...Burris made a crude cast scratch-o-matic angle lock which often took file work on lug, and them tall and taller/heavy and heavier, while there IS company in Australia who supplies a proper mount, but refuses to export to the USA, but it appears identical in every way to the ringmounts supplied by an original importer.
PPPS- to give you some idea of the manufacturing excellence/cost is no object construction you'd more associate with a 1920s firearm....the rear band/rear sight mount for the dovetailed rear is integral with the barrel (611A a separate sleeved assembly) including its triple-duty lower part hidden under the wood which also serves as attach point for the forearm wood screw and as the seat for the bolt recoil spring on its guide rod....the bolt is equipped with a machined extractor you'd associate with a 1980s SAKO smaller centerfire...and the bolt itself a marvel of clean forged machining, hard to describe, but imagine an upside down mirror image of it hidden under the forend and connected by left and right integral rails to bolt, this front part supplying the mass to hold action closed and allowing a light recoil spring in counterbore on rod to be compressed against the front of receiver....so long as nothing broken by the hamfisted, it appears a nearly immortal rifle of maybe 1/2 lb more weight than a stock 10/22.
I believe it was designed by the same brothers who gave us the CZ-75. The original version was made entirely of forged machinings and wood with the exception of springs, a stamped flat firing pin, and a stamped hinged bolt stop arm raised by the magazine loading assist button. It is a takedown same as a Marlin 39 with thumb screw and everything. They generally shoot 1-1.25" at 100yds, generally LOVE the lightweights if those are your thing, have a standard 6-shot magazine, and optional 10rd, all of which are unobtainium today with prices now running $200 and $300 respectively, WHEN found at all.
It was an expensive gun then (including various grades of wood, and mine the cheap stuff), and has not gotten cheaper, it originally sold for twice the price of their great bolt action rimfires, and you likely would be looking at a minimum of twice the price of a CZ 457 made today. This one was a Montana rancher's truck gun which was an estate auction gun obtained for not much over 457 price at the time and wears the marks of the old steel rack on the wood, and still one of the nicest firearms I have ever owned, trim, light, high quality, utterly reliable blowback. If you shop for one, make sure forearm not split from improper assembly, and if you get one and simply cannot get forearm to go on without spreading it, remove the bolt and rest assured the bolt CAN be finagled back into the gun even with forearm attached. Also, I do not advise attempting to remove firing pin or its novel return spring, the entire length of pin exposed on top and can be hosed out without removal, keeping in mind spare parts even harder to find than the very sturdy magazines.
If you see one and can afford it, I highly recommend you get it. I have mine next to bed for repel boarders use, the .22WMR from a rifle quite effective at interior home distances, while extremely unlikely to visit nearby next door neighbors. It and my 1980s Super Single Six .22LR/.22WMR my guns for when I can no longer shoot any others. It's a keeper.
PS- they made a .17HMR version which should be avoided unless you know the person shooting it, have witnessed it, and never any injuries. One of the larger importers stated he NEVER had a return on the original .22WMR. The main importers of the early guns were Bavarian Arms California, and Magnum Research Minneapolis, and importer marks factory stamped and blued, some late smaller importers lased the gun, and such a shame.
PPS- you will have a devil of a time scoping one, it has a 16.5mm x 60° (I think) top rail of diamond cross section/beveled top, while nearly all 16-17mm mounts are flat topped and risk gouging/dimpling rail, this including all the advice to use 527 mounts and removing the recoil key...Burris made a crude cast scratch-o-matic angle lock which often took file work on lug, and them tall and taller/heavy and heavier, while there IS company in Australia who supplies a proper mount, but refuses to export to the USA, but it appears identical in every way to the ringmounts supplied by an original importer.
PPPS- to give you some idea of the manufacturing excellence/cost is no object construction you'd more associate with a 1920s firearm....the rear band/rear sight mount for the dovetailed rear is integral with the barrel (611A a separate sleeved assembly) including its triple-duty lower part hidden under the wood which also serves as attach point for the forearm wood screw and as the seat for the bolt recoil spring on its guide rod....the bolt is equipped with a machined extractor you'd associate with a 1980s SAKO smaller centerfire...and the bolt itself a marvel of clean forged machining, hard to describe, but imagine an upside down mirror image of it hidden under the forend and connected by left and right integral rails to bolt, this front part supplying the mass to hold action closed and allowing a light recoil spring in counterbore on rod to be compressed against the front of receiver....so long as nothing broken by the hamfisted, it appears a nearly immortal rifle of maybe 1/2 lb more weight than a stock 10/22.
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