Shooting off a rest on a bench, the lock time is not really that critical. If you are shooting offhand, as in Silhouette shooting, hunting, etc., the faster the lock time the better. (Less time for the gun to move between when you pull the trigger & the bullet leaves the barrel) For Silhouette a short lock time & a short barrel time are a real plus. That is why most Sil. guns have the short barrels.

 

Lock Time

The slower the lock time...the more time for error. Doesn't matter if you are shooting off the bench or off hand. BR Shooters are as concerned with lock time speed as is the ARA or Sill shooter. Lock time is measured from the time the trigger/sear breaks until the firing pin contacts the primer.

 

Lock time

I have been pondering this very thing and wondering if doing something like adding a washer to a cz would accelerate lock time. I've seen adds for both remington 700 and winchester model 70's that claim to cut your lock time in half by changing the spring and the firing pin and the cost about $70.

 

Wolff Springs

Hey vmax,
You may want to check out what Wolff Gun Springs has for your firearm of choice:
http://gunsprings.com/resources/welcomenof.html
Got a new one for my 52D and it solved some ignition problems I was having and it only cost $8.00.
Jim

 

I haven't seen the kits for the Model 70 & 700 but I imagine they operate on the same principle as the "Speed Lock" kits available for several popular semi-auto & pump shotguns. Basically what they consist of is a lighter (usually titanium) firing pin & a much heavier firing pin spring.

I suppose the concept of a beefier firing pin spring, either by using a heavier spring or shimming behind the existing spring if sufficient travel exists, could speed up the lock time a bit. But you will pay for it with extra effort to open the bolt (& cock the spring). The centerfire 70 & 700 designs have much more camming action than a .22 bolt like a CZ452.

I suspect the tiny gain would not be worth the effort.

My contention is still that a heavy gun with a trigger in the 2 oz. range that is solidly mounted on a rest will not benefit much from a shortened lock time. Hand-held, yes - but not from the bench.

 

Claybuster I would say you are right that altering a rifle like the cz by adding a spacer would likely just not be worth the small gain that you might get. Had my bolt apart continplating it yester day and I said na, I like this easy bolt lift its twice as easy to lift than my Marlin is.

 

Lock Time

I agree with claybuster on this. For a bench gun, solid rest, and light trigger, lock-time shouldn't be that big a deal. Bill Calfee said as much in one of his ARA or Precision SHooting articles. The further that your gun and rest gets from the ideal bench rest set up the more effect it may have and of course for off-hand and position shooters it is important.
I replaced my 52D spring because I wasn't getting a good strike on the cartridge.
Jim

 

The advice on bolt lift is right on. I had a gunsmith install fast spring and firing pin on a Springfield '03 sporter and the bolt lift effort increased considerably. Not a big problem in target shooting but not what you like to see in a hunting rifle! For competitive position shooting or silhouettes, faster is clearly better.

 

Zero Lock Time!

Back in the 80's, Beeman imported a Free Rifle made in West Germany = Finwerkbau (sp?) that had an adjustable electronic trigger! They had several models avilable... Price was in the $2000+ range (80's $'s) - depending on the 'Bells & Whistles' that came along.

 

Remington came out with their "Etronix" version of the 700 centerfire rifle a couple of years or so ago. Electronic ignition that required the use of special primers. I suppose they still produce it. Don't think it went over all that well. Pretty pricey plus I imagine folks worried about a battery going dead about the time a B & C buck walked in fron of the crosshairs. There was also a french outfit (Darne, I think) that offered an over & under shotgun some years back that operated on a capacitor discharge system. As I recall it used standard shotgun shells & primers.