Rem 541-T vs Kimber 82 vs CZ 452

[steveyacht]

OK, now that I have my new rig, I have a friend that is very interested in diving in with me...... "just to keep me company". We have found another Remington 541-T (as it came from the factory, no modifications) as well as a couple of older Kimber M82's. With the Remington we can share magazines and other tech stuff while the Kimber has a lighter weight.

Which would be the better rifle for resale in case she decides this just isn't the right game. Keep in mind that she is an accomplished shooter in handgun and shotgun target sports.

Same questions apply to the CZ...... Initial investment may be a bit less bit how about the future?

Thanks!

Steve

[Bob259]

A hard choice and one that get emotional. ;) The 541's seem to hold their price real well and those that have them find it hard to part with them. The CZ is also a good choice at the price and you can always find a buyer for them as well. The Kimber is a nice rifle, but people that have, or had them, say you could get a shooter or a dud. The biggest factor is for her to shoulder each and see which one feels better to her and that should be her choice, half the battle is getting something that fits you well that you enjoy picking up.

[BCloninger]

As you've seen, Steve, a Voelker tuned 541 holds value pretty well and can be tuned to shoot very well, but that's my prejudice. A CZ 452 is always a good choice, too, and should shoot very well straight from the box. As Bob says, Kimbers have mixed revues, but since I've never owned one I'll skip that debate.

[yankee]

Like said the kimbers either shoot or don't. CZs you have to get trigger parts. All of the 541t I have had and have worked on seem shoot. And by that I mean 5 shots under 1 inch at 100m. If you find one of the early ones, with out the ring, circle on the bolt handle, they are better yet and the action is a lot smoother. The triggers are easily adjusted to two Lbs.

[Innocent]

Steve,
I own and have shot both the CZ452's and 541's, in several versions. Either will do well. I do not and have not owned a Kimber, shot many of the them but would not own one, for the above mentioned reasons, and the fact that for several years they made a version with a known magazine problem and did not fix it. Wouldn't feed from a full magazine.

I go with let her try several different rifles, both the 452 and 541 will hold their value, also.

I still fall back to my WInchester 52 remake of the mid 90's, it fits me the best, and points naturally for me. Smooth triggers even in many of the 541's have either been reworked or replaced. The 52's come from the factory with an adjustable trigger....but they don't tell you that you have to modify it to get it below 4 pounds or so. Most of my Brownings/Winchester 52's of the Jap remakes have Karl Kenyon triggers in them, two have the 2 lb pull, and the others have Karl's preference for the very light trigger.

Mary

[pbansen]

CZs you have to get trigger parts.

True, the CZ trigger out of the box is less than ideal, but the parts are inexpensive and simple as pie to install. You can do a trigger job with parts costing less than $10 (an Ace Hardware spring, a cheap feeler gauge as shim stock and some Superglue or clear nail polish), the YoDave kit (~$20) or you can go as far as installing a Timney trigger (although that requires some inletting). There's lots of information on the Rimfire Central CZ/Brno forum - check out the "Poor Man's Trigger Job" threads. A little time and very little money results in an excellent, crisp trigger. If you don't want to mess with the trigger, the 453 models have a single set trigger which is reportedly very good right out of the box (I have not shot one).

My 452 Varmint required only a spring from the YoDave kit (although the Ace spring would have worked as well) and backing the trigger adjustment nut all the way down. For an entry-level rifle that will hold its value well, a 452 is a great choice. The 452 line has been replaced by the 455, so availability of the remaining stock of 452's is ebbing - don't wait too long! The synthetic stock Silhouette model still seems to be in pretty good supply, as is the Style, which is the same rifle with a nickel, rather than blued, finish. I bought a Style for $350 within the last few weeks, which I thought was a great deal - the blued model was actually more expensive. The walnut stocked 452 American seems like the model with the most scarcity right now, although I just saw those on Cheaper Than Dirt's website for about $350. 453's seem to be generally more available than 452's.

For someone who is getting into the game and isn't sure of their level of commitment, you could do pretty well buying a CZ, investing a little time in making the trigger work well and finding out which ammo it likes.

If your friend finds that silhouette shooting isn't something that she really enjoys and wants to pursue, you should be able to sell the rifle without much of a penalty, because they're not going to be making any more of them. If she finds that she really likes the sport and feels the need for a spiffier gun, you've got time to find a great 541-T (although you're probably never going to repeat the deal that you got...) or a Kimber. A really good scope is going to cost more than the CZ and if you get the right one, it can move on to the new rifle.

That's the view from the bargain seats...

[boats]

I have a Oregon Kimber 82 set up under the old factory stock 7 1/2 lb rule. Bought it over a new Remington at the time because I thought it looked better. Did have a Weaver KT 15 to make weight, when the weight went up put a 6.5x20 Leupold on it. It's a nice shooting rifle with a very good trigger.

Except perhaps the trigger It's no better than a CZ and not even in the same class as new "Hunter" guns that are really custom target rifles with 2 lb triggers. Am no expert on CZ triggers though. Have seen and shot a few good 541 T's too. As far as resale you might find somebody who is willing to pay for the Kimber. I paid 500 bucks for it years ago and possibly could sell it for the same now. New Remington bought then would also probably sell for at least what it cost. My old Anschutz 64 MS would sell if I still had it for more than I paid.

My advice though is to forget about re-sale, difference in the Kimber vs anything else over the nearly 20 years is a few dollars per year. Buy what feels good to you and has a reliable trigger. Any extra money spend on the scope and ammo. Shoot whatever you decide on into AAA class then if you like the sport and want to advance move up to Anschutz.

Boats