CZ 416 Rigby cartridge capacity?

[machinistbutler]

Have a bit of an issue with my CZ 416 Rigby in regards to the magazine capacity. I believe it should hold 4, and it does, sort of.

The 4th cartridge is very tight , and the rifle will not pick up the cartridge unless it is fiddled with.

I have a 458 Lott and a couple 375 I am checking in comparison. The 458 Lott holds 4 Rigby's with no problem, lots of spare room in the magazine, and the bolt comes up to the cartridge the way it should.

I will share a few pics and see if any of you have this , not sure if it is common. I swapped the follower between rifles, same issue in the 416.

My Lott can hold 5 458 with lots of room, seems a bit ridiculous that the 416 can only hold 3 in the magazine. I can chamber one as well, but cannot chamber the 4th from the magazine. It functions perfect with 3 in the magazine, the 4th just makes everything jammed tight, way too tight, for reliable function of the first round to be chambered from the magazine.

There are indentations in the magazine box on the 416, the 458 had none. Other measurements I have taken they look very close.

Here are some pics of the Rigby cartridges in my 458 Lott.

Magazine box on 458

Magazine box on 416, with the indents

 

[machinistbutler]

I am going to check the magazine box on my AHR 375 as well.

The springs all seem similar so I don't think that is an issue.

 

[DrBob]

The 416 Rigby has a large case and any comparison with a Lott is a non-starter. Solution is just load one in chamber and three in mag. By the way... Weatherbys only have two in mag.

Load three in mag. Slide bolt forward over three rounds in mag. Insert 4th round into chamber. When the bolt contacts the cartridge pinch the extractor from the left and the pressure on the mid portion of the extractor will pivot the extractor over the rim of the case. That is how one can load a cartridge without putting first in magazine. Really squeeze on the central portion of extractor and you can feel the edge slip over the rim of the case as you move the bolt forward... no need to force it. Paul Mauser thought of everything.

Simple load data. 400 grain anything bullet, 91.5 grains H4350, Fed 215 primer and all is well. About 2350 fps and superb accuracy in both my CZ and Ruger 416 Rigbys.

 

[machinistbutler]

My loads with IMR 4831 were running around 2450, I have backed them off to 97 grains, my Connor McDavid load lol. Still have to chronograph them.

i just find it weird that the CZ 550 in 458 Lott easily holds four 416 Rigby down, with room to spare, and the CZ550 in 416 Rigby holds 3.

I think the Mauser 98 and the Rigby hold more down than 3, at least they advertise that they do.

 

[machinistbutler]

The 416 Rigby has a large case and any comparison with a Lott is a non-starter. Solution is just load one in chamber and three in mag. By the way... Weatherbys only have two in mag.

Load three in mag. Slide bolt forward over three rounds in mag. Insert 4th round into chamber. When the bolt contacts the cartridge pinch the extractor from the left and the pressure on the mid portion of the extractor will pivot the extractor over the rim of the case. That is how one can load a cartridge without putting first in magazine. Really squeeze on the central portion of extractor and you can feel the edge slip over the rim of the case as you move the bolt forward... no need to force it. Paul Mauser thought of everything.

Simple load data. 400 grain anything bullet, 91.5 grains H4350, Fed 215 primer and all is well. About 2350 fps and superb accuracy in both my CZ and Ruger 416 Rigbys

I actually put the Rigby cartridges in my 458 Lott and 375 magazines to see how they compared to the 416 magazine. They were tight in my old 375 as well, I have two other 375 , one an ahr and another cz550 that I can check as well.

 

[TTundra]

My CZ 416 Rigby holds 4 in the magazine, no issue feeding starting with the full mag. Mine also has the indentations.

Is it binding on the lips at all? Any rough edges holding the cartridges too tight with the full mag?

 

[machinistbutler]

It just seems like there isn't enough room., Tons of room in the 458 magazine. Spring looks similar, and the follower is marked.specifically for 416, although the 375 and 458 look very similar. The depth of the magazines are the same, I am going to run down and check the width.

The 4th cartridge is so darn tight there is no way it can function.

I have heard of some holding 4, the literature said 4 in the mag. Some posts I have seen guys saying they just hold 3.

There has to be a reason and I am going to figure it out! . I want to love this rifle but dammit I want it to hold 4!! It has been accurate and nice to shoot so far, and I can't get enough of those huge cartridges.

Thanks for any help and comments guys. Always appreciated !


Craig

 

[machinistbutler]

A pic of the 458 with 4 416 Rigby cartridges In the magazine, I can press the top cartridge down and it can move a fair ways . With 4 in the 416 magazine there isn't room for any movement. Just jammed tight as heck.

 

[CoElkHunter]

It just seems like there isn't enough room., Tons of room in the 458 magazine. Spring looks similar, and the follower is marked.specifically for 416, although the 375 and 458 look very similar. The depth of the magazines are the same, I am going to run down and check the width.

The 4th cartridge is so darn tight there is no way it can function.

I have heard of some holding 4, the literature said 4 in the mag. Some posts I have seen guys saying they just hold 3.

There has to be a reason and I am going to figure it out! . I want to love this rifle but dammit I want it to hold 4!! It has been accurate and nice to shoot so far, and I can't get enough of those huge cartridges.

Thanks for any help and comments guys. Always appreciated !


Craig

I really didn’t want to get into my gunsafe today, but you forced my hand. My CZ 550 Lott (and thus my WM and .375 cause they’re basically the same cases) holds five rounds in the mag. Actually, a six round would fit but why get greedy? Pretty amazing actually! But although I don’t own a CZ Rigby, yet, I believe the magazine is “designed “ to hold three, due to the fatter Rigby cases, but don’t know for sure?

 

[machinistbutler]

I am sure CZ stated 4 plus one for the Rigby. My lott is 5 plus 1!!, possibly six as you said!

I took pics of a bunch of my 550 bolts and none look similar to your lott bolt that is chewed a bit on the bottom. My old 375 bolt has a few marks , but that things feeds everything as slick as could be. I will post some pics of the bolt faces of them.

I really didn’t want to get into my gunsafe today, but you forced my hand. My CZ 550 Lott (and thus my WM and .375 cause they’re basically the same cases) holds five rounds in the mag. Actually, a six round would fit but why get greedy? Pretty amazing actually! But although I don’t own a CZ Rigby, yet, I believe the magazine is “designed “ to hold three, due to the fatter Rigby cases, but don’t know for sure?

 

[CoElkHunter]

I am sure CZ stated 4 plus one for the Rigby. My lott is 5 plus 1!!, possibly six as you said!

I took pics of a bunch of my 550 bolts and none look similar to your lott bolt that is chewed a bit on the bottom. My old 375 bolt has a few marks , but that things feeds everything as slick as could be. I will post some pics of the bolt faces of them.

Yes, with my bolt I guess I just got lucky! They must of manufactured it before a three day weekend? Ha! Ha!

 

[bruce moulds]

and elsewhere we have recently been talking about the standard of american firearms!
europe is no better in this regard.
quality control ensures that if there is a mistake, it is every example, and then it becomes fixed in every subsequent example.
and the earlier bad ones are fixed by manufacturer.
another hobbyhorse is that if the rifle were in 416 rem there is more liklihood this problem would not have arise.
bruce.

 

[machinistbutler]

and elsewhere we have recently been talking about the standard of american firearms!
europe is no better in this regard.
quality control ensures that if there is a mistake, it is every example, and then it becomes fixed in every subsequent example.
and the earlier bad ones are fixed by manufacturer.
another hobbyhorse is that if the rifle were in 416 rem there is more liklihood this problem would not have arise.
bruce.

Yes , and I paid $2300 dollars for it, Canadian dollars mind you. So it wasn't expensive , but definitely not cheap like a brand new Zastava in 458 magnum I purchased this year for under $800. The Zastava , while not real pretty, has functioned very good, although not very smooth yet. It will get there with enough use.

 

[machinistbutler]

I wonder for those with the 450 Rigby, which I assume the case dimensions are very close, how many will fit in the CZ in that caliber?

 

[machinistbutler]

I guess now on the cz website it states 3 down in the Rigby. I am sure I had read previously it would hold 4 . I have also seen where it states 3 down in the 450 Rigby. Now I am starting to doubt where it said 4. This rifle is so close to holding 4 I may figure out how to do it .

 

[CoElkHunter]

View attachment 382089

I guess now on the cz website it states 3 down in the Rigby. I am sure I had read previously it would hold 4 . I have also seen where it states 3 down in the 450 Rigby. Now I am starting to doubt where it said 4. This rifle is so close to holding 4 I may figure out how to do it .

I’ve seen some photos of rifles (not CZ) with extended magazine floor plates allowing more magazine capacity. What that would entail (longer and/or stiffer spring?) and ultimately the additional cost, I have no idea, but I’m sure someone on here will know. I’ve also read somewhere on here, where a Bell and Carlson synthetic stock made for at least the CZs, is deeper where the magazine well is and will increase the magazine capacity by one cartridge?

 

[machinistbutler]

The 458 I did put in a bell and Carlson, I think the mag box is the same, wood or synthetic the way the floor plate fits, but I will definitely check that out, thanks @CoElkHunter !!

 

[CoElkHunter]

and elsewhere we have recently been talking about the standard of american firearms!
europe is no better in this regard.
quality control ensures that if there is a mistake, it is every example, and then it becomes fixed in every subsequent example.
and the earlier bad ones are fixed by manufacturer.
another hobbyhorse is that if the rifle were in 416 rem there is more liklihood this problem would not have arise.
bruce.

Unless it were a .416 Remington CZ 550 made around the same time mine was? Ha! Ha! Wonder why CZ never chambered their rifles in the Remington? That cartridge has been around since 1989.

 

[CoElkHunter]

The 458 I did put in a bell and Carlson, I think the mag box is the same, wood or synthetic the way the floor plate fits, but I will definitely check that out, thanks @CoElkHunter !!

Your .458 is a Zastava brand right? If so, my Whitworth (same as Zastava) only holds three or four .375s down. I believe the magazine well isn’t as deep as the CZs?

 

[Neil Molendyk]

I just checked my CZ550 416 Rigby, it holds 4 in the magazine with no issues feeding. It has those small indentations on the magazine wall as well, about 1-2 mm in height. I went to check the magazine capacity as per CZ USA. The site has no mention of the 550 anymore. If your'e interested in another CZ550 machinistbutler, Prophet River in Lloydminister has some that they just brought in. 375 H&H, 30-06 and one 270 Winchester, all in Lux format. Not cheap but soon to be extinct.