the 22 WMR barrel gave a perfect fi t to the action so no trip was made to a gunsmith. Barrels for the CZ 455 do not have sights attached, although as of this writing it has been stated that a 22 LR barrel would be available with sights. Time-honored techniques for at-
taching barrels on rimfi re rifl es have included threading the barrel tenon into the action or press fi tting the barrel in place and then locking it with a trans- verse pin. Neither of these techniques would lend itself to switching barrels easily so the CZ 455 employs a differ- ent approach. The rather long barrel tenon has two large V-notches that are shaped so that two screws having fl at surfaces can bear on the rearward face of the notch that faces forward. In that way, tightening the screws pushes the barrel backward into the receiver ring and holds it rigidly in place. This novel method allows barrels to be interchanged by simply loosening the two retaining screws and pulling the barrel forward. A different barrel is inserted into the receiver ring and the locking screws are tightened. The barrel change can be accomplished in a very short time.
Magazines of different length are
required for feeding 22 LR and either 17 HMR or 22 WMR cartridges. This problem is solved with the CZ 455 by having a magazine well that is of suf- fi cient length to hold the longer mag- num rimfire cartridges. When using the magazine that holds 22 LR ammo, a spacer or block is located behind the magazine to fi ll the gap that otherwise would be present. The spacer is held to the magazine box by a single transverse pin that is easily removed from either side. As a result, the length of the 22 LR magazine plus the spacer equals the length of the magnum magazine and thus no alteration of the magazine release is required. The CZ 455 is constructed in the
time-honored tradition of blued steel and fi ne wood, and that suits us just fi ne. One of us is old enough that a sporting rifl e decked out in camo or black does not seem to be the appropriate type. The receiver on the 455 is machined steel and it has grooves along the top for attaching scope mounts. However, the width of the grooves is 11mm rather than the usual ⅜ -inch that is common for rimfi res produced in the U.S. As
a result, not all scope mounts of the clamp-on type can be used on the CZ 455. Another issue when mounting a scope is that the bolt handle is shaped so that the eyepiece bell of a low mounted scope can interfere with the lifting and cycling of the bolt. Each 455 is furnished with a set of heavy steel rings that fi t the 11mm grooves and are quite gener- ous with regard to height. In fact, we prefer to have a scope mounted as low as possible, which is not feasible with the rings supplied unless the scope has a very large objective bell forcing it to be mounted high. Even with a lower set of rings that we had available, the bell of the BSA 4-12x44 AO scope cleared the barrel so very high rings are not necessary. However, with the shape of the bolt handle being as it is, only a scope having a small eyepiece could be mounted low. The hammer-forged barrel has a
pleasing taper and the muzzle is slightly recessed. Metal surfaces on the CZ rim- fi res have a high polish and are brightly blued. The stock on the 455 we tested is made of walnut that is nicely fi gured and checkered in a simple but attractive pattern. With the idea being to have the barrels on CZ 455 rifl es free fl oating, the barrel channel is somewhat generous. The overall confi guration of the stock is classic sporter. We are impressed with the excellent fi nish on the wood. It is neither too glossy nor too dull for our
taste, and it is apparent that the wood was prepared well before being fi nished. During testing, we allowed the stock to make contact with the support, but the durable fi nish showed no marks. The trigger assembly of the 455
is robust and adjustable. The rifl e we tested has a let off that requires a pull of about fi ve pounds and is acceptably crisp so it has needed no adjustment. The trigger guard assembly consists of two pieces, the trigger guard itself and a fl oor plate made of heavy stamped metal. Two large screws with torx heads pass through the assembly and the stock to hold the barrel and action in place. Testing of the CZ 455 began with
the 17 HMR barrel in place, and four types of ammunition were used. The second phase of the testing involved the 22 WMR barrel, and six types of am-
A barrel is locked to the receiver by two large screws that bear against angled surfaces so that tightening the screws pulls the barrel back into the action.
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