New CZ 455 -- is the action supposed to be really stiff out of the box?

[MeatAxe556]

Admittedly, my other bolt guns are Sako / Tikkas which have really slick, easy to operate actions out of the box.

I got a new CZ 455 in .22 WMR and the bolt lever and safety are pretty stiff and require a lot of effort to operate.

Is this normal?

If it is normal, does it loosen up over time?

Thanks!

 

[usmcchet9296]

Yeah mine was gritty as all get go but after a short while it worked itself out and got butter smooth
my 452 also did the same thing so its just a CZ thing
check the action screws and make sure they aren't interring with the bolt

 

[yoteman]

as for mine, yes when new after awhile got better,
then with new lilja barrel tight as heck, lubed it up good, worked the bolt a few times, clean bolt,
now as smooth as any out there,
OP if after say a 100 rounds an still stiff,
check with Jbell, are justin, here on the hide,
they have posted ways to smooth every thing out

 

[MeatAxe556]

I worked the bolt and safety several hundred times while watching the tube, but it did not seem to help much at all. The moving bolt parts seem to have adequate clearance by themselves.

The problem seems to be with the enormous spring tension on the striker. I'm leaving it cocked and locked for a while to see if that reduces some of the spring tension. Otherwise, I'm having to put 30 lbs. or more of pressure on the bolt handle just to close the bolt, which is not only awkward but unsafe.

 

[justin amateur]

Before shooting any of my 455's,
I disassembled and cleaned everything.
Even the bolt. I've found stray bits of metal in odd places.
Might have interfered with smooth operation if left there.
The chips look like pieces from the machining process
and weren't found before assembly at the factory.

Agreed also on checking the action screws.
Don't want 'em protruding into the receiver.

 

[MeatAxe556]

OK, I think I'm making some headway here.

The action screws were OK, not protruding or anything.

The problem seems to be excessive tension in the new striker spring. I left the rifle cocked and locked for several hours and it seems to have compressed the spring somewhat. Manipulation of the bolt and safety are still somewhat stiff, but manageable now, whereas before it was like wrestling alligators.

Will continue to leave it cocked and locked until it reaches a desirable level of tension.

 

[jbell]

I agree the spring is heavy, however I don't think less spring tension is the answer. I would look into a larger bolt knob to give some more leverage. Also properly cleaned and lubed cocking surfaces will help. If you so desire you can slightly modify the cocking pieces of the bolt. I didn't take any before pics but here are the pictures of how it looks after the modifications:

smooth and round:





reduce the notches both in the opening and closing side of the cocking ramp of the bolt handle, and smooth the ramp:







Just make the modifications in small amounts testing the fit, you don't want to create too much clearance and have a sloppy bolt handle that just flops around.

 

[MeatAxe556]

Thanks for the info! ^

What tool(s) do you use to make those modifications?