[IWA 2022] The INCREDIBLE Variety of NEW CZ 600 Bolt Actions

@J.T. This is actually no excuse, it is mere a start of a new rifle series. You see, by introducing the direct barrel locking, all tooling, gauges etc etc had to be made from scratch. And to deliver this in every single caliber is a daunting and time consuming task so the logical process is to introduce the most popular calibers first and from there it is much easier to add up next and next ones. Similar goes with stocks. It is a brand new series of rifle that comes in three sizes, two different receiver materials, three different barrel profiles, five stocks and eleven calibers. I'd dare to say it is a formidable start and it will just get better over time. If you recall, the CZ 457 rimfire was introduced three years ago with basically only wooden models and look how far it got by today. And I really wonder how large the portfolio of CZ 527/557 or even 550 was when they had been released.

And a quick note re Mauser action - it is quite well documented that - though reliable and robust, the mauser actions of 527 (and the pushfeed action of 557) were not flawless and I can imagine many people who back then criticized stiffnes of the bolt and the long claw extractor being prone to breakages and then expensive for replacement now long for the rifles like it was the pinnacle of the gun design. It is not the rifles themselves that drive the prices riddiculously high, it's their absence. And I believe CZ is now bringing onto market something that honours the tradition of the old rifles but improves on all the details the old rifles were lacking at. And if that means going for different design, what is the big deal? Ford also does not produce Model T just because it worked back then.

I think the CZ 600 will prove itself. But only if you guys let it try at least.

@Andrew Cheaper to make, but we don't get a cheaper price tag. Is that plastic bottom "metal" I see on the Lux? Sure looks like it either way. Easily-produced fat bolt design is reminiscent of many budget rifles (to be fair some high-end rifles use it too). Overly heavy on this Lux as well, 8.2 to 8.6 lbs bare? Are you serious? Not impressed! It's not traditional, so it does not appeal to "blued steel and walnut" side (of course it is not blued, either). The synthetic model is terribly ugly (small matter) but even with the aluminum receiver is still heavy compared to much competition. Why buy this CZ instead of a lighter Tikka?

Onto perhaps more serious problems, the bolt locks into the barrel instead of the receiver, so you have only the option of using the specific CZ 600 barrels. Neat for the quick and easy change. But it comes with downsides.

The 600 Trail is also not a replacement for the 527. I predict much of the demographic interested in, say, a 527 American, will not be interested in the 600 Trail in 7.62x39. But I'm sure in these times they will sell a lot more of the 600 Trails.

@Gews Well, the rifles are packed with features that were previously missing on the older models (and also some on the competitor models, including the mentioned Tikkas) and with the production and material cost increases it is bound to show on pricetag. Yes, the baseplate and trigger guard are made of polymer and I don't think anyone is trying to hide it (honestly not sure why would they). And yes, the rifles are not blued, beacuse they are actually nitrided the same way CZ's military firearms are. Perhaps not traditional, but very functional and most importantly completely anticorrosive and scratch-resistant. The weight of the rifles is not with the bolt which is not really thick (compared to 527s and 557s they are only 2mm wider in diameter but do not have large locking lugs or long extractors protruding on the sides) but with the barrels and that extra bit of material in both American and Semi-heavy barrel profile is well worth the accuracy even after several magazines have been shot and the barrel is so hot you cannot touch it. And if you want to go light, there is always the 600 Ergo system. Don't like the stock? Can be easily swapped for any else. Again, this is a STARTING, not TERMINAL lineup, nobody said there will never be carbine/american (or any other, for that matter) stock options in the future.