CZ Yearbook 2019 /eng

50 | | 51 UNMATCHED The new CZ 457 rimfire rifle series Regarding rifles for rimfire cartridges, Česká zbrojovka a.s. is not only one of the tradi- tional world leaders in this field but also a trend-setter. This is undoubtedly reflected in their latest model series, the CZ 457. Czech rimfire rifles are a glob- al phenomenon. The ZKM models that were first created shortly after the end of World War 2 set the bar for ingenuity and exceptionally high quality in a production rimf ire. They ranked very high and rightly deserved the huge success that followed. So much so that CZ produced guns based on the designs thought up by the legendary Koucký brothers in the mid-1940s up until very recently. A trained eye will find many features found on the timeless ZKMs even in the re- cent CZ 455 series of rifles. New directions However, the situation has changed once again. Based on their extensive experience and using radically upgraded pro- duction facilities, Česká zbrojov- ka has launched the complete- ly new CZ 457 model series. It is characterized by a sophisticat- ed modular design, thought out to the smallest detail. In comparison to previous mod- els and rival products, the CZ 457 brings improvements in all key parameters, whether we are talking about user safety, accuracy or lifetime. It is worth mentioning that the concept of many of the new CZ rimfire rifles returns to the original reason this category of firearms was created in the first place and why they keep en- joying such popularity. Rimfire rifles are often sought after by owners of hunting rifles, above all for practice, to have fun or in order to teach the younger gen- eration the basics of shooting and hunting. In this respect, the design of the new CZ 457 family is certainly quite remarkable. The partial integration with the successful CZ 557 rifle series has been a great move, particularly where the fully-adjustable trig- germechanismwith exception- al properties is concerned. It is also worth stressing that this series has retained the popular CZ 455 magazines and barrelled action, which means CZ 457 that owners of these guns have an option of an easy and af- fordable generational upgrade. Safety first All CZ guns are completely safe, not only when handled properly but during common accidents such as when the gun is dropped. So, what does safety mean in the new CZ 457 series? Its designers focused on par- t ial modi f icat ion and im- provements of safety features in line with modern trends. After careful considerations, CZ decided to stop using the popular manual wing safety that was a characteristic fea- ture of their rimfire rifles from the time of the famous CZ 452 ZKM model. Today, the pre- vailing element of controls on rifles is the so-called positive safety , which manifests on the CZ 457 guns as a lever on the right-hand side of the receiver. The safety is released by mov- ing the lever forward, thus in- dicating that the gun is ready to fire by revealing a red dot on the side of the receiver. A new element in CZ rimf ire rifles is the striker status indica- tor which gives a visual and tac- tile status of the striker mecha- nism: when the striker is cocked, a small red bar protrudes from the back of the bolt shroud. An additional benef it for saf- er handling is the separate bolt extractor control on the left side of the receiver, which means it is not necessary to pull the trigger when removing the bolt for basic maintenance. Lastbutnot least, andonceagain in keeping with the current pref- erences of most shooters, the CZ 457 guns allow the bolt to be opened and removed with the safety on. Improved accuracy In general, CZ rimfire rifles are highly accurate firearms, how-