Improvements on a CZ 550

[Old Moss]

Good afternoon folks.  I just put a CZ American Magnum 375H&H in layaway. Looking for advice and recomendations on imroving on a great gun to begin with.  My plan is as follows:

1.  Picked the American stock to begin with.
2.  Will steel bed the action, Should I bed all the way infront of the express sight screw since this is a second recoild lug??  :?  then free float the rest of the barrel or still put a pressure point at the end of the stock?  What about full length action and barrel channel??  :?
3.  What about crossbolts??? They do not come with the American Stock.  Now per CZ the American stock is supose to be heavier and thicker and not split like others have.  I don't trust it.  Any feedback on the American stock.
4.  A good scrubbing, get rid of any burrs.  check the trigger, work the action to smooth it out and check for any rough spots.
5.  The stock - possible refinish, and diffenetly re-seal for bad weather, I have refinished stocks before but they were smooth no checkering.  Should I refinish and just sand down the checkering or go around the checkering?? what is the best way to go.  Sanding off the checkering seems like a lot of extra work, and would that ruin or weaken the stock???  :?  A smooth stock would be fine as I would use Pachmyer rough grip stick on patches.  I have used these before and they work quit well.
6.  I'm in Alaska what about finishes for blued guns?? I have applied Rust Oleum primer and flat colored spray paint works well and is easy to apply and easy to repair.  Any other suggestions?
7.  This is a working gun

Your advice and recomendations are greatly appreciated.so please provided any thing at all.  Thanks Old Moss  

[gunnut69]

2)I'd aluminum bed as it's been said the steel dust can actually rust... I've not seen the problem but have used the aluminum bed for years with complete satisfaction. I'd bed ALL the lugs, just for luck and float the remainder of the barrel..
Crossbolts work..  Any stock can split and the 375 is a candidate for certain.  While you're de-burring be sure to clean up the bolt especially the extractor and internal cavities..
I usually work around the checkering and protect it with masking tape when refinishing.  It's not difficult and the checkering is a nice touch.  On a rifle built for rough usage I'd reccommend applying powder coating.  May be a pain to find up there but once it's in place*and correctly applied) it really satys put.  It also totally protects whatever it covers.  You might also consider replacing the single screw sling studs with 2 screw units..  I've seen the single screw in studs fail..  In the wetness of Alaska I believe I would consider full length glass bedding..  If nothing else it completely seals the inletting and really slows any tendancy to warp that might crop up.

[Old Moss]

:grin: Thanks, Gunnut69.  That was pretty much what I had planned on doing but any and all advice is good to have before starting a project like this.
 
"On a rifle built for rough usage I'd recommend applying powder coating. May be a pain to find up there but once it's in place*and correctly applied) it really stays put. It also totally protects whatever it covers."  
 
Is this a metal coating?  I think I have heard of it before.  Could you give me a little more info like who makes it etc?  The sling studs are a good idea :-)  On I side note and to keep things simple I have actually incorporated the front sling screw stud into the forearm glass bedding to completely reinforce it and make it almost part of the stock.  Of course this means it is permanent and cannot be removed without grinding it off or ruining the stock.
 
I have thought about a barrel band sling swivel.  Mixed emotions about that. decisions decisions decisions  Thanks again Old Moss

[gunnut69]

Yes powder coating is a metal coating. It is a powdered plastic that is applied electrostatically and heated to fuse it to the metal. It is extremely tough and a bear to remove. When I worked for a gunsmith shop a few years ago we built some rifles(large lever action Marlins) for Alaskan usage. This being before the guidegun epidemick.  The metal was either hard chromed, black chromed(over beadblasting) or powder coated. The powder coat can be nearly any color, tone and level of shine you wish(there are 800+ different types of black powder). The wood work was coated with 'RhinoHide'. This material is designed for pickup bed lining and is sprayed on. The result was tough indeed..  A laminated or sybthetic stock might improve the water resistant qualities of the stock.. We'er lucky to have a powder coating outfit near here.. and bedliner application places are also fairly common here. I am also lukewarm about barrel band sling eyes.  They surely have their place and hard kickers and rifles carried thru thick stuff, slung, are arguements in favor but they also preclude the use of the sling as a shooting aid. Something I've been guilty of in the past. The one piece bands are a little stronger than a stud..