WHAT'S NEW
CZ 452 American .17 Mach 2
We wring out a sleek and accurate subcaliber small-game sporter
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| Action: | Bolt-action repeater |
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| Caliber: | .17 Mach 2 (as tested), .22 LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR |
| Capacity: | 5 |
| Barrel length: | 22.5inches |
| Weight: | 6.1 lbs. |
| Stock: | Checkered walnut |
| Price: | $420 |
Specifications
In my lifetime, the Ruger 10/22 is perhaps the most significant firearm ever developed when it comes to starting out young shooters and keeping them recreationally interested. I don't think there's a gunmaker today who could challenge this notion. As a kid I had two Rugers. Today I'm down to one thanks to one piece of society's dregs who needed my Carbine worse than I did. But you can bet my kids will get some training on the remaining rifle.
As much as I like the 10/22, somewhere along the line—and I'm not sure where—I drifted away from autoloaders and tend to prefer bolt-action rimfire repeaters these days. For my needs and tastes, bolt actions just seem more appropriate. At the top end of the price spectrum I've shot and/or owned fabulous Kimber and Anschutz rifles. Savage and Marlin make some extremely accurate rifles at the opposite end of the price range--they're not cheap, they're just more affordable. And my favorite .17 HMR specimen is a Ruger 77/17M, which falls neatly in the middle of the pack as far as price goes. This Ruger bolt gun is a wonderful rifle in all its rimfire chamberings, but it's had some stiff competition in recent years by way of the CZ Model 452 American built for CZ USA by its parent company Ceska Zbrojovka Uhersky Brod.
The 452 American is an elegant rifle and is very similar in appearance to the Ruger. The receiver--set up to accommodate 3/8-inch dovetail scope mounts--is manufactured from a solid piece of steel and fitted with a 22 1/2-inch hammer-forged barrel. The triggerguard appears to be made of stamped steel and is simple but reasonably designed. All metal surfaces feature a rich blueing. The narrow stock is, of course, made of walnut and features deep-relief checkering on grip and fore-end. Overall length is just over 40 inches with a total weight of 6.1 pounds--perfect for a small-game rifle.
The bolt is made of stainless steel, and the bolt handle serves as one of two locking lugs that engage the rear of the receiver when the handle is fully forward and locked into battery. The system also features a two-position thumb safety that blocks the firing pin when set forward in the "safe" position.
Available in all the popular smallbore rimfire calibers, the sample I received was chambered in the new .17 Mach 2 cartridge, five of which fit neatly in the rifle's removable plastic magazine.
At the time of this review the only ammo available here at the office was that sold by Hornady, which serves as a solid test media as most other .17 Mach 2 ammo currently available is loaded to the same specifications with the same bullet. This load, to be sure, was wonderfully accurate in this rifle, the trigger of which (albeit adjustable) was factory set to a crisp 3 1/2 pounds.
At 50 yards the American consistently grouped five shots within an inch, which isn't spectacular. However, it held this level of accuracy out at 100 yards, which is quite good. Velocity-wise, the Hornady loads spread along at 1,951 fps from the muzzle with a standard deviation of 45 fps and an extreme spread of 90 fps. While this is not great rimfire consistency, it didn't seem to influence downrange accuracy, which is far more important for a small-game rig.
There certainly isn't a whole lot more to say about the CZ 452 American. It's a handy little sporter that's got "small-game-getter" written all over it. Like the Ruger 77, it's not as refined as, say, a Kimber or Anschutz, but it doesn't cost as much either.
