As a hunting-obsessed Texas kid, I grew up on a steady diet of John Wootters and Africana. I was late for school more times than I care to count thanks to late nights spent reading John's adventures with his trusty Mannlicher-stocked .308 and the exploits of countless African adventurers and their Mannlicher Schoenauers.

Consequently, I've longed for a pretty, little Mannlicher-style carbine for as long as I can remember. To me, no gun is better suited to prowling the South Texas brush or slinking stealthily through the African veldt than a trim, full-stocked carbine chambered for a short-action cartridge like the .308 Winchester or a classic round like the 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser. I've never owned one, but that may change now that I've tested CZ's take on the Mannlicher-style carbine.

CZ's 550 FS
CZ-USA builds its entire line of what it calls "big-bore" (.243 Winchester and larger) centerfire rifles on forged Mauser actions, that are made in its production facility in the Czech Republic. The subject of this review is the FS (full stock) variant of the popular CZ 550 line in .243 Winchester.

The 550 FS is built on CZ's rugged Mauser action. It comes with standard features like fixed sights, a 20.5-inch cold-hammer-forged barrel, and a classic full stock. The sample I received for testing was beautifully finished with attractive wood and a rich, lustrous blue on its polished receiver and abbreviated barrel.

SPECIFICATIONS CZ-USA Model 550 FS
DISTRIBUTOR:	CZ-USA
Model:	550 FS
Operation:	Bolt-action Repeater
Caliber:	.243 Win.
Barrel Length:	20.5 inches
Overall Length:	41.5 inches
Weight, empty	7.4 pounds
Safety:	Two position
Sights:	Fully adjustable
Stock:	Turkish walnut, full length
Magazine Capacity:	4 rounds
Finish:	Blued steel
Price:	$791

The CZ's bolt is almost pure Mauser, utilizing a sturdy, rotating claw extractor to ensure positive feeding. It has two solid locking lugs up front and a single gas port at the bottom of the bolt body. The ejector slot is on the left side of the boltface. Both the bolt and extractor are highly polished, which undoubtedly contributed to the smoothness of the test rifle's action.

Near the smooth bolt knob, the bolt body is blued to match the shroud. The bolt handle is bent downward, with a slight backward sweep so that the bolt handle clears the scope without pinching the operator's hand.

The 550 FS's bolt shroud is more streamlined than other Mauser actions. The left side of the bolt shroud has a small cutout that houses the bolt release. Removal of the bolt is easy; simply push the button and pull the bolt to the rear. The 550's bolt release is much smaller than the Mauser 98's bolt release. This modernized part is a big improvement over the original, as it eliminates the cutout in the side of the receiver necessitated by the larger, receiver-mounted release.

The bolt shroud also features a red "Fire" indicator on the right side and a small disassembly button on the left side. This button allows easy disassembly. Push the button and turn the shroud to access the firing pin and spring. A small, recessed cocking indicator at the back of the bolt makes it easy to see and feel if the rifle is cocked.

The two-position safety is on the right side, just behind the bolt stem. The safety locks the bolt and sear. Its compact, grooved button is easy to manipulate; it's a big improvement over the original Mauser's oversized, counter-intuitive lever.

With its sturdy, rotating claw extractor, the Model 550's bolt is almost pure Mauser.

Inside the receiver, a robust fixed ejector serves to send cartridge cases well clear of the action. The top of the receiver has integral dovetail scope mounts that accept CZ's proprietary scope rings. An adjustable rear sight and a ramped front sight with a removable hood and a white bead are also standard on the FS version of the 550.