CZ 457 MDT

CZ’s 457 rimfire rifle range has gone from strength to strength, offering variants for both hunters and target shooters. However, perhaps the most eagerly awaited was a chassis version more suited to PRS-type competition. CZ has allied with MDT to couple their LSS rimfire stock to the 457 action, resulting in a possible legend being born. This is not a cobbled-together components bin special, this rifle has a truly homogenous feel that’s no different from an in-house design. The rifle mechanics are essentially identical to the ‘LRP’, with a 20” parallel-profiled barrel that shows a 22mm diameter and six scalloped flutes that run 16” of the barrel’s length. The muzzle is screwcut ½”x20 for a moderator and a pepperpot muzzle brake is supplied. It’s worth mentioning that given the almost total reliance on factory ammunition for rimfire in these new precision disciplines, barrel tuners are also beneficial accessories. They adjust the barrel’s harmonics to the ammunition and a muzzle thread simplifies fitting.

In-depth

MDT’s LSS chassis has a slim forend that’s 38mm wide, with five flat faces remaining of what would have been an octagonal profile had it entirely shrouded the barrel. M-LOK slots are machined into the aluminium on the sides and underneath for accessories and balance weights. There is a stud for a sling or bipod, and I found it easy to add some M-LOK ARCA rail for use with a tripod. The barricade stop is angled, so it’s not quite the hard edge you can rely on when leaning into, in order to stabilise your rifle when slotted through a barricade. However, it is serrated. The underside has a slot that intuitively directs the tip of your finger toward the magazine release catch and a 5-round polymer unit is supplied with the rifle. This is interchangeable with any of CZ’s 5 or 10-round mags. It is also worth mentioning the 457 action allows barrel changes once it is removed from the chassis. Barrel kits are supplied with appropriate magazines and action spacers. CZ’s curved, black trigger blade is housed within a stout trigger guard that’s machined as part of the stock. It’s an adjustable unit, so it can be tuned to take up any creep that may appear over the rifle’s lifetime. The review rifle’s trigger settled at a 650-gram (23 oz.) breaking weight, but it’s adjustable up to 1400-grams.

Furniture

Moving back shows the chassis taper inward to meet an AR-15 buffer tube supporting both polymer cheekpiece and butt. The cheekpiece is 39mm wide, shows a radiused upper surface and is warm to the touch. It offers vertical adjustment only and this is controlled with an Allen key on the right-hand side of the buffer tube, which is threaded and locked into the front chassis. The butt shows a bag rider on the underside and a hand stop on the front, to anchor it into your shoulder. There are four spacers between the aluminium and the rubber recoil pad, which is medium/firm and grips well in the shoulder pocket, without being spongy. The spacers adjust the length of pull from 335-360mm and are slotted for easier changes, meaning you don’t have to completely remove the screws. MDT’s rubberised AR15 grip is warm to the touch, and grippy, plus offers a decent 70mm reach to the trigger blade from the inherently short AR-15 architecture. This grip is hollow, yet anything AR-compatible is interchangeable to suit your tastes.

At the heart of it

I have covered the 457 action many times before but just to remind everyone, this is a totally modern approach from CZ, and you can forget the 452/453 and 455 echoes from the past. Other than magazines and barrel interchangeability, this has a totally different bolt with a 60º handle lift and a light striker for a fast lock time. The 2-position safety catch is on the right-hand side of the action’s rear bridge - forward for FIRE, rear for SAFE. It doesn’t lock the bolt and with nicely weighted spring detents, it’s solid but silent, with a serrated, grippy actuator. The action offers 42mm of bolt travel, which meets .22LR, .22WMR and .17HMR cartridge length requirements. It is very smooth and fast, plus the 34mm rubber spherical handle improves tactile perception and fingertip control. The bolt shows a controlled feed design and twin extractor claws on the bolt face, with a manual ejector claw exposed from under the bolt shaft as it reaches the rearmost point in its travel. The firing pin shows CZ’s chisel point to initiate the cartridge’s rim as well as a flat upper surface that meets the outer barrel tenon, a design I’m sure is intended to decrease any possible striker damage when dry-fired. Barrels are interchangeable and there is a gas release port on the front bridge’s right-hand side, in case of brass rupture. Finally, the steel action’s dovetail rails are topped with a 25 MOA inclination Picatinny rail (supplied) for scope mounting. This overhangs the front of the action/barrel tenon by 30mm, enabling physically larger target scopes to be mounted without compromising eye relief. The inclination enables greater ultimate range accessibility from the rifle, although don’t forget to specify a scope with enough overall mechanical travel to retain zero at the closest distance you require.

Performance

Performance on target at 50m was impressive. With a large precision rifle optic and stable bipod/rear bag rest, it was pretty difficult to shoot badly. The RWS Subsonic provided the smallest group size at this range, in comparison to the match-orientated higher velocity ammunition. At greater distances, although shot on steel rather than paper, and subjected to far more variable wind conditions, RWS Rifle Match and R50 were supersonic in this barrel and most consistent on target, remaining so at 150m. R100 seemed subject to more speed variation and at close to 1200 fps with the same 40-grain bullet weight, seemed less suited to the barrel’s harmonics. SK Match was an excellent performer at 100m, equal to any other but slightly behind R50 and Rifle Match at 150m. The SK was notably quieter but still supersonic. With a moderator fitted, the subsonic was obviously the quietest by far and still consistent, showing a sub-20 fps extreme spread. The RWS Match would have been my choice for overall performance on targets at long, to extreme ranges, but tuners allow further experimentation. In terms of ergonomics, the forend is 100mm shorter than the LRP version and this, coupled with a generally light weight and delicacy in comparison, made the gun a little less assured from stable aim points and especially prone positions. However,this MDT is a compromise, a gun physically built for more multi-position versatility in a PRS competition environment. The M-LOK slots make it easy to tune the balance and add a personalised bipod or rail-mounted forend support. I liked the gun a lot and it would cross over well as a pest control tool, with superb multi-range versatility. However, it is the most expensive in the 457 stable. I was fortunate at 50m to encounter excellent weather (which is rare this time of year), so although stunningly accurate, I wouldn’t say any more so than the LRP or At-One (non-fluted) variants that I have used, which both have the same match-chambered barrel and just different furniture.

Conclusion

I have used nearly every variant of the 457 and all have shown that this superb rimfire action can be used as the foundation for a wide variety of rifle types without any real compromise. The MDT shares the same match chambered barrel as the LRP I use for scope testing and I have yet again proven its easily achievable tac-driving accuracy. All you need to do is find the right ammo for your needs. If you wish to compete, then add a barrel tuner, as I have seen the significant difference they can make, especially as the distances increase in the long range competition formats that CZ has taken seriously and provided two great rifles for.