Thank you Gene Curtis. As my dad used to say, every so often, even a blind hog finds an acorn. With the help of Gene, I found this beautiful little springer that I would otherwise have probably overlooked. Having the opportunity to shoot Gene's CZ-634 convinced me in very short order to reconsider. Better yet, Gene Curtis not only picked the rifle up for me, he tuned it, re-worked the trigger, and added one of his custom MB's. And with my suggestions plus Gene's patience and skill, he also added a custom front sight to the rifle. It has quickly become a favorite, so here is the review I owe you, Gene. The CZ-643 weighs in at about 6.25 lbs. scoped as shown, with overall lenght 42 in., barrel length 17 in., and length of pull 14 in. The hardwood stock is of very good quality and the ergonomics of the rifle seem very good for a full sized adult shooter (perhaps a bit better than the HW30/R7 which by comparison feels just a bit petite). With Gene's tune, the .177 is shooting at about 725 fps. And the trigger work, Gene, is superb. Having shot another couple of hundred rounds through the rifle, the trigger has settled in and is light, crisp, and of equal quality to the Rekord triggers on my HW30 and R9GF. The MB is fitted with two set screws on the bottom, but Gene has drilled and treaded a third hole on the top end of the MB to allow an allen screw to be used as the front sight, the original globe sight having been removed to accommodate the MB. At my suggestion, and with a bit of trial and error, Gene also turned a threaded Al post of the correct height to serve as a front sight. The threads are tapped all the way through the post. By snugging a set screw in the front of the MB, then screwing the post down on the exposed part of the set screw, the post can be snugged up on the front of the MB. Finally, a second set screw can be screwed into the top of the post and set to a height that corresponds to the depth of the notch in the rear sight, giving a perfect sight picture. For now, I have removed the front sight and replaced it with a flush-fitted set screw, but the front sight can be very easily re-attached. (See:
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=12448&mid=98003#M98003 for the gun with open sights). One unusual feature of the barrel is a breech lock mechanism. The lock is operated by a slide just in front of the forestock on the underside of the barrel. It seemed a bit cumbersome at first, but its function is pretty easily understood. When the breech on this air rifle locks up, it is very solid and has no perceptible barrel droop. A good design to improve the accuracy of a break barrel springer, I think. Also, the forestock is squared off with a flat undersurface. The feel is exactly the same as the forestock of my Walther LGR-U. It sets very nicely in the flat of the palm of the hand and makes it quite easy to appreciate instantly if there is any cant of the rifle position when shooting. The grooves on the side of the forestock are comfortable. The rifle shoots well either with a simple palm rest or with a light hold between thumb and forefinger on the grooved stock. Both feel very natural to the shooter. The safety mechanism is in line with the compression tube and is a simple in/out push actuated with the thumb. It automatically resets on cocking and is easy and natural to release when ready to shoot. One slight quirk -- if the trigger is pulled with the safety on, then the safety is just a bit sticky to release unless the trigger is nudged forward. I suspect this will smooth out a bit with continued use. With the BSA 2-7X 32 MM AO, easy focus for shooting from 5 meters to infinity is possible. I shot this 5-shot group at 5 meters this morning, off hand. When Gene and I were playing with the front sight, I (accidentally?) put three pellets through the same hole at about 25 yards with open sights. Hitting a swinging golf ball at 25 yards with open sights was pretty easy, too. Nice! One quirk, though, the rails are 14 mm wide and require mounts that will open a bit wider than the standard 11 mm / 3/8ths inch. The mounts here are the AA two-piece, advertised at fitting 9 mm - 13.5 mm. They are open wide, but seem secure enough. I believe Gene used the Leapers 2-piece mounts and inverted the lower jaw on the mounts to give an extra couple of mm to the mounts. In summary, the CZ-634 responds very nicely to a tune, has an excellent trigger, and is a high-quality, accurate mid-powered springer. Retailing now for $179 - $200, it performs as well as its German counterpoints, the HW30 and R7 at a substantially lower price. It is a real jewel and and absolute pleasure to shoot. Looking for a good, light weight, medium power springer? You should seriously consider the CZ-634..
