New CZ 457 24" 1.180 Match Barrel from L3i
- Thread starter Mark_Dorman
- Start date
Goes away after cleaning and comes back every time the round count gets past 100 or so. I don't have a hard number, but it is very obvious once you're past 200 rounds.
Whidden Gunworks has a cool set here. Seven gauges are included to indicate headspace from .039″ to .045″. Use these to check existing firearms, when installing prefit barrels, or along with Shim Kits to fine-tune headspace to match your ammunition.
I received my Wasp cut barrel today and put it on a receiver. Man, that bolt close but especially bolt open is stiff even without a round chambered. I'm guessing I'll need to use a barrel shim, has each of you needed to use a shim?
I know I need/should get a good tool to measure so I'm not guessing which shim to use.
I know I need/should get a good tool to measure so I'm not guessing which shim to use.
My l3i 457 barrel ran into my 419 rail. I moved the rail back just a bit so that the barrel would seat against the action. I emailed L3i and Marcus said they had to move the rail on their test rifle. He said it still functions fine.
Mine would not close without a shim. I would not advise forcing it closed if it feels that way.
If you don’t have a way to measure, it will have to be trial and error. Maybe start with 5 thousandths and see how it feels to close.
All barrels will need a shim, .003 is the most common shim needed.
my bolt will close with ease without any shim, but to open is REALLY stiff. Still looking for answers, & better performance.
You have mechanical advantage on the close by way of the cam surfaces but on open you do not have the same advantage. You have way too little headspace and are essentially pressing the boltface into the barrel face. You need to properly shim the barrel.
The tenon has an 18mm (.7087) nominal diameter, we have a +.0005 and -.001 on it. Most of the tenons have been running on the highend of the tolerance which make for a snug fit in most actions.
I am patiently waiting my second barrel to arrive any day. I have a brand new action, trigger, and Manners TCS waiting for it. My first barrel is from the original pre order, and shoots lights out with multiple lots of Eley. I have a few cases of center x and SK long range match, so I intend to set the new one up for Lapua headspace.
I shot my old RimX side by side off of props yesterday with my current CZ. Aside from the RimX being a couple of pounds heavier, I could not really tell a difference. I was able to spot shots at 100 easy enough for corrections. I did have two different classes of scopes that disadvantaged the CZ (Atacr on the RimX and Cronus on the CZ).
I plan to post up groups and ammo performance when I get the new gun all put together.
L3I has been nothing short of great to work with, and they donated a number of items to the NRL22 championship prize table last week. It’s great to see them support the community.
I shot my old RimX side by side off of props yesterday with my current CZ. Aside from the RimX being a couple of pounds heavier, I could not really tell a difference. I was able to spot shots at 100 easy enough for corrections. I did have two different classes of scopes that disadvantaged the CZ (Atacr on the RimX and Cronus on the CZ).
I plan to post up groups and ammo performance when I get the new gun all put together.
L3I has been nothing short of great to work with, and they donated a number of items to the NRL22 championship prize table last week. It’s great to see them support the community.
I would be greatly curious if the barrel contour at receiver end got chamfered to clear the extended scope rail overhang or if we still have to set that back or dremel out space in the rail.
Will post pictures up. Unfortunately I already assumed it would be the same, so I modified the MDT scope rail that I mounted to the action the same way I did the first one.
But it will be simple enough to measure and/or see.
I'm assuming the new barrel has the revised wasp chamber. Will be awaiting your thoughts compared to the original chamber design. I currently run the first gen barrel headspaced at .043 and it shoots a variety of Eley and Lapua extremely well, so I'm reluctant to send it back for rechambering. On an 18lb rifle I don't find the bolt throw effort to be an issue, curious how you feel after running them side by side.
Shipping notice today for the wasp chambered barrel. I expect it by mid week, and I’ll get some data on groups by next weekend.
Has anyone had to stack shims? I have the .005 in mine and it still has a pretty difficult bolt close. Sometimes it will not even close. I ordered a headspace gauge set from whidden so I will be able to check when that comes in.
Yeah I’m not quite sure what’s going on with mine. It is still a fairly new action with probably only 200 rounds on it so that may be it.
So I've found that most of the bodies are fairly consistent but we've seen some bolts that were way out of spec.
This guy has been skipping leg day, but is going to get a solid injection of L3I later today. This is a brand new action and scope rail. You can see that the rail has been clearanced already awaiting the barrel.
I had the manners for my other build while waiting on my PDC custom chassis.
I did fire the pencil barrel for a box of rounds, and it ran very smoothly with eley and SK. Measuring the headspace, it was right at 0.044. So that’s what I’m setting my new barrel at.
I had the manners for my other build while waiting on my PDC custom chassis.
I did fire the pencil barrel for a box of rounds, and it ran very smoothly with eley and SK. Measuring the headspace, it was right at 0.044. So that’s what I’m setting my new barrel at.
I’m right there with you, got shipping notification for barrel #2 today and have been working on widening the channel on my manners stock. Can’t wait to get it together for comparison to the MTR stocked one with the original match chamber.
Yes, sir, I did. I had my original heavy barreled 457 in this stock. I had a PDC custom chassis that came in, and that rifle sits in the PDC chassis now.
I save and track my chrono data for my rimfires. My first L3I barrel holds the top few spots for best ES and SD shooting eley ammo. I received a case of SK long range match ammo in yesterday, and have high hopes for the new barrel. It was getting dark, so I only ran one mag through this rifle (a Hart barreled Rimx with the MODX conversion). The down range results were what you would expect with these figures - incredible.
Barrel installed today. Been so busy it seems ever since it got here. Hopefully get to shoot it soon. Both .003 and .004 shim felt right. No way to measure though if anyone has any tips. I left the .004 in it.
Brown Santa arrived about an hour ago. I was targeting 0.044 headspace, and it looked like the 0.004 shim would work best. The contour at the breech end appears to be the same as the pre order version. That’s just to my eye.
Stickout on both Lapua and eley is almost nothing, compared to the pre order version. That’s obviously makes bolt close much easier. Extraction is impressive.
Will shoot it on Friday. I’m not an expert machinist, so I’m thinking maybe I’ll swap the 3 thou shim in later depending on how the Lapua shoots.
Here are my 3 CZs. I love my Rimx and Kidd rifles, but the CZ is damn hard to beat.
Stick out - wasp chamber:
Stick out - original chamber:
Stickout on both Lapua and eley is almost nothing, compared to the pre order version. That’s obviously makes bolt close much easier. Extraction is impressive.
Will shoot it on Friday. I’m not an expert machinist, so I’m thinking maybe I’ll swap the 3 thou shim in later depending on how the Lapua shoots.
Here are my 3 CZs. I love my Rimx and Kidd rifles, but the CZ is damn hard to beat.
Stick out - wasp chamber:
Stick out - original chamber:
I received me 2nd cz barrel and the 1st one was the original match camber ,the one I got today was the 22 wasp .Are the original match camber not offered now ?
The match chamber is still available for the next few hundred barrels if someone wants it. The wasp is the new standard since honestly we prob had 90% of buyers who had never felt a spec match chamber and wanted less engraving.
I tried the stick out “test” on my Rimx, and it is the same as the Wasp shown above. I am confident that it is still going to be a shooter. Results to come either Friday or Sunday.
The ability to extract any live round is very nice. I have an upgraded extractor spring on my original action, and it will not extract live rounds reliably.
The ability to extract any live round is very nice. I have an upgraded extractor spring on my original action, and it will not extract live rounds reliably.
I called April about receiving the 22 wasp chamber she said that's the only available chamber as of 1 month ago .i would like to return the wasp chamber for the match chamber as I only shoot benchrest and would like the match camber
Send me a PM. Most people prefer the wasp but I've got some match chamber ones here.
Three five shot groups. These are rounds 11-26 out of the Wasp chambered barrel. This is SK long range match. I used CCI SV to get the reticle zeroed, so these were not even fouled in. No shots were excluded. 50 yards, bipod and rear bag.
Will shoot a lot more this weekend, but I had to get out and get some rounds through this rifle. It loads very easily, as I noted when the barrel was first installed.
Again, brand new CZ with a brand new barrel, assembled in my garage with a pair of fix it sticks. I have plans to run eley tenex, match, team, and some Lapua center X on Sunday. Because why not?!
Will shoot a lot more this weekend, but I had to get out and get some rounds through this rifle. It loads very easily, as I noted when the barrel was first installed.
Again, brand new CZ with a brand new barrel, assembled in my garage with a pair of fix it sticks. I have plans to run eley tenex, match, team, and some Lapua center X on Sunday. Because why not?!
I shot 6 different ammo lots today through my new Wasp chambered barrel. There were lots of 0.3” 5 shot groups. Lots of them. A few smaller than that, which was great given the wind (I was not holding any based on changes/gusts).
I did add a bolt shim that is 0.002 to make my effective headspace 0.042. I decided to do it that way versus pulling the barrel off. Taking the bolt apart is super quick.
This was the winner for the day. There were a couple of other lots of eley that would be shot again if this one wasn’t so incredible.
Again, prefit barrel in a brand new action. Y'all - these things are awesome.
The groups at the bottom are 10 shot groups at 215 yards. You can see the wind flags in one of the pictures below.
I did add a bolt shim that is 0.002 to make my effective headspace 0.042. I decided to do it that way versus pulling the barrel off. Taking the bolt apart is super quick.
This was the winner for the day. There were a couple of other lots of eley that would be shot again if this one wasn’t so incredible.
Again, prefit barrel in a brand new action. Y'all - these things are awesome.
The groups at the bottom are 10 shot groups at 215 yards. You can see the wind flags in one of the pictures below.
It is addressed earlier in the thread. They have an NDA, and do not disclose the barrel manufacturer.
I shot my original match chambered barrel in two matches this weekend. Mental mistake yesterday cost me the match. And today I didn’t trust my dope. Was shooting some tenex to clear it out, and some misses on my first stage hurt. But that wasn’t the gun’s fault. The nut behind the gun still has to do his part.
I have a match chamber barrel I would be willing to trade you for your wasp chamber. I’m not a big fan of the amount of bullet engraving.
