CZ 527 Chassis from MDT

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I purchased one of CZ's 'Suppressor-Ready' 527s in .300 AAC Blackout in 2017, right after the variant was introduced. One reason this chambering appeals to me is that the subsonic and lighter supersonic loadings of the .300 AAC are approved for use at my indoor club pistol range, which gives me the opportunity for centerfire rifle practice without the 90-minute drive to the nearest outdoor shooting facility. On a bolt action it's a pretty easy cartridge to handload, since you don't have the autoloading functional considerations. I also simply adore the CZ527's bolt design.

The one thing I wasn't entirely pleased with on this model was the factory synthetic stock. The rubbery texture on the exterior isn't my thing, and the action fit is somewhat vague -- if you remove and replace the barreled action, it usually takes a couple of attempts to get the magazine well oriented properly in the stock.

Last month I discovered that MDT was offering their LSS XL chassis for the .223 CZ527. As far as the stock is concerned, the .300 AAC model is identical, though the actual magazines are functionally different. I emailed MDT with a couple of questions before ordering and their customer service was superb.

I finished assembling my new chassis stock last week and it works great! I used a SB Tactical folding adapter to make the rifle easier to transport discreetly -- I use a padded fabric mandolin case. The mag retention system is much easier to use than the factory catch, though the mag release is unfenced and I have to remember to remove the magazine before folding the stock.
ChassisRightSide.jpg
CZ527300Bag.jpg
 
That is really nice! I want to build a little custom on a 223 bolt face 527, good to here about some real world experience with the factory stock. I really like that chassis with the folding stock, how much length does the adapter add?
 
Thanks dude! I had to look up the exact answer: Brownell's says the SB adapter adds 1.1" to the LOP. There are other folding adapters available, but it looked to me that given the MDT's carbine receiver extension, it was basically a choice between SB Tactical and MDT's own model. The MDT folder adds 1.7" and costs a bit more, but it is available with a couple of different options (carbine-to-carbine and carbine-to-fixed). Incidentally, with the SB adapter and the Magpul buttstock in the photo, the LOP is identical to the factory wooden stocks on my other two CZ 527s (223 fullstock and 7.62x39 carbine).
 
Aesthetically, I'm not normally drawn to chassis type stocks. I really didn't expect to like seeing a chassis on a 527.

Man, was I wrong. That 527 looks much better than I expected. The folding stock on a bolt gun is just icing on that cake.

Nice. Real nice. Let us know how it shoots in that set up. :cool:
 
Thanks Chic! I know what you mean -- the appeal of a pistol grip has gown on me. I dithered on the folding adapter due to cost, but the option of using a discreet case is helpful when your house is the across the street from an elementary school.

Currently I'm trying to find a load using CFE BLK that this rifle will like. My first attempt produced a squib, so I went back to the manufacture's website and found that their recommended load for the same bullet specified using Small Rifle Magnum primers. I made up 20 rounds -- on 6-7 of them, two hits were needed to make the primer to fire -- the CCI small magnum rifle primers are thick and hard, too much evidently for my rifle's striker. Accuracy wasn't bad, though. Next time I'll try the same load using Federal Bench Rest primers. I may just go back to AA9 or Lil' Gun, but dammit I bought a pound of CFE and I wanna use for it!
 
Dave, I have the 527, 300blk and ... thinking about the chassis too. I am left handed, so the mag release on the left could be a good thing for me. Could you please upload a pic showing left side of the chassis (rifle)? was it easy to "convert" to the left side? Thx!
 
Dave, I have the 527, 300blk and ... thinking about the chassis too. I am left handed, so the mag release on the left could be a good thing for me. Could you please upload a pic showing left side of the chassis (rifle)? was it easy to "convert" to the left side? Thx!

I had to take a couple new photos -- it didn't occur to me to photograph this area:

CZ527ChassisLeft01.jpg

The chassis was a drop-in fit and the magazine worked perfectly and slickly from the start. The only problems I had were 1) learning the differences in AR-type buttstock hardware to know which components to order, and 2) the lack of a fence around the mag release, which I nearly always push when I fold the stock. The drill is simply to remember to remove the mag before folding the stock for storage! Folding stock is optional anyway.

CZ527ChassisLeft02.jpg

Whoops, just edited the photos -- forgot to blur the SN's the first time!
 
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So it uses the factory CZ mags, yes?

I have a Defiance Deviant in the works for my 6yr old son, but it remains to be too heavy for him to maneuver effectively for matches. Strongly considering a CZ in 6.5 Grendel, maybe rebarreled to 243 LBC, and looking for the right light weight chassis/stock with adjustable LOP to get him going in the spring.
 
So it uses the factory CZ mags, yes?

I have a Defiance Deviant in the works for my 6yr old son, but it remains to be too heavy for him to maneuver effectively for matches. Strongly considering a CZ in 6.5 Grendel, maybe rebarreled to 243 LBC, and looking for the right light weight chassis/stock with adjustable LOP to get him going in the spring.
I'd consider looking for the Varmint kevlar version if available in the calibre of your choosing. My CZ 527 in 223 has an unloaded weight of 7.5lb based on the wiki entry. It's a fairly light rifle and it's bedded in the stock so shoots quite well.

Pictured with Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50 FFP and Wildcat over barrel Moderator and fairly recent target shot at 100m on 1cm x 1cm grid paper.
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So it uses the factory CZ mags, yes?

Roger that. The CZ is the odd man in MDTs chassis line -- I believe all of their other chassis models use non-factory mags.

BTW, my 527 chassis rig ended up a bit heavier than the original factory synthetic stock, which was desirable in my own case since I shoot it off a bipod from the bench/prone. If weight is a primary factory for your son, there are probably better options.
 
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I’d be willing to bet the 527 223rem mags are different than the Grendel mags. Even as a single stack, the Grendel is fatter with a different shoulder position. They have different part numbers from CZ as well. Seems there are two part numbers for the Grendel and the x39mags also, and looking at photos, the cartridge guide ribs stamped into the mags are different for the 223rem, Grendel, and x39.
 
Dave, your rifle looks good. I am surprised, I am not necessarily sold on chassis for look. I shot a few chassis rifles at the range whose owners were generous and I enjoyed the experience. I remember a .308 which felt more like a .223 in the recoil department. And the results were excellent, but that is usually because more than just one variable is right. That rifle of yours sure looks like a nice shooter, I hope you enjoy it a lot.
 
Hey @Dave DeLaurant - if you don’t mind getting on the scale, what does your rifle weigh like that? And which barrel length is it?

I had the Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel for a while, wasn’t really satisfied, but really like the idea of a CZ for my son. But I want to be sure the CZ527 + MDT + steel barrel will actually be lighter than his Defiance + Compact Manners + carbon fiber Proof barrel. I think it SHOULD be about a pound lighter, but want to be sure.
 
Hey @Dave DeLaurant - if you don’t mind getting on the scale, what does your rifle weigh like that? And which barrel length is it?

I had the Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel for a while, wasn’t really satisfied, but really like the idea of a CZ for my son. But I want to be sure the CZ527 + MDT + steel barrel will actually be lighter than his Defiance + Compact Manners + carbon fiber Proof barrel. I think it SHOULD be about a pound lighter, but want to be sure.


I had to take things apart to get accurate weights -- my electronic kitchen scale tops out at 72 oz:

CZBlackoutActionWeight.jpg


CZ 527 .300 AAC barreled action (16.5" barrel) + muzzle device + action screws + empty magazine = 55.95 oz

MDT chassis + SB Tactical Folding adapter (3.5 oz) + 3 RailScales + Magpul short plastic picrail for bipod + carbine tube & nut + Magpul MOE fixed carbine stock and spacer + milspec A2 grip and screw = 53.75 oz

My full rig also includes a Nikon P-300BLK scope, CZ factory steel rings and a Magpul bipod = another 32.05 oz

That totals 141.75 oz or 8.86 lbs (8 lbs 13.75 oz) unloaded.

Depending on your choice of options, you could probably get the chassis + grip + buttstock down to around 3 lbs. The aluminum chassis by itself is listed at 1.6 lbs on Optics Planet. MDT could give you a more precise weight if you email them -- sorry, but some of my buttstock components are loctited and not convenient to weigh separately. You'll want to check with MDT about Grendel compatibility anyway.

Minus the bipod and a couple other bits, and with a lighter scope and rings, I think you'd still be looking at circa 8 lbs unloaded.
 
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@Dave DeLaurant - wow, thanks for going the extra mile to get those weights! I hadn’t thought about the MDT chassis for the 527 being a different weight than that for the Deviant, but it’s definitely something I need to consider.
 
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