Full Stock Addiction

Litetrigger said:
Though they are seldom seen, the Austrian firm that manufactured the legendary Mannlicher-Schoenaur military and sporting arms also once made this rimfire Mannlicher. They were imported by Stoeger back in the 1950's when they imported the entire line of Steyr Mannlicher rifles. (Steyr being part of the company's name, as was the name of the beautiful city were they were made.)View attachment 1150130 View attachment 1150131 View attachment 1150132
Click to expand...

Congratulations on a fine rifle!

The Steyr Zephyr -- they are indeed rare, and often sell for more than their centerfire sibling. Man At Arms for the Gun and Sword Collector ran an article about them a couple issues back.

Simpson's has one for sale at present -- for $2500:

https://simpsonltd.com/steyr-zepher-rifle-d34359/

D34359A__02763.1666218980.jpg

BTW, Steyr recently introduced a new version, but most appear to be half-stocked. Nice, but not as cool as the original IMO:

https://www.steyr-arms.com/en/hunting-rifles/zephyr-ii/

?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteyr-arms.cz%2Ffiles%2Fphotos%2F202103162127296.png
 
I was giftted a box of .22 MaxiMag but I did not have a .22 magnum gun. I quietly accepted it in the spirit of the season and kept it JIC along side a box of .22 WRF. A long prolix story about that one but I'l spare you..
Later at a gun show I came across a Savage 63M .22 magnum single shot (M = Mannlicher style stock).
When I squinted it looked like a miniature M-S full stock carbine so I had to buy it. I had to, I had that box of ammo.
Plus there is something about a Mannlicher style stock.
 
I have a Remington Model 722 chambered for the 222 Remington Magnum. My cousin bought it and used it a lot. He also removed the original wood and stocked it with a nice, full length piece of walnut from Bishops Gunstocks. I have to bring it out and photograph it. Unfortunately, I have not shot it in a years.


Kevin
 
StrawHat said:
Dave,

They used the rubber pad to prevent the rifle from slipping on hard floors when they got propped against a wall.

Kevin
Click to expand...

I think they really went overboard with the vented pad on the full stock version -- my 7.62x39 Carbine came with a much more suitable rubber pad that I would have been happy with.

CZ527762x39.jpg
 
Last edited:
Pat Riot said:
I also love full stocked rifles. I used to call them “Mannlicher stocks”. Is that a correct term?
…
Click to expand...

Dave is, of course correct, Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher invented the loading clip for military rifles and developed several rifles and pistols but the full stocked rifles and carbines existed long before his birth in 1848. The full stocked carbines had always been very popular by hunters and poachers in the Alps and were called Stutzen in Germany. I like the Anschutz 1423 Stutzen, built on the 54 action, especially.
Anschutz 1418
1418.jpg
Anschutz 1423

Anschutz 1533 in .222 Rem
Anschutz-1533.jpg
Krico
Krico_23934.jpg
Anschutz-1423.jpg
Walther KKJ
IMG-5662.jpg
 
Last edited:
PzGren said:
Dave is, of course correct, Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher invented the loading clip for military rifles and developed several rifles and pistols but the full stocked rifles and carbines existed long before his birth in 1848. The full stocked carbines had always been very popular by hunters and poachers in the Alps and were called Stutzen in Germany. I like the Anschutz 1423 Stutzen, built on the 54 action, especially.
Anschutz 1418
Click to expand...

Thank you. You have some gorgeous long guns there. :thumbup:
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
I think they really went overboard with the vented pad on the full stock version -- my 7.62x39 Carbine came with a much more suitable rubber pad that I would have been happy with.

View attachment 1153716
Click to expand...
Along about 2008 or so CZ made a few minor changes to their rifles. I don't know if they made all of the changes the same year on all guns, but there were changes to the 452, 527, and 550 models. One of those was to switch from the ventilated rubber butt pad on the 527s and 550s to the foam rubber pad. I actually like the earlier models a little better, including the ventilated pad, because it just seems a little higher quality to me. (They also made this switch on the 452 Ultra Lux sometime in this time frame.)

Here are some of the other minor changes that I've noticed on my guns that differentiate the earlier models from the later models.
  • Up until approximately 2007/2008 or so, the Full Stock (FS) centerfire guns had a very nice blued steel forend cap. The centerfire guns then switched to a black-painted aluminum version. I believe the 527s might have had the black painted aluminum cap all along, but I'm not certain. All years of the rimfire guns I've seen all have had plastic, but I don't know for sure that they never had metal caps.
  • The level of pre-bluing polish on the metal was higher/more mirror-like on at least some models of the earlier guns. I can see this clearly on my 2005 550 FS, and also on the 2002 550 Varmint as compared to the 2012 550 FS and other later-model guns I've seen. I have a 2010 527 Classic (same as an American) that has outstanding bluing, as well as a 2014 527 Varmint that has really great blue, so the lower pre-blue polish level may not have been across the board, or it may have varied over the years and gun to gun. I don't know.
  • The FS stocks were slightly more "petite" prior to about 2008. They were the same length, but the early ones are thinner/narrower end-to-end, and just noticeable to me through the wrist when you grip the gun. I have 452s and 550s from both eras, and I like the more petite feel a bit better. The 455 FS stocks that I've handled (only a couple of them) are bulkier still than the late 452 stocks, and feel a little less "streamlined" and more upright when brought to the shoulder. I don't know for sure if these stock changes applied to the 527 because I only have a 2010 model, but I expect they did.
  • The checkering was better on the earlier guns, with the later guns exhibiting a more obviously "laser-burned" etching than the earlier ones. Go back early enough and it was actually cut.
  • The wood finish was very slightly different on some of the earlier guns, but I believe this was changed right around 2001-2003 or thereabouts. The early finish didn't seem to be as heavily stained, and allowed the wood grain to show through more than the later heavy finish.
  • The earlier 527 and 550 guns had a much more curved, conventionally-shaped trigger than the later guns. I believe this change was made in approximately 2007. I have a 2005 with the more curved trigger and had a 2008 with the later style, but I don't know for certain when the change happened. I also think they used a few of these more curved triggers within the last 3 years or so of 527/550 production, but I'm not certain (I saw some guns advertised as new stock that had the curved trigger).
You can see the differences in the butt pads here with the 2005 model in the foreground and the 2012 model in the rear.
n95iOrm.jpg

Here you may be able to detect the thinner wrist (probably can't really tell in the photo), the higher level of pre-blue polish, and the more curved trigger, all on the 2005 model.
8EakDBK.jpg

Painted aluminum vs. blued steel forend caps:
oJUlhZK.jpg

Early style trigger:
zLElxKs.jpg

Later style trigger on my 527 Classic Factory Special:
dl3lloh.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 9woXm4F.jpg
    9woXm4F.jpg
    269.6 KB · Views: 1
  • dlFiHWo.jpg
    dlFiHWo.jpg
    258.1 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
I6turbo said:
  • Up until approximately 2007/2008 or so, the Full Stock (FS) centerfire guns had a very nice blued steel forend cap. The centerfire guns then switched to a black-painted aluminum version. I believe the 527s might have had the black painted aluminum cap all along, but I'm not certain. All years of the rimfire guns I've seen all have had plastic, but I don't know for sure that they never had metal caps.
Click to expand...
Adding to the sum of knowledge here, I purchased my fullstock 527 through my FFL by special order (probably Lipsey's or another major jobber) in September 2007, SN A231XXX (if that helps.) The forend cap is definitely matte blued steel -- a magnet will adhere to it firmly. It has the slightly-higher profile bolt handle.

My 527 Carbine in 7.62x39 was purchased off the LGS rack in March 2017, SN C120XXX. The walnut is about the same matte finish as the FS, but has superior grain and a relatively thin rubber buttpad.

CZ527.jpg

My "suppressor-ready" 527 (the receiver is just stamped 527) .300 Blackout with synthetic stock was ordered directly from CZ USA in August 2017, SN C340XXX. I later put it into an MDT chassis.

CZ527300AAC.jpg

Looking at all three of my 527s side by side, I can't see any difference in the metal finish on any of my receivers -- all are a near-identical matte blue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
  • Locked
Mannlicher Stocked .308 Receiver Sights
Replies
1
Views
439
tmacie
T
Back
Top