CZ 457 MDT: the .22 caliber rifle ready for the PRS
The CZ 457 MDT in .22 Long Rifle caliber was among the novelties of 2022: a bolt-action rifle specifically designed for PRS shooting competitions in the Rimfire category.
CZ 457 MDT: the .22 caliber rifle ready for the PRS
Introduced earlier this year, the CZ 457 MDT .22 Long Rifle bolt-action rifle is now also available in Italy, via Bignami. This is the latest variant added to the well-known CZ 457 line of purely sporting rifles.
The CZ 457 MDT is characterized by the adoption of an MDT LSS-RF Gen2 chassis, made by the Canadian Modular Driven Technologies, a company that in recent years has exploded, positively impacting the entire international market of bolt-action rifles mounted on aluminum alloy chassis. A success that however cannot be defined as a coincidence, since practically all the best manufacturers of bolt-action rifles in the world (with a few exceptions, including Sabatti) now offer variants of their top models assembled on MDT stocks.
CZ 457 MDT .22 Long Rifle carbine
Thanks to its exceptional construction features, the CZ 457 MDT departs from the typically informal or training use that characterizes many commercial rifles in .22 LR caliber, entering fully into the category of competition weapons, with particular regard to PRS shooting in the Rimfire division (PRS .22) which provides for the use of rimfire bolt-action weapons.
The CZ 457 MDT features the same action as all other rifles in the series, but mounted on a lightweight aluminum alloy MDT LSS-RF Gen2 chassis manufactured by Canadian company Modular Driven Technologies and featuring a rebound-adjustable tubular stock, an elevation-adjustable cheekpiece, an AR-15 compatible grip, and an M-LOK handguard.
The stock can also be replaced with M4 compatible models by replacing it with a Buffer Tube, while the 525 mm long barrel with a 1:16" rifling twist, with a heavy profile and lightening fluting, features a factory flash hider attached to the muzzle via a 1½x20 thread. The Match-type cartridge chamber allows the use of the best types of ammunition.
The CZ 457 MDT rifle feeds through detachable magazines with a capacity of five rounds. The trigger release weight, which stands at around 11 to 14 Newtons, is smooth enough to offer excellent performance right out of the box on the shooting range.
Without iron sights, the CZ 457 MDT rifle features a steel Picatinny rail installed directly above the action, with a 25 MOA inclination to facilitate the adjustment of optics in order to easily engage targets even at extreme distances.
Just over a meter long overall and weighing 3.4 kilos when empty, the CZ 457 MDT rifle certainly offers the stability needed for competitive use in shooting specialties such as the PRS Rimfire, where especially in Italy it does not even find competitors in terms of price, in a field, that of .22 caliber bolt-action rifles mounted on chassis, where for example companies like Sabatti could offer certainly competitive products.
In 2023 the PRS Rimfire world championship will take place in Italy: all the main manufacturers in the world have their .22 caliber models and the CZ 457 MDT will certainly be among those we will see in action. For price and availability check your local distributor.