In love... with CZ858

[NavyCuda]

So Thursday I bought a brand new 858, an impulse buy, possibly not overly well thought out at first... but having taken it out to the range today I have come to only one possible conclusion.

As cool as my m14 with smith brake now is, it isn't as fun and affordable to shoot as the CZ. I'm am so impressed with this rifle I will have to purchase another one for my wife at some point!

Planned mods are NEA upper hand guard and an aimpoint of some kind. Seeing as todays range trip, I managed to get the barrel hot enough to melt the paint I guess I'll have to send it off to rauch tactical for chrome lining and coating. Looking at these bubbles is already starting to bother me...

I've been thinking about getting converting it to a left hand bolt handle. Could I simply remove the old handle, bore a hold on the left side and tap? Could I go even simpler and bore out a hole and just braze the new handle in?

I've seen the gremlin videos but I still don't get it... what actually happens? I went though ~500 rounds today and didn't have a single stoppage or FTF.

Dealing with corrosive ammo isn't a problem at all, really it's just a simple extra step... two good splashes of boiling water down the chamber and bore and over the gas block and clean as normal.

 

[peter2772000]

Congrats! I'm picking mine up from a fellow club member this morning and I'm already planning the mods

- RT's lining and coating as you mentioned
- Possibly aftermarket synthetic stocks
- Tabbing the bolt carrier to keep the Gremlin away
- Scope mount so as to be able to install my 3-9 x 40 NC Star rubberized
scope

Only thing that bugs the crap outta me is the corrosive ammo. I hate it when I "have" to clean a firearm, under penalty of a green garden oozing out of the gas ports...

 

[ViktorF]

And what a simple design eh???

I dont think the cz858's were ever really the problem child, I think the gremlin effected the vz58s. The guys at cz did a better job on the parts conversion...as for the barrel, canam sells surplus corrosive bore cleaner for $10 a can...that was actually produced to address the concern of corrosive ammo.

 

[Charles Martel]

I've been thinking about getting converting it to a left hand bolt handle. Could I simply remove the old handle, bore a hold on the left side and tap? Could I go even simpler and bore out a hole and just braze the new handle in?

I've seen the gremlin videos but I still don't get it... what actually happens? I went though ~500 rounds today and didn't have a single stoppage or FTF.

Send your carrier off to Dave at Neit Designs and he will tab it and do the mod to move the handle to the left side. Although, he also has a new bolt release coming out that makes it possible to close the bolt without moving your hand off the grip and still use your trigger finger.

 

[AbHobbyist]

..............I dont think the cz858's were ever really the problem child, I think the gremlin effected the vz58s.............

Hello there!!

Without trying to pee in your corn flakes, My understanding is actually the opposite.

The shorter barreled chrome lined guns are actaully a very close cousins of the military issues VZ-58 and all that I am familiar with run like champs with out issue.

In my understanding it is the CZ-858 long barrels that are the models that suffer from the Gremlin.

That being said, there is now a proper support sysetm in place for these rifles and cabines, and I would suggest one take a "If it's not broke, don't fix it" attitude with these rifles. I know of long barreled guns that have literally thousands or rounds through them with no issues. I have heard of others that, after a few hundered, have expereienced issues.

If your goal it to train with this platform, and as these rifles and carbines are very affordable, I would encourage you to follow the "Hungry Principle".........don't buy one, buy two. This way you always have a fall back plan. An important consideration when one has shelled out hard earned $'s to take a course.

Also, as with any carbine you want to train with, I think its a good idea to put about 1k or so through them if time allows, to make sure one has all the bugs worked out. This way one can concentrate fully on the course material, and not on the reliablity of one carbine.

These are just my thoughts, so YMMV in appliation.

regards

AbH

 

[Stevo]

In my understanding it is the CZ-858 long barrels that are the models that suffer from the Gremlin.

All of the versions suffer from it. I did a poll last year, or the year before, and members reported roughly the same gremlin rate for all types, including the 58L.

 

[NavyCuda]

Send your carrier off to Dave at Neit Designs and he will tab it and do the mod to move the handle to the left side. Although, he also has a new bolt release coming out that makes it possible to close the bolt without moving your hand off the grip and still use your trigger finger.

I should look up how to tab and do it myself.

I have the stg44 drawings and was going to turn a copy of the bolt handle on my southbend... I have a friend with a good milling machine and he would happily bore a hole for me to put my new handle... So I'm looking at the optimum way to replace the handle without having to heat treat... But I've got a good rosebud if need-be.

I'm also thinking of trying to make a copy of the sei m14 brake for my cz, because so far I have not found any ofthe same design for the cz.

I had a look at their bolt release tab, I'd rather have a left side bolt handle.