CZ 457 vs Tikka T1X vs Lithgow LA101 - First .22 Rifle

[allan]

I've seen a couple of LA101 actions with machining like that - You'd think that with to-day's machinery & tooling it shouldn't happen - Poor quality control!!!!
I've had a couple of LA101's for years - Both "up-graded" a bit by Rolf Hey & deye243 has an idea of how they perform.
Every manufacturer, regardless of price point, produces a "dud" occasionally and I've been burnt a couple of times over the years.

https://imgur.com/DIrPAEG
https://imgur.com/Yz6Ahsa

[allan]

the stock is a nice piece of walnut like you see on some americans , and with a black hardwood fore end cap and grip cap added , it looks a little like a "cooper" rimfire .

bigrich....I had a quiet chuckle at that comment
The original Montana Coopers were hit and miss when it came to accuracy and performance but they certainly knew how to pick a decent piece of timber and how to dress it up.
This is my 2005 build 57M - Done when Leroy and Connie Barry worked for Dan Cooper - This couple set up a family business called Canyon Creek Gunstocks - Check out their website some time if you want to see some true craftsmanship:

https://canyoncreekgunstocks.com/display.asp?page=gunlibrary

https://imgur.com/5EnWwnw
https://imgur.com/70ql9Qn

[bigrich]

the stock is a nice piece of walnut like you see on some americans , and with a black hardwood fore end cap and grip cap added , it looks a little like a "cooper" rimfire .

bigrich....I had a quiet chuckle at that comment
The original Montana Coopers were hit and miss when it came to accuracy and performance but they certainly knew how to pick a decent piece of timber and how to dress it up.
This is my 2005 build 57M - Done when Leroy and Connie Barry worked for Dan Cooper - This couple set up a family business called Canyon Creek Gunstocks - Check out their website some time if you want to see some true craftsmanship:

https://canyoncreekgunstocks.com/display.asp?page=gunlibrary

https://imgur.com/5EnWwnw
https://imgur.com/70ql9Qn

yeah , there's some true works of art in that lot my CZ definitely doesn't look as flash as some of them , when i said a little , i meant a little
i like a nice custom rifle , but not to the point that it that expensive or too pretty to get out of the safe . my local stock guy uses roger vardy walnut . he does work for a big game rifle smith in NT . he used to do work with TSE , but the new owners cut him loose unfortunately .
back to rimfies , you'd think for the money anschutz stocks would be even a little nicer .

[bigrich]

I would poke my eyes out with Albanese's dick before I went anywhere near a 457.
Maybe a 101, if they ever come out with a timber stock that doesn't look like it is made from old Ikea bedroom furniture.

I'd love to see that sleazy would love it .
Now to my reply I had two la 101s 17 HMR and a 22 long rifle guess what I got now CZ 457 and would never go back to those other two ever it's the best 22 I've ever owned and I used to have anschutz 1517 dhb

I just liked the idea of an Aussie-made rifle and the patriotic nature of it all.
But I'm really disappointed in the junk CZ mags they decided to use, to cut corners with so they didn't have to make magazine testing a big thing.
And the weird stocks.
I love the double locking lugs on the Lithgow though.
EDIT: years ago when the rifle was first announced to be in development, the factory mentioned they were going to use the awesome 10/22 mags for their reliability and flush fit with a full 10 rounds, but that was going to cost more in the end so they went the cheaper route. Why does an Aussie company do that all the time? Turned me off.
I see the 457 for what it is and what CZ said it is... a cheapened-to-make rimfire over the quality complicated-to-machine action and bolt of the Mod 1, 2, CZ452/53 etc and went to the garden-gate bolt latch lockup of the bolt handle root. They said so themselves - they set out to make a cheaper rifle.

Now that's just my personal bias of a cheapened rifle, might as well buy a Ruger American with the same cheapened action with the bolt handle as the locking lug - except the Ruger has a far superior magazine that holds 10 rounds flush with a cast stainless set of feed lips that never bend, misfeed or stick out like a farm-ute shocky that broke off its bottom mount and rips into everything.

Here was my dynamic duo

Screenshot_20260910_133758_Gallery_copy_926x432.jpg

The 101 has a triple lug lock up here's one of mine look at the s**t machining marks in the rear face of the action .

Screenshot_20260910_133722_Gallery_copy_926x432.jpg

And the bolt

Screenshot_20260910_133732_Gallery_copy_926x432.jpg

i liked the idea of buying a aussie lithgow 101 with all the features they have , and the reputed accuracy, so i bought a brand new synthetic stock 101 in 22lr . i adjusted the torque settings of the action screws six ways from sunday, different scopes , and tried every 22lr ammo known to man including lapua centre x and that lithgow was the worst shooting rimfire i've ever come across . i didn't keep it . cz 452's , in particular the "american" model, are the standard i judge all rimfires by these days

[Fester]

It's hard not to get bad machining marks now days.
My smith was amazed that my CZ shot so well before it went bad; he reckoned old Clouse must have been drunk on a Friday arvo when he made my chamber.

Was a dark Turkish walnut .308 Lithgow shooting today; he loved it, and the way it shot ADI ammo.
I like the look of plywood ones better myself.

[Wapiti]

I hate the stained Beech cheepie stocks CZ used on the 452 Americans so much that I bought a semi-finished grade-5 walnut stock for it. It came from vardy apparently, and it was a one off that he never finished off.
Never fitted it, of course it's got no checkering and I always meant to get me some Dem-Bart tools to do it, but never did. I should revisit it.

I am concerned I might screw up the rifle though, as now it's got the standard bedding that looks like some beavers chewed the inletting out, and the barrel has full contact with the stock all the way up.
But the thing shoots so well, after a few Brno bullet-sprayers I've had the misfortune to buy, this CZ copy is a freak.
Best thing is this is with the old Powerpoint HV's and Subs, both 40 and 42gn. I have no use for target ammo and a rifle that shoots great with hunting ammo is worth 10 that only shoot target subs. To me anyway.

So I'm scared that I'll ruin the wood with bodgy home checkering, and by floating the barrel and Acraglassing the bedding, I'll ruin it.

[Wapiti]

It's hard not to get bad machining marks now days.
My smith was amazed that my CZ shot so well before it went bad; he reckoned old Clouse must have been drunk on a Friday arvo when he made my chamber.

Was a dark Turkish walnut .308 Lithgow shooting today; he loved it, and the way it shot ADI ammo.
I like the look of plywood ones better myself.

I've got a collection of Ruger 77/22's, two walnut stocked polished-blued .22's and a .22WMRF, a 17HMR laminated varmint, and two stainless "paddles".
To me they are the epitome of what a rimfire should be, twin-locking lugs, actions scaled down centrefire '77's, and those gorgeous BX-1 & 2 magazines that never misfeed and sit beautifully flush.
AND they easily shoot as well as my CZ with proper hunting ammo. Which is why I'm so harsh in expectations about Brno's.

I just don't get why nobody ever considers them, and to me as a metal guy, sitting those others next to one makes those look like amateurish cost-cutting. That's going to upset some blokes, but oh well.

[deye243]

It's hard not to get bad machining marks now days.
My smith was amazed that my CZ shot so well before it went bad; he reckoned old Clouse must have been drunk on a Friday arvo when he made my chamber.

Was a dark Turkish walnut .308 Lithgow shooting today; he loved it, and the way it shot ADI ammo.
I like the look of plywood ones better myself.

I've got a collection of Ruger 77/22's, two walnut stocked polished-blued .22's and a .22WMRF, a 17HMR laminated varmint, and two stainless "paddles".
To me they are the epitome of what a rimfire should be, twin-locking lugs, actions scaled down centrefire '77's, and those gorgeous BX-1 & 2 magazines that never misfeed and sit beautifully flush.
AND they easily shoot as well as my CZ with proper hunting ammo. Which is why I'm so harsh in expectations about Brno's.

I just don't get why nobody ever considers them, and to me as a metal guy, sitting those others next to one makes those look like amateurish cost-cutting. That's going to upset some blokes, but oh well.

Cost is one thing for a 22 although if I could find what I want in one I would buy in a heartbeat unfortunately I've never seen one shoot under an inch to an inch and a half or more at 50 yards and I've mucked around with quite a few very disappointing for the price of them.
Would also love one in 357 Magnum or 44 Magnum but again most of the ones I've tinkered with over the years shot about three inches to four inches at 100 yards