CZ Rifles...Where have they all gone....

[deerhunter61]

I just bought a CZ .243 this past week and it was on clearance. This is a place that used to carry a few CZs on the shelf but they have been clearancing them out and thankfully I was able to get this one for a great price but now to the question at hand...

Why are the retailers deciding to stop carrying the CZ rifles? Everywhere I turn you have to special order them...AGH! That means you are going to pay more for them!

Everyone I talk to who owns one or has shot one loves the rifle but they are just not getting a foot hold in this market...what a shame.

I own Browning, Remington, Ruger and more but my CZs, I now own 4 of them, are far and away my favorites.

I think CZ needs to get a better distributer in the US who will more aggressively market them.

Oh well enough of my rant...

 

[rino451]

My local gun store have two of the FS's in stock, so it appears that they're becoming more common down here.

 

[litman252]

They are getting more expensive due to the weak dollar I'm sure. The cost to a dealer has gone up nearly $100 in the last 16 months.......

Tony

 

[ArmedBear]

CZs used to be RIDICULOUSLY cheap, some years back. The former Eastern bloc was happy to get any income they could, and the dollar was riding high.

The falling dollar, which IMO our government is deliberately devaluing to make imports more expensive and American exports more attractive in the recession, has contributed to these higher prices.

So, IMO, has CZ's reputation here. As they are better-known, their prices will settle out close to their competition. No more brand-new $150 rifles from CZ. Good for them, not so much for us as consumers.

 

[22-rimfire]

I rarely see a CZ in the gun shops I frequent in the last few months. I always assumed that they were all sold nearly as quickly as they hit the shelf. Could be price? I don't know.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

The intensely stiff competition from Marlin, T/C, Howa, and others who have entered the turnbolt market or increased their presence isn't helping matters either. Too bad, because no other rifles of mine give me the pride of ownerhship of my CZs - other than the T/C Icons. Excellent beautiful rifles.

 

[rfurtkamp]

The CZ evangelism of a few gun forums online didn't translate into interest in the real world at retail.

Even with an owner who loved the guns, they didn't sell - even at ludicrous price points pre-2004 where they were basically given away.

The bolt buyer would rather get a new Savage or something that their peer group will recognize etc. or a used Remchester.

In pistols, it was about the same thing - they were lead bricks in the display case. It was easier to sell Sigs and high-end HK than to sell CZ at cost

 

[deerhunter61]

rfurtkamp

Boy you are probably right...but average joe simply does not know what they are missing.

I have 4 CZs and as long as I can find the caliber I want in CZ I will buy it over any of the others mentioned...Remington, Browning, Ruger, Savage or any other name brand.

I have a .22LR, 22-250, .243 and 6.5X55 Swede. My 22LR will shoot 1/2" groups at 50 yds. My 22-250 will shoot 1/2" groups at 100yds, 243, which I just bought, shot better than 1/2" group at 100yds and my 6.5X55 Swede shoots less than 1" at 100yds.

Beyond simply the accuracy they provide the single set trigger that comes on then used properly would help most of these weekend hunters make better shots on game than the triggers they get on the other brands...

Oh well...

 

[ArmedBear]

Strange. I've seen a lot of CZs where I've shot. They've seemed popular, to me, especially the .22s.

The bolt buyer would rather get a new Savage or something that their peer group will recognize

Again, that's not something I've seen. There's usually a lot of interest at a range, if someone comes with something nice that's unfamiliar -- and I've seen this translate into others buying the guns.

Must be different in different places.

That said, I'm not interested in a CZ centerfire bolt sporter. Heavy suckers. Winchester's new offerings are more attractive.

Of course, the fact that Remington sells much of anything at all at the prices they charge (or the low-end crap they also sell) says that a lot of people really don't know what they're buying.

 

[usmc1371]

Last summer I won a cz 550 safari mag 375 HnH and befor that I don't think I had ever even touched one. Always been a ruger guy. I used the cz last week on a mule deer hunt and its a little heavy but not any worse to carry than the all weather 300wm that I normaly use. I like the wood stock, years of plastic and stainless made me forget about nice warm wood and blued steel. I would buy another cz in a heartbeat and have recomended them to my friends. Made a nice head shot on a smallish meat buck, didn't waste an ounce of meat but there ain't enough head left to even think about putting those little horns on a plack.

 

[armoredman]

rfurtkamp, thou art mistaken - CZ firearms sales have gone up quite a bit. When I was selling guns at an FFL, I sold many CZs, even with a non stocking dealer, who became a CZ authorized dealer by the time I left due to those sales. That was 8 years ago. Sports Authority in Casa Grande, not a major firearms retailer, who has very limited rifle/shotgun space, has a third of thier shown inventory in CZ shotguns and rifles I saw last time I went by, a week or two ago. Precious room to waste for non selling guns, capital tied up in non selling stock is wasted.
When I last spoke to CZ-USA, they commented that thier sales on handguns are outrageously high, with some difficulty keeping up. They did comment that sales on thier bolt action rifles was not as good as they would liked, possibly due to the November thru now demand for pistols and semi auto military style rifles - which leads to them being out of thier fantastic vZ-58s almost all the time, flying off the shelf as soon as they come in. They also added some Brno rifles and a new pump shotgun, wouldn't do that if they didn't sell.
All in all, they are moving, good volume sales. Sorry.

 

[ArmedBear]

armoredman-

They probably don't sell well around Pocatello, for the reasons he cites.

Could be a very different market from cities where we've been. Hell, guns like 710s and 770s must be selling SOMEWHERE, or Remington would be out of business, right?

Nothing against Pocatello. I just haven't seen people buying that stuff, so somebody must be buying it somewhere, I figure.

 

[CZguy]

Nothing against Pocatello. I just haven't seen people buying that stuff, so somebody must be buying it somewhere, I figure.

I think that you are right. In this area of Missouri they are as common as RemWinRug's.

 

[ArmedBear]

710/770s, or CZs?

 

[CZguy]

710/770s, or CZs?

Sorry for not being more specific, CZs.

 

[swiftak]

I bought a CZ527 in 223 Rem a few weeks ago. They also had the same rifle in 7.62x39 at the time, I'm a phone call away from getting that one also. I think they are great rifles. But they are a little pricey.

 

[rfurtkamp]

rfurtkamp, thou art mistaken

Not in handling local and online sales of the things. Clearancing a few at less than cost to just be rid of them in .270 if I recall took literally 6 months with Gunsamerica listings at the time.

I have no dog in this fight, I could care less about their products one way or the other honestly, just pointing out my experiences attempting to sell them.

They were well made as far as hunting-type rifles went, and well, the pistols just didn't do anything for me personally, and my experiences selling them for a few years was radically different than what you're telling me.

But back to the original question, where have they gone is relatively simple: if they sell, they're on the shelves of your dealers that can sell them, and if not, they don't stock them.

 

[rfurtkamp]

Could be a very different market from cities where we've been. Hell, guns like 710s and 770s must be selling SOMEWHERE, or Remington would be out of business, right?

I always figured the 710/770s were the meat and potatoes of the Walmart/chainstore sales more than anything, something you could sell in large quantity to people who didn't go to dedicated gun stores.

 

[soloban]

They are going into my gun safe . Ive got a CZ452 American and a CZ523 in .223. I happen to know that Gander Mountain in Huntsville, AL has a 523 in .223, .204 Ruger, and a couple 550s in .243, .30-06 I believe.

 

[tjj]

I think local markets are kind of brand loyal most places. I talked to my buddy that works at a local gun shop and he said that CZ's just haven't sold that well. Had a few and sold them all but not quick enough for them to want to re-stock.

I have seven of them and a lot of folks ouu and ahh over them at the range but family traditions and favorite brands are handed down from generation to generation so it's not catching on down here. When you can buy a known brand for half the price of an unknown brand then you can see why they don't sell here.

I figure as more people like me show their wares at the range then more casual shooters will see the value in these accurate shooters. The falling dollar has been a factor too I'm sure. I wouldn't have half the collection I have if I had to pay today's prices.

 

[Matrix187]

A CZ 550 American .30-06 will be in my hands soon. It's on layaway right now . I couldn't pass it up. It only costed $550 (I know, I saved ALOT of money by buying a rifle). They do weigh a bit more than some other rifles but I don't care about the weight. My grandfather carried a lot more in WW2! I'm sure I can handle carrying an 8 lb rifle around for a day here and there. I looked at some Tikka's and while they're light they are kind of cheap looking.

 

[Avenger29]

A lot of ignorant shooters around here dismiss CZs as "3rd world foreign trash guns".

Never actually seen a CZ rifle in stock at any of the stores around here. One store had a few CZ pistols.

I had to order my CZ 452 without ever actually seeing one in person. Glad I did, beautiful little rifle.

 

[Balog]

I love my 452, and if I was into x39 I'd snap up a 527 in a heartbeat. Sad some people are still so ignorant they dismiss them because they aren't from around here. Compare a 527 or 550 to a 710/770 then tell me which is trash.

 

[alsaqr]

The few gun shops in this area never have a CZ rifle in stock. There are three CZ rifles in my gun cabinet. The newest one is a model 527 American left hand. That gun is fitted with a Leupold FXIII scope and it makes <3/4" five shot groups at 100 meters.

 

[deerhunter61]

Balog,

+1