16ga.com ~ View topic - 16ga OU, cheap impulse buy: CZ Teal or Stevens 555?

Joined: 13 Oct 2015 Posts: 405

I am waiting to pickup a Beretta A300 20ga at Basspro. And alllllmost bought a 16ga OU yesterday online with the 15% off monday club card plus military. Was looking at the CZ teal $650 and the Stevens 555 $560 after discounts, both have 5 chokes.

Anyone have both, or either? Which would you get?

This would just be to shoot skeet once in a while without having to pick up hulls from 16ga Auto5 or my Model12. I'm already overstocked with 28 and 20ga OU for dove and quail, the gamebirds in AZ. Purely for unnecessary fun, so I'mnot going to get a Citori. I already don't shoot my 2x 16 gauges often these days.

I have both guns already in other gauges and love both. Cz in 28ga and 555 in 20, 28, 410. So I know both fit well. The CZ is almost a pound heavier in 28ga though. Decided to shoulder both.

Soo... not sure I really need another impulse buy that I won't use much lol. But just for the sake of discussion, any opinions on either?

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3498 Location: Illinois

No doubt-----CZ!!!!!

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1487 Location: Western WA

Don’t like CZ anymore after determining my 28 ga Bobwhite was abysmally regulated, one bbl POI was 8 in low and left of POA at 20 yds. Not sure whether bbl regulation can be trusted on any cheap double gun, traditionally a very labor intensive process. A 30 day money back warranty at time of purchase may be only remedy.

B.

Joined: 09 Dec 2012 Posts: 878

CZ O/U's are made in Turkey by Huglu.

After our issues with a Yildiz, and other people's issues with the barrel lug coming off, I am totally soured on any Turkish gun. They are being built to a price point, and quality is hit or miss.

You are better off watching and waiting and grabbing a Citori Grade 1 in 16ga. if you want an O/U 16.

At first you might think you are better off with the price differential until the warranty runs out and the gun breaks and no parts.

Or worse yet, like the guy that was posting on ShotgunForums with a Mossberg SA-28 that wouldn't cycle commercial shells. Their warranty department kept telling him a pile
of bullsh*t, eventually saying a new piston was being developed.

Then the bullsh*t really got deep and they told him "Just kidding, no piston" all while the gun was in warranty. Of course the SA-28 is a Turkish gun.

In my opinion, they are built for the person that might shoot the gun a couple times during hunting season and put it back into the safe with the hope it makes it out of warranty so they can tell you to p*ss off.

At least buying a Browning, or a Fausti, or Rizzini or Beretta you know the gun is going to last.

The Browning Citoris are built on a very slightly tweaked 20ga frame. So not heavy at all, unlike the Rizzini BR110, which is built on a 12ga frame.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1487 Location: Western WA

Don’t like CZ anymore after determining my 28 ga Bobwhite was abysmally regulated, one bbl POI was 8 in low and left of POA at 20 yds. Not sure whether bbl regulation can be trusted on any cheap double gun, traditionally a very labor intensive process. A 30 day money back warranty at time of purchase may be only remedy.

B.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2520 Location: West MI

Confused with a couple statements in the OP "overstocked" and "unnecessary fun", regarding shotguns and the shooting sports; is this possible? : )

I'm reasonably sure both are Turkish made.

A bud has a 20ga Huglu O/U that after ~1.5-2 boxes (regardless of temps) starts to become a chore to open. Plenty of oil and cleaning and nothing obvious wrong, this started happening after warranty ended so it generally sits in the safe.

Also, barrel Regulation is "better" with open chokes and short targets, long SC's & 5S targets not so much...again noticed BR issue after warranty ended.

If compelled to own one, get the longest warrantied one and shoot the crap out of it to understand short term issues before said ends.

Joined: 13 Oct 2015 Posts: 405

Went to Basspro last night, thought they had both to try... website error, they only had the CZ.
I liked it, decent fit for me. Good safety and selector action. Good lever and break open. Fit and finish was fine for a hunting gun. 5 chokes, all looked solid and concentric.

Surprisingly, the barrel was stamped "Huglu 16ga 3in"!
So it appears CZ has started making the chambers 3" on this new run, for some reason. Of course they used to make 3in 16ga, I saw a box of Peters posted this morning from the 50s. No different saami spec, but interesting anyways.

I already have a 28ga CZ teal. I like it a LOT, the receiver is actually steel. Turns out I shoot it better than my dang Beretta 682 target gun with 28ga tubes and adjustable comb. I got a 25 skeet with the CZ within 2 months, have never shot a 25 with the 682 28ga tubes oddly.
Trigger was too heavy, but was able to adjust it down with some polishing.

Member Joined: 26 Aug 2004 Posts: 135 Location: FL

Nice that it has choke tubes, their other 16 gauges have fixed IC/Mod chokes.
How much does it weigh?