Mag surgery. A plan with potential or pitfall?

P

Pond James Pond

New member
I had a CZ550 Standard with an integral mag. I sold the gun as it was a bit tired and I wanted a CZ550 Varmint.

Now I have CZ Varmint.

I like its detachable box magazine for the easy of loading and because I like magazines. I also bought this fine, used Varmint model before I had learnt about seating from the lands!!

So now I also like the integral magazine because my OAL is not limited to the mag length as it is now.

So.
Do you think I could cut away the front end of a box mag, as well as the folded plates on the side of the mag mouth and let that magazine at like an integral mag?

Would it cause feed problems?
Could I just remove the front wall and leave the top tabs?
Are there integral mag conversions?

Just toying with the idea of keeping my nice Varmint, but reaping the potential benefits of having full OAL range of adjustment for my handloads.
 
Nope...you'd lose necessary strength and the follower may not even stay in the magazine.

Still, if you want to try it, you're only endangering the magazine and the cost is another mag, plus time to get it. That is, unless the mag goes bad on a hunting trip and you miss a follow-up shot on a trophy because of it.

:eek:
 
Buy a few spare mags before you give in to the urge to experiment, because likely it won't turn out too well
 
I wouldn't do it personally... I like mags too, not in a hunting rifle, but in target and fun guns they are nice and of course non revolver pistols..
 
James,

You might try single feeding up the spout.

Not sure on CZ but I think the extractor easily pops over the rim.

I think you target shoot. I single load my 1903s and 1917s though I put them in the 30-06 forgiving magazine . at lea Slow shooting is fine as no need for speed in that kind of target shooting.
 
I guess first you need to know if seating off the lands is even worth it on this rifle. Might be able to dial er' in without all that trouble.
 
Not sure on CZ but I think the extractor easily pops over the rim.
Click to expand...

That appears to be a Mauser style claw extractor.


Don't do that. It was designed to feed from the magazine.

Can you make it "pop over the rim"? Maybe..... you can also pound a screw into a board with a monkey wrench....... that don't make it the right way to do things .....
 
That appears to be a Mauser style claw extractor.


Don't do that. It was designed to feed from the magazine.

Can you make it "pop over the rim"? Maybe..... you can also pound a screw into a board with a monkey wrench....... that don't make it the right way to do things .....
Click to expand...

I would research it then but as noted above, do not do so or force it, not worth it.

I believe some work ok that way but would want solid confirmation (from the mfg or a knowledge sources)
 
Depends...

Not familiar w/CZ receiver family. What ctg are you shooting in your Varmint?
Does the receiver design use a block in the magazine or receiver to accommodate smaller oal ctgs?

Might not be a big deal to dremel out some extra length for bullet seating? How does the magazine latch in place? On other hand, maybe you just need a bullet with more forward located ogive? Want to seat into the lands and keep your repeater function from the mag? Easiest way is likely to change bullets.

Tikka T-3, and other earlier 595 rifles all use same receiver length with blocking internal to the magazine. Very easy to get full receiver length seating by modifying the magazine block in case of .223rem, or using an `06 family mag rather than an `08 family mag. Tikka also give an option of 1:8 twist in their .223 rifles. Such a twist option would really be super on a .22-250.

There can be more than just magazine parts that need modification, depending on receiver design. Might be looking at ejector and bolt stop modifications as well to get full bolt cycle once magazine is lengthened.

There are other possibilities. Not sure about aftermarket CZ parts, but there are many firms like CDI Precision who sell magazine conversion floorplate units which take Accuracy Intl magazines. Not sure that AI is making a .223 dimension mag these days, but .308, Win mag, and Lapua magnum magazines they do make.

Probably not a cost effective project, unless you Really Love your CZ. Might look at the T-3 Varmint as they are highly praised as entry level Sakos.
 
CZ 550FS in .30-06 here will close on a direct-chamber feed.

The "pure" Mauser claw extractor generally will not, many commercial Mauser adaptations will be slightly modified to use a direct-feed method if you choose.
Denis
 
I found this online.

It is an exploded view of the Varmint model as well as some model specific parts which suggests, given that the bolt is part of the "common to models" section, that it would work with direct-feed given that the CZ555 listed integral mag would work with this bolt and action.

That is how I've understood it.
 
It's the extractor that's the key part, across all Mauser-based bolt-actions.
Military extractors generally will not close, commercial modified extractors will.
Just try it on yours, you have the gun, right?
Denis
 
The CZ 50 Varmint is mine, yes, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for and how I should be looking for it.

What should the extractor on my gun be doing? What do you mean by "close"?
 
Apparently I've misunderstood the issue I thought was raised earlier regarding single-loading.
Disregard.
Denis
 
What should the extractor on my gun be doing? What do you mean by "close"?
Click to expand...

If it is a mauser style bolt with the claw type extractor, then single loading (laying a round on top to the magazine or dropping one directly into the chamber and closing the bolt) causes the extractor to snap over the case rim ...... I was always told this was a bad idea (I know from experience that this is a bad idea with the 1911 pistol) ...... but looking at my Ruger Frontier and my Mauser 95 ..... I note that the front of the extractor is indeed beveled .... so maybe they meant for you to be able to do this..... I've always loaded them from the magazine.
 
Apparently I've misunderstood the issue I thought was raised earlier regarding single-loading.
Click to expand...

It wasn't but single loading would allow me more flexibility with OAL beyond the mag length.

I was always told this was a bad idea (I know from experience that this is a bad idea with the 1911 pistol) ...... but looking at my Ruger Frontier and my Mauser 95 ..... I note that the front of the extractor is indeed beveled .... so maybe they meant for you to be able to do this
Click to expand...

I'll have to experiment with my snap-cap. At least aluminium is way softer than bolt steel, so if one is going to go, it can be the cheap snap-cap.
 
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