History of Sporterized VZ 24...And What To Do With It

[mrh477]

Good afternoon all,
I picked up a sporterized CZ VZ 24 (basically a Mauser 98) converted to .30-06 earlier this year and long story short, I've really grown to appreciate it. Initially I was just looking for a budget hunting rifle since I didn't have one suitable for deer hunting at the time and found this one for next to nothing thinking I'd use it this season then get rid of it. But lo and behold after carrying it through the woods and putting some rounds through it I really like the thing. It's rough around the edges but it has character and history, it's the perfect size and weight, etc.



So now that I've decided to keep it, I'd like to find out a little bit more about where it might have come from, and what I should do with it in terms of modification. I've read a good deal about the CZ VZ-24 but I have no idea who sporterized it and how it got here. A gunsmith told me it was likely sporterized in Europe because of the stepped barrel but there are no markings or stamps on it beyond the caliber. I realize this may be an impossible thing to figure out but I'm curious and would at least like to know what the likely history of it is.

Then the next step is figuring out what I oughtta do with it to make it nice. I was thinking I'd refinish the stock, maybe reblue it, free float the barrel, bed the stock, and maybe replace the trigger. It's accurate enough for most of my hunting the way it is now but every once in a while it'll shoot a wild group (I'm talking like 6" off the rest) so perhaps free floating the barrel and bedding the stock will help solve that?

As for the trigger, it's okay the way it is but not great, and I noticed that the first stage is a bit inconsistent. If I load the rifle and immediately shoot it without putting the safety on then it feels fine. But if I put the safety on with a round in the chamber then when I take the safety off the first stage feels a little different and less pronounced. Any thoughts on this?

Stock refinishing...shouldn't be much of a problem but I don't know what type of finish would be best. I hear a lot of guys using Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil but that's the only one I know of. This gun is going to be a workhorse and probably get pushed through some brush so I don't think I want anything too glossy and definitely nothing that isn't durable.

Bluing...the only thing I can do on my own easily is cold bluing and I've been told to stay away from that if I can because it won't hold up as well as hot bluing or anything else. Any recommendations for a good, satin finish that isn't too expensive?

I realize it isn't financially practical to pour money into a rifle that isn't worth that much but I like a good project, I like this rifle, and I'm hoping to do as much as I can on my own. It's a good workhorse rifle right now but my intention is to turn this into something I can keep indefinitely and hand down someday.

Any thoughts/info/advice is greatly appreciated

Thanks!

 

[gotmine]

I've got one in military trim which I replaced the barrel on. Mine is 1940 with the serial prefix of OR denoting a Romanian contract run from the little research effort done. They're a workhorse with a fine old pedigree capable of doing the job well. BRNO made some nice rifles.
Myself I'd do and spend what I was comfortable with, though all I'd change on mine would be a nice trigger. Then again I admire clean old milsurp rifles.

 

[Liberty1776]

as for me, I'd do this...

free float the barrel, bed the stock, and maybe replace the trigger.

and then see how it shot before going further. (I'm thinking it would shoot fairly well).

Anyone know which country had a stepped bbl in 30-06 in a VZ 24? (I have no idea, I'm just asking...)

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That's a pretty professional job -- bolt turned down (or maybe a new bolt handle welded on, can't tell from the picture) and a Buhler-style safety.

My impulse would be, if the trigger ain't broke, don't fix it. I like the Mauser and Winchester style triggers because hunting in freezing, misty conditions in the Rockies, I had a fancy enclosed trigger freeze up on me.

 

[morcey2]

Anyone know which country had a stepped bbl in 30-06 in a VZ 24? (I have no idea, I'm just asking...)

Just a guess, but there were a couple of Central and South America that bought lots of VZ-24s on contract in 7x57 only later to convert to 30-06. Brazil for example. It might be something like that.

What is the length of the barrel?

Matt

 

[mrh477]

Just a guess, but there were a couple of Central and South America that bought lots of VZ-24s on contract in 7x57 only later to convert to 30-06. Brazil for example. It might be something like that.

What is the length of the barrel?

Matt

24"

 

[mrh477]

That's a pretty professional job -- bolt turned down (or maybe a new bolt handle welded on, can't tell from the picture) and a Buhler-style safety.

My impulse would be, if the trigger ain't broke, don't fix it. I like the Mauser and Winchester style triggers because hunting in freezing, misty conditions in the Rockies, I had a fancy enclosed trigger freeze up on me.

So I assume the VZ 24 was never built with a Buehler style safety? That's something I haven't been able to figure out yet. I have seen original VZ 24's with a turned down bolt, though, so perhaps that's original.

 

[mrh477]

as for me, I'd do this... and then see how it shot before going further. (I'm thinking it would shoot fairly well).

Anyone know which country had a stepped bbl in 30-06 in a VZ 24? (I have no idea, I'm just asking...)

Is there any disadvantage or potential issue with free floating the barrel? Right now the stock only contacts the barrel at a raised section at the end of the fore end, so free floating it oughtta be easy. I just wanted to be sure there might not be any negative effects before I started sanding.

 

[Gunnerboy]

Just looks to me like someone stateside put a belgian m98 3006 barrel on that vz24 an sporterized it... about 15yrs ago those belgian barrels were cheap an surplus.

 

[barnbwt]

"Right now the stock only contacts the barrel at a raised section at the end of the fore end"
That very well may be intentional. It is common to shim against the barrel out there for the purpose of getting the harmonics more consistent (i.e. the stock forend always contacts the same spot the same way, generally)

TCB

 

[morcey2]

So I assume the VZ 24 was never built with a Buehler style safety? That's something I haven't been able to figure out yet. I have seen original VZ 24's with a turned down bolt, though, so perhaps that's original.

The Buehler safety is definitely aftermarket as is the bolt handle. VZ-24s came in a couple of flavors. Most of the 8x57 versions had straight handles while the export models in 7x57 usually had bent bolt handles. They were bent, but they weren't bent anywhere near enough to clear a scope. They're almost better described as curved. I've got two VZ-24s, one 1938 with the Rampant Lion Czech crest, the other a Romanian-contract that had the crest scrubbed.

What you have is a sporterized VZ24 that looks like it was done very well. The scope (along with the holes in the receiver to mount the bases), bent bolt handle (to clear the scope), safety, and stock are all aftermarket. I've got several guns in the same condition, one a Spanish M44 in 8x57 and a Dominican Republic in 7x57 except both have aftermarket triggers. That by itself makes a huge difference, at least for me.

As for rebluing it, cold blue not only won't hold up well, but it doesn't actually protect the metal the way a real bluing does. I'd leave the metal alone and just keep it oiled.

Do you have any pics of the left side of the receiver?

Matt

(I'm a sucker for mausers, sporterized or not. I've got quite a few of them)

 

[mrh477]

"Right now the stock only contacts the barrel at a raised section at the end of the fore end"
That very well may be intentional. It is common to shim against the barrel out there for the purpose of getting the harmonics more consistent (i.e. the stock forend always contacts the same spot the same way, generally)

TCB

So does that mean that free floating the barrel might have a negative impact? Or should I go for it?

 

[mrh477]

Don't know how much it'll tell ya but there's the left side. No markings anywhere else.


Turns out you can see the weld marks where the new bolt handle attached. Good call there.


Here's another question. See how the claw extractor is curved all the way through? On every other Mauser I can remember paying attention to its been straight. Am I just not paying close enough attention or is this one bent?

 

[mrh477]

Don't know how much it'll tell ya but there's the left side. No markings anywhere else.


Turns out you can see the weld marks where the new bolt handle attached. Good call there.


Here's another question. See how the claw extractor is curved all the way through? On every other Mauser I can remember paying attention to its been straight. Am I just not paying close enough attention or is this one bent?

 

[mrh477]

 

[morcey2]

Here's another question. See how the claw extractor is curved all the way through? On every other Mauser I can remember paying attention to its been straight. Am I just not paying close enough attention or is this one bent?

I've seen them both straight and bent. There are some that have a step right behind the extractor collar (shiny rotating piece holding the extractor to the bolt). I'll check my VZ bolts when I get home.

So does that mean that free floating the barrel might have a negative impact? Or should I go for it?

It might have a negative impact. But it might not. (I should be a politician.) There are quite a few variables and they should be tackled one at a time.

From your original post:

It's accurate enough for most of my hunting the way it is now but every once in a while it'll shoot a wild group (I'm talking like 6" off the rest) so perhaps free floating the barrel and bedding the stock will help solve that?

How many shots per group are you doing? What size groups are you getting from that are "accurate enough for most of [your] hunting"? On the 6" groups, is there any sort of pattern to the shots, like each shot goes up and to the right of the previous shot? Or are they just all over the place?

If the trigger is inconsistent, as you mentioned, that can cause things like you're seeing. So can a bad crown. Or bedding. Or scope looseness. etc....

Matt

 

[Vern Humphrey]

So I assume the VZ 24 was never built with a Buehler style safety? That's something I haven't been able to figure out yet. I have seen original VZ 24's with a turned down bolt, though, so perhaps that's original.

No, the Buehler safety was developed in the US specifically for sporterizing Mausers and Springfields. No VZ ever left the factory with a Buehler safety.

 

[CaptTripps]

Have you slugged the bore, is it truly .308? A lot of those guns were rechambered to 8mm/06.

 

[mrh477]

I've seen them both straight and bent. There are some that have a step right behind the extractor collar (shiny rotating piece holding the extractor to the bolt). I'll check my VZ bolts when I get home.



It might have a negative impact. But it might not. (I should be a politician.) There are quite a few variables and they should be tackled one at a time.

From your original post:


How many shots per group are you doing? What size groups are you getting from that are "accurate enough for most of [your] hunting"? On the 6" groups, is there any sort of pattern to the shots, like each shot goes up and to the right of the previous shot? Or are they just all over the place?

If the trigger is inconsistent, as you mentioned, that can cause things like you're seeing. So can a bad crown. Or bedding. Or scope looseness. etc....

Matt

I usually shoot 3 shot groups, letting the rifle cool down between groups. If the barrel is too hot to hold for more than a few seconds I wait. It was consistently shooting 1-2" groups at 100 yards, which is good for me as I'm not an expert marksman, but then after about 3-4 groups it shot one group that was way low and way left. All the shots in that group were still tight so it wasn't a loss of precision but a loss of accuracy. And the fact that the group was still tight confirms that it wasn't me pulling or flinching. After that group I waited a while and the next one was back where it should be.

It can't be the trigger because that only happens the first time I pull through the first stage when the safety is removed. Definitely not a loose scope. Honestly I don't know enough about rifles to say anything beyond that. And it only happened once so maybe it was just a fluke. I probably should shoot the rifle more before I say anything with certainty. I've only put 50 rounds through it.

 

[mrh477]

Have you slugged the bore, is it truly .308? A lot of those guns were rechambered to 8mm/06.

Nope, sure haven't. I just watched a couple youtube videos so I'll give that a shot if I can find a lead ball in the right size. I might have some old buckshot laying around the house.

That said the barrel does say "30.06" on the side so I would be surprised if it wasn't the right size.

 

[WYOMan]

I would bed the action first, and keep the fore end contact. A good solid bed around the action will do wonders. If, after that, you don't see an improvement, which I doubt you won't, then try relieving the barrel channel. Those original stepped barrels, when they were in their original stocks, all were bedded in the stocks with a slight upward pressure on the barrel at the fore end. I have an original 98K action and barrel that I put into an old hacked up WW1 G98 stock I had laying around. I sanded it down and re finished it, and then glassed the action in so that it has fore end pressure on the barrel, and it shoots like a house on fire. I tried free floating one like it before, and the results were extremely disappointing. The only factory stepped barrel that I have that is completely opposite, is a sporterized Swedish M38. Took the sights off, free floated it in a B&C stock with the bedding block. But they have thick barrels for their caliber.

 

[mrh477]

Thanks for the advice. When bedding the stock, should I also bed the fore end where it contacts the barrel?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

When bedding the stock, should I also bed the fore end where it contacts the barrel?

The first thing I'd do is shoot the rifle -- extensively -- and work up loads it likes. If it shoots well, go by the principle, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

If you decide to bed the stock, don't initially leave a contact point in the forearm. Instead, shoot it until you're sure it NEEDS improvement even after bedding. Then experiment with a piece of business card in the barrel channel. If that improves accuracy, you can add a bit of bedding compound to make it permanent.