CZ-581

     Notes: This is an over-and-under shotgun also known as the Model 4.  It is designed for hunting, with twin triggers and several safeties that guard against accidental discharge.  If the buyer wishes, the CZ-581 may also be bought with a single trigger; such a version is not equipped with a barrel selector.  The weapon’s locking is by double barrel blocks and a barrel lug on either side of the upper barrel.  (This is known as Kersten locking.)  There are automatic ejectors for spent shells.  The inside of the barrels are coated with hard chrome, and the outside of the barrels are of polished steel.  The breech block is finished in gloss black.  The barrels may be both designed specifically for shot, for rifled slugs, or one for shot and one for rifled slugs.  Early models have 28-inch barrels; after 1999, the barrels’ length was slightly reduced to 27.625 inches.  This was done primarily to reduce the weight of weapon.  The stock and fore-end are made from walnut and the butt has a rubber recoil pad.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The later models with the shorter barrels do not exist.

CZ Bobwhite

     Notes: The Bobwhite is a side-by-side shotgun built on more traditional lines and chambered in some unusual gauges.  The stock is a straight-wristed stock with checkering in the usual places, with a color-case hardened receiver, trigger set, trigger guard, hammer, and selector switch, and a matte black chrome finish for the carrels. The selector switch is only for putting the Bobwhite on safe or fire; the Bobwhite has dual triggers. These triggers are far enough apart so that a single trigger may be chosen, or the front trigger (which fires the right barrel) may be pulled, then have the trigger finger to slip quickly and easily to the rear trigger.  Both barrels cannot exactly be fired simultaneously, but when fired this way, one barrel will fire fractions of a second later. Between the two barrels at the muzzle is a brass bead sight.  Most gauges of the Bobwhite have five interchangeable Kicks choke tubes; the .410 and 16 gauges come with only two choke tubes, Improved Cylinder and Modified. (They can take other Kicks tubes, however.)

CZ Canvasback

     Notes: Though based on the same mechanical principles as the Redhead and Wingshooter, the Canvasback is somewhat simplified in construction – especially in its single extractor for the empty shells (instead of a double extractor), and the lack of artwork on its side plates.  The planform is still the same as the Redhead, including Grade 2 walnut for its woodwork. The external metalwork is of gloss black chrome finish. The Canvasback is designed to be a shotgun to have fun with as well as to hunt with – and some shooters use it for competition as well. Canvasbacks come with 5 interchangeable Kicks choke tubes.

CZ Hammer

     Notes: A sort of a throwback to an earlier era, the Hammer gun is built on an Old West pattern of simple construction, including exposed double hammers and the ability to handle both old-style propellants and smokeless powder.  They are built on a true sidelock frame, and are perfect for Cowboy Action events as well as general hunting and use.   The barrels to be fired depend on both the hammer pulled back and which of the two triggers being pulled; both must be actuated for a barrel to fire.  As with other CZ double-trigger guns, there is room to fire only one trigger at a time, or to pull the front trigger (firing the right barrel) and slip from the pulled front trigger to pulling the second trigger.  This makes the trigger pulls not exactly simultaneous, but they take place within fractions of a second of each other.

The breeches have automatic extractors, but not ejectors.  The Hammer Coach comes with Cylindrical and Improved Cylinder interchangeable Kicks choke tubes; the Hammer Classic has five interchangeable Kicks choke tubes.  The Hammer comes with an 8mm high raised sighting rib along the center of the barrels; it is not ventilated.  The barrel is finished in glass black chrome; the side plates are color-case hardened, over which is a set of beautiful artwork.  Triggers, trigger guards, hammers and the safety are brass.  The woodwork is standard walnut.  The primary differences between the two models is that the Hammer Coach has 20-inch barrels, while the Hammer Classic has 30-inch barrels; both are 12 gauge.

CZ Mallard

     Notes: Another budget CZ shotgun, the Mallard “is designed to be the simplest, most cost-effective over/under CZ produces,” as it states in the CZ 2013 Buyers Guide. And indeed, it’s retail price is not much more than the game price. It uses the same box lock frame as most CZ O/U shotguns – in fact, it has a marked resemblance to the Redhead.  The side plates are satin-finished chrome, but are absent the fancy artwork present on the Redhead.  The wood and its finish again look similar to the Redhead, but the wood is only standard-grade walnut, and the checkering on the pistol grip wrist and fore-end are machine-cut. One thing the Mallard has that most CZ O/Us do not have are a pair of triggers – the front for the top barrel, the rear for the bottom barrel, and positioned so that one can slip quickly from a pulled front trigger to being able to pull the rear trigger; it’s not quite both barrels at once, but within fractions of a second of each other.  This dual trigger system is also mechanically simpler and cheaper and easier to produce.  Mallards come in 12 and 20 gauges, but all have a 28-inch barrel with a ventilated sighting rib atop the upper barrel and a brass bead front sight.

CZ Redhead

     Notes: Designed primarily as a competition shotgun and secondarily has a birding shotgun, the Redhead is characterized by its long barrels (especially in its Target guise).  The Redhead comes in several gauges and barrel lengths; the Redhead Target comes in only one.  The external metalwork is finished in satin chrome; the woodwork quality walnut.  12 and 20 gauge models have automatic shell ejectors; 28 and .410 gauge have shell extractors.  Each gauge has a unique frame size, tailored to the caliber.  Upper barrels have a ventilated sighting rib and a front bead sight. The Redhead Target has s full-sized target stock with a semi-Monte Carlo cheekpiece.  The Redhead can use any of the five Kicks type of external choke adapters and these come with the shotgun; these are a part of the price and come with the Redhead.  The exception is the .410 Gauge; these shotguns come only with Improved Cylinder and Modified chokes tubes. The Redhead Target comes with six Kicks choke tubes.

CZ Ringneck

     Notes: The Ringneck is considered a premium shotgun, in real-life terms costing a pretty penny.  The Ringneck is a side-by-side shotgun, designed primarily for bird hunting.  The standard Ringneck is a beautiful gun, with woodwork of premium walnut and the barrels finished in gloss black chrome.  The side plates are elaborately engraved with gold and black inlays over color-case hardening.  12 and 20-gauge models are equipped with a Greener Top Cross Bolt, and all have a bottom locking lug, and this makes for a very sturdy action.  Each gauge of the Ringneck designs have their own frame size.  Stock configurations can be had in several variations, and the Ringneck comes with five Kicks choke tubes (for most; the .410 gauge models come only with Improved Cylinder and Modified choke tubes). The Ringneck has a selector lever, which chooses which barrel is being fired as well as setting it on safety.  (Both barrels cannot be fired at once.) The Ringneck uses automatic shell extractors.

     The Ringneck Straight Grip is, as it sounds, a version of the Ringneck with a straight-wristed stock.  It is the most popular of the Ringneck’s alternate stock configurations, especially in Europe.  For most details it is much like the standard Ringneck; in game terms, the primary difference is the fact that there is only one variation of the Ringneck Straight Grip: 20 gauge and with a 26-inch barrel. For most game purposes, the Straight Grip is identical to the standard Ringneck.

     The Ringneck Target is designed to be more affordable than either of the two preceding Ringnecks, and is designed primarily for clay shooting rather than hunting (though it still makes a good fowling gun).  The Ringneck Target has 30-inch match-quality barrels and a full-size target stock.  It comes with six Kicks interchangeable choke tubes.

CZ Sporter

     Notes: Though to a certain extent the Sporter series is designed as an over-and-under field gun and for competition, it’s primary design philosophies are sporting clays and fowling.  Two versions in two barrel lengths make up the Sporter Series.  All are made using premium woods fancy scrollwork over Gloss Black Hard Chrome metalwork finishing, a Monte Carlo cheekrest, and a specially-tuned trigger.  The barrel pairs are removable, allowing the barrels to be replaced by longer or shorter barrels.  The guns ship with a set of six Kicks stainless steel choke tubes.

     The Sporter’s woodwork is made from Grade 3 walnut; this may be American, European, or Turkish walnut depending upon supply and where you buy your Sporter from. The Sporter Standard Grade is a simpler, cheaper (in real-life terms) version of the Sporter.  Nonetheless, the Sporter Standard Grade has a feature that the Sporter does not; a Monte Carlo cheekpiece adjustable for height.  It also has a right-hand palm swell, something the Sporter does not.  It too ships with a set of six Kicks choke tubes, and interchangeable barrels.  Perhaps the greatest difference is in the wood: the Sporter Standard Grade uses Grade 2 wood for the stocks and fore-ends.  There is also no scroll engraving. In both cases, the upper barrels have sighting ribs and bead front sights with fiberoptic inlays.

      For game purposes, the Sporter and Sporter Standard Grade are identical.

CZ Upland

     Notes: There are two models of the Upland: the Upland Sterling and the Upland Ultralight.  Both are very light O/U shotguns, the Sterling because of its light gauge and the Ultralight because of its construction.  The Upland Sterling is a shotgun designed primarily for small bird hunting, such as doves.  It has a milled steel receiver, which makes it very strong though heavier than it otherwise might be.  The gun is built using CNC, which makes tolerances precise and gives the Upland Sterling clockwork precision.  The side plates are finished in two-tone metal, and the barrel in gloss black chrome.  The stockwork is unusual and striking: the fore-end is of a medium-light colored walnut, while the actual stock and pistol grip wrist are of dark walnut.  Both are machine-stippled at the appropriate places instead of being checkered.  The barrels are 28 inches long, with an upper ventilated sighting rib and a gold bead front sight. The Upland Sterling comes with 5 interchangeable Kicks choke tubes,

     Upland Ultralight is also built using a CNC machine.  It’s in most ways a standard sort of O/U shotgun, except for the receiver – it’s made of high-strength aluminum.  In addition, the sighting rib on the Upland Ultralight is only 6mm wide, on the narrowish side for an aiming rib. The shotgun barrels also have no midribs and the rib at the end is only 6 millimeters wide. One might think such a shotgun is a bit fragile – and some say it is, while others disagree. However, the light weight makes it a wonderful carry-around gun. It also makes for some stout recoil. Metalwork is finished in matte black, and the whole exterior of the Upland Ultralight is coated in a weather-resistant, rugged finish.

CZ Wingshooter

     Notes: This O/U shotgun is another “no frills” gun, though “a few frills” is probably more like it.  Some of those frills include hand engraving of birds on the side plates, with gold inlay.  The 28-inch barrels have a sighting rib above the upper barrel , but does not have the near-standard front sight.  The woodwork is standard quality, but is walnut.  The pistol-grip-wrist knob has checkering, as does the fore-end, but it is machine-cut.  The Wingshooter comes with five Kicks interchangeable choke tubes.