CZ-USA
CZ-USA’s Western Series 550 Sonoran bolt action rifle is highly accurate and extremely tough. These aren’t run-of-the mill production guns. CZ-USA takes Czech actions and custom builds the rifles to give you a rifle you can depend on when the chips are down. Each and every rifle is ferritic nitrocarbonized inside and out. That brings the surface hardness up to Rockwell 72, making the gun nearly impervious to wear and corrosion. It also improves lubricity, meaning you can use less lubricant for a cleaner-running action. As an added bonus, it doubles barrel life. The Sonorran wears the industry’s first all carbon fiber stock and sports such features as a fluted barrel, adjustable trigger and guaranteed accuracy of 1 minute of angle or better. It’s available in four models: .270 and 30-06 with a 24” barrel and .300 Win. Mag and 7mm Mag with a 26” barrel. MSRP is $3199.
I love my CZs, especially my CZ 550 American Safari .458 Lott ($900 retail), but these new CZ rifles at $3,199 retail—not buying it is so different. Sad to predict a slow to nil market against the competition’s price point rifles. Just saying, CZ may have priced themselves out of market, and their marketing folks should take the hit for not surveying what the market will bear. I handled these CZ rifles and spoke to their experts at booth at the NRA Nashville Convention/Annual Meeting, and though nice,—just solid bolt action rifles in a galaxy of them, many competitors from $700-2,000 range— just as purpose driven in life’s uses.