CZ 600 - Rebarrel or Reprofile?

[PistolPete]

These seem like great guns, especially the Alpha - a true mini length, aluminum action, can use as DBM or top load, integrated rail, adjustable trigger, nitride finish, vertical grip stock, flush mag capacity of 5, outstanding accuracy reports.

However, they all have heavy barrels and they don't make one in the ARCs, or even Grendel. I think the 223 is limited by mag box length. It is an odd action and appears that the bolt lugs are integrated into the barrel (thus allowing the aluminum action). Is it possible to rebarrel one (say from 7.62x39 to an ARC)? Or even to reprofile the nitrided 6 Creed barrel to a reasonable profile?

Thanks,

Pete

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The 7.62x39 could easily be rebarrelled to 6.5mm Grendel or 6mm ARC. I did that with a CZ 527.


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[Q_Sertorius]

Unless I am missing something about the 600 that is significantly different from the 527. CZ usually makes their rifles pretty easy to customize.


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[PistolPete]

I think this is the difference - it appears that the bolt lugs are contained within the barrel.

 

[KyleR1985]

I’m pretty sure you’re going to be limited to barrels they offer.

I can’t see an aftermarket barrel maker tooling up to run barrels with integral lugs for one unpopular(relatively speaking) model of gun.

The only path to a 6mm that isn’t the factory creed offering would be to have a company rebore the .223 into a 6x45. This could actually be worth the cost though, as barrel life is “forever”.

Curious what lifetime barrel warranty means for a 6mm creedmoor…..

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The far easier option would be to get a relatively inexpensive 527 in 7.62x39 and rebarrel it to 6mm ARC. Or just get a 527 in 6.5mm Grendel.


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[Q_Sertorius]

It looks like the 600 series is - thankfully - being discontinued at the end of the year. From my perspective, it is a complete abortion. They never should have discontinued the 527 or 550.

 

[letrbuck]

It looks like the 600 series is - thankfully - being discontinued at the end of the year. From my perspective, it is a complete abortion. They never should have discontinued the 527 or 550.

Where did you learn they are being discontinued? Talked to a CZ rep a month or two ago and he said they are revamping the 600 series and the new generation will bring back the user changeable barrels


The barrels also have a lifetime warranty. Shoot it out and they'll replace it

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Where did you learn they are being discontinued? Talked to a CZ rep a month or two ago and he said they are revamping the 600 series and the new generation will bring back the user changeable barrels


The barrels also have a lifetime warranty. Shoot it out and they'll replace it

I read that one a couple of different CZ discussion boards. I am not saying it is 100%. The people may have been confused by an intention to revamp the current 600 series.

But over the past few years, there have been a lot of rumblings that CZ’s new management doesn’t want to build center fire rifles at all. Apparently, they want to focus on their pistols, with the rimfire rifles being a secondary line.


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[PathFinder]

Where did you learn they are being discontinued? Talked to a CZ rep a month or two ago and he said they are revamping the 600 series and the new generation will bring back the user changeable barrels


The barrels also have a lifetime warranty. Shoot it out and they'll replace it

Hopefully this is what's really going to happen. This post got my attention, I'd never heard of the 600 before. The action is pretty genius. If this platform were to gain some aftermarket following for stocks and magazines it could be really fun to build on. An aluminum receiver and the bolt locking straight to the barrel makes a lot of sense, especially for weight savings.
Has anyone had one and could comment on how they shoot? Looks like the magazines are a little on the short side.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Hopefully this is what's really going to happen. This post got my attention, I'd never heard of the 600 before. The action is pretty genius. If this platform were to gain some aftermarket following for stocks and magazines it could be really fun to build on. An aluminum receiver and the bolt locking straight to the barrel makes a lot of sense, especially for weight savings.
Has anyone had one and could comment on how they shoot? Looks like the magazines are a little on the short side.

Agreed. I am really shocked with the direction CZ took with the 600, but it appears that the rumors about it being discontinued are just rumors. I have never seriously considered the 600 since the initial offerings were so limited. It was a long time before they were available in anything other than .308.

The 457 rimfire line up has a very easy system for customizing or replacing just about anything you want on it. I've seen rifles on Rimfire Central where the only CZ component remaining is the action. And that is at least partially because CZ is so behind on production for replacement barrel kits that the aftermarket has had to step up in a major way.

I expected CZ to go the same direction with the centerfire rifles - easy customization - but they seem to have been set on using proprietary barrels and having only a limited number of chamberings. And then they got burned by their replaceable barrel system not being safe.

The owner at my LGS owns over 30 CZ rifles - most of them 527s or 550s - I will ask him if he has a 600 he likes yet. The last time I spoke with him he was really disappointed dealing with a first generation 600.

 

[Kyguy]

The far easier option would be to get a relatively inexpensive 527 in 7.62x39 and rebarrel it to 6mm ARC. Or just get a 527 in 6.5mm Grendel.


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Where are you finding "relatively inexpensive 527 in 7.62x39"? All of the ones I've seen in the last 2 years are almost priced past the point of ridiculous.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Where are you finding "relatively inexpensive 527 in 7.62x39"? All of the ones I've seen in the last 2 years are almost priced past the point of ridiculous.

There were several of them on GunBroker or Guns.com for $600-700 last year. The carbine versions were particularly cheap. Prices are up quite a bit now.

I paid a total of $900 for my 6.5mm Grendel and $800 for my 7.62x39 (counting sales taxes, shipping, and transfer fees). Both those were the American model. Then I had the 7.62x39 rebarrelled, which wasn’t cheap, but I am very happy with the outcome. I need to sell the first one, but I have been hoping one of my family members will take a shine to it,


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[Kyguy]

I think you're thinking of a couple of years ago. I was shopping hard for one last year and couldn't touch one for under $900 on GB, in 7.62x39 or 6.5 Grendel. .223 were going cheaper, and .204 Ruger were off the hook. I did end up finding a 6.5 Grendel 22" last August during the Route 127 Yard Sale that runs from Michigan, down to Alabama. It was about an hour southeast of me, picked it up for $650. I don't reload, it wouldn't do better than about 1.5" with any of the factory loads I had, which were literally everything I could order. Two from PPU, three from AAC, the three Hornady loads and WOLF. The 7.62x39 carbine I had 15 years ago blew that Grendel out, accuracy wise. It would shoot anything I tried in 3/4" or better all day long.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I think you're thinking of a couple of years ago. I was shopping hard for one last year and couldn't touch one for under $900 on GB, in 7.62x39 or 6.5 Grendel. .223 were going cheaper, and .204 Ruger were off the hook. I did end up finding a 6.5 Grendel 22" last August during the Route 127 Yard Sale that runs from Michigan, down to Alabama. It was about an hour southeast of me, picked it up for $650. I don't reload, it wouldn't do better than about 1.5" with any of the factory loads I had, which were literally everything I could order. Two from PPU, three from AAC, the three Hornady loads and WOLF. The 7.62x39 carbine I had 15 years ago blew that Grendel out, accuracy wise. It would shoot anything I tried in 3/4" or better all day long.

I’m looking at my credit card statements. I got the first one last summer, intending to cut it down and suppress it. Then I discovered it shot really well, so I decided not to cut it down. So I got the second one off Guns.com in October and immediately sent it off to PacNor.


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[Kyguy]

You happened to be on at the right time then. I bid on 4 last year and I dropped out on the bidding once they went over $900. They're nice enough but if I'm getting into one for over a grand, I'd end up buying a Howa Mini and getting it rebarreled and restocked.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

You happened to be on at the right time then. I bid on 4 last year and I dropped out on the bidding once they went over $900. They're nice enough but if I'm getting into one for over a grand, I'd end up buying a Howa Mini and getting it rebarreled and restocked.

I looked at the Howa Mini, but some aspects of it just felt too cheap for my taste - like the safety. Other parts of it have nice aftermarket options, but that adds up fast. And other aspects didn’t have good aftermarket options. That’s why I jumped on the CZ Americans when I found them. Still the Howa Minis are decent little rifles and probably a great option in the current market.

And I wish I had picked up a 527M carbine in 7.62x39 and/or .223. A couple of those I watched went for $600. I didn’t like the iron sights on them, but I should have considered it more since I was replacing the barrel anyway.


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