I have a chance to pickup a CZ 455, looks a lot like a 457 Pro Varminter. I haven't seen any 457 for sale in a 250 mile radius of my location.
Is the 457 worth waiting for over the 455?
Is the 457 worth waiting for over the 455?
- Thread starter Jdaniel344
- Start date
I'd go to GunBroker and just pay the few bucks extra for a 457
Can you tell me why?
Do you know when the ceased production of the 455
I’d get a 457, and I have the 455. I don’t appreciate that I can rip the bolt out of the action if I run it too hard. The bolt handle lift angle is a nice perk too, although if you wanna use it as a trainer you should look at matching your main gun’s bolt throw.
I have both and I would go with the 457 just because of the 60 degree bolt throw and slightly better, more adjustable trigger. Also there is a plethora of models and configurations for the 457z
Yes! I have both and highly recommend the 457 over the 455
I really, really liked my 455 threaded varmint for about 3.5 years. Used it in matches, appleseeds, plinking and a lot of dry fire practice. Nowadays it is unusable sitting in the back of the safe. Bolt will pull out or jam up in trigger mechanism every 3rd or 4th round now, more on this later.
CZ knew they had problems with the 452/3/5 series and finally corrected them in the 457. There are six significant changes/upgrades for the 457:
1) adjustable trigger assembly without sear ball headache
2) 60 degree bolt throw operation
3) shorter bolt throw
4) traditional , easy to operate side safety
5) threaded bolt handle allowing aftermarket knobs
6) most importantly, a side mounted bolt retaining lever
1-5 are welcome upgrades, but #6 is critical for a heavily used rifle. CZ used the trigger mechanism to retain the bolt in the 452-455. You literally pull the trigger to move the bolt retainer bar out of the way to remove the bolt. Over a lot of rounds the bolt and retainer bar banging against each other start to chamfer which eventually leads to the bolt overiding the retainer bar and either completely coming out or getting halfway stuck and jammed. This is a wonderful thing to have happen in a match!
At other forums I have been scoffed at or rebuffed or outright told that I induced this fault by ignorantly setting too light of a trigger pull in the factory stock trigger. Trigger is set at 4.25 lbs, definitely not light and inspection has revealed the contact points of both bolt and trigger bar have chamfered from impacting each other. I am not babying the bolt when running it, but I do not abuse it either. Confirmation for me that this was a CZ design issue is that I have personally run across 5 other 455 owners who have or had this problem, two of which had aftermarket triggers with the same issue.
Common data point is that all of us have a large number of rounds through their rifle. I have about 4 cases of ammo through it and about a third more cycles in dry fire (the action is pretty smooth when it works). If you are not going to use it a lot, you probably will never see the bolt pull-out problem, hence the scoffing from the squirrel hunting crowd as they more likely won’t shoot more than a couple bricks through it in their lifetime. CZ corrected this problem finally with the side lever release on the 457. I intend to have a side release installed sometime in the future , I still like that rifle.
In case my post was unclear, I'm #6 on your list. This is my largest complaint with the 455, and is why I would never recommend it to someone who was considering a 457.
Get the 457.
I have a 455 and 457. I was happy with the 455, but the 457 really is a much better gun. The action is better- 60d bolt throw, better parts, better trigger, safety. Nothing wrong with a 455, just the 457 seems like a natural evolution.
I have 457 avaialable in CO at Sportmans ware house, Cabelas and Centential Gun Store. Don’t know why you’d have trouble finding 457s.
I have 457 avaialable in CO at Sportmans ware house, Cabelas and Centential Gun Store. Don’t know why you’d have trouble finding 457s.
Depends on the price. I bet it's the 455 Tacticool model...the stock is the old version of the Boyd's Pro Varmint. I have one, and it shoots great. Never ripped out the bolt...don't know why you would be running the gun hard enough to do so. Fixed the trigger with $0.30 spring from Ace Hardware. Shoots great with CCI Standard, lights out with Center-X. Averages 0.45" groups with most higher end match ammo.
With an aftermarket trigger that doesn’t have a ton of sear engagement, it doesn’t take that much. I’m not a big fella, and I’m not running the bolt absurdly hard. Tiger-Shilone described it well. The sear is the bolt stop, and if one wants a nice, crisp trigger with minimal creep, then sear engagement has to reduce. The first time the bolt skips over the sear, the bolt-stop surface of the firing pin gets a bit beveled, making it easier to skip over the next time.
I get that you haven’t had it happen, but clearly it does, and I think we can all agree that we would rather not have our sear as our bolt stop. Which is why almost no design is built that way, including CZ’s newest offering.
Suggesting that because you haven’t had the issue means that it is operator error rather than inferior mechanical design is not the best advice for the OP.
Own a cz455 with 24" barrel in a MPA chassis. Amazing rifle, wife shoots it and actually prefers that set up vs V22 in a Cadex (v22 is just much heavier).
Get the 455, and if 457 shows up snatch it and sell 455. The 22lr market is a revolving door.
Get the 455, and if 457 shows up snatch it and sell 455. The 22lr market is a revolving door.
Likewise suggesting that is IS going to happen because it happened to you is also not the best advice for the OP.
Again, it would come down to the price for me...if the 455 is a few hundred less than a comparable 457, then get it. It's only money.
Could I have one sent to the Casper, Wy Sportmens Warehouse?
To respond somewhat more expansively, they may or may not be willing to handle private FFL transfers, you’d have to call them. I also don’t know if they’re willing to ship firearms internally if they have one in stock elsewhere, seems some chains will and some won’t (maybe I’m just thinking of ammo here).
These are in stock in Casper. Might be able to get some of the other ones sent there. At least with the scout you good get a new barrel and chassis it up. The VPT version of the 455 I have is nice, but you’d better like the stock, that’s where the money is in it. Bud’s has some too.
Thanks, I'd didnt see CZ there but I didnt ask either.
I’d call first. I have a sneaking suspicion that these are in there system somewhere and maybe not at a specific store, but at least you can get it with out paying for shipping and a transfer-fee/BGC. I think they said the same models were in stock here in CO…. Plus, I never trust online inventory numbers, Home Depot’s online inventory is a joke.
Unfortunately from my experiences and meetings with other ppl with heavy use 455’s I believe that every 455 will eventually have this failure. It will take a while for light users, but it will happen. If you are still under warranty cz will send you a new trigger, but not a bolt. One guy I know had this problem with two factory triggers and eventually put in a Mr Fly trigger which worked better, but still pulls out once a while. This is a design flaw that was corrected by the 457
I second what TS said. I had a Yo Dave kit in, and my son is a gorilla on the bolt, but we had the same issue. Got a Timney trigger in and that cured it, for now. CZ definitely upped their game with the 457. Each change is enough win to give it to the 457, all together makes it a lock IMnHO. 455 is an OK gun. You have to do something with the trigger out of the box- the 457s is pretty good from the start. To me, that is enough of a reason. If given one or you can find a used one real cheap, play with a 455. From scratch, the 457.
