CZ Canvasback O/U

[charlesb]

While looking for something different ( a 28 ga shotgun ) this 20 ga over/under caught my eye.

I am ignorant of most shotgun terms, but will note that the CZ Canvasback is a 'boxlock' design, with 28" barrels and a single, selectable trigger and extractors but no ejectors. It came with five choke tubes.

Click image to see it full-size.



Folks here at the GunTalk forum did me a great service by explaining the difference between double and single-trigger guns. - My fingers are fat like sausages, so I have concentrated on looking at single-trigger guns.



According to the literature, the barrels are chrome lined. The action and barrels are finished with 'black chrome', which I am not familiar with, but it looks OK and hopefully will be durable.

Chrome or no chrome, I keep it wiped down with Mobil One synthetic motor oil.

I am happy to report that the stock fits me well. The gun comes up and tracks fast, and I'm connecting with the birds very well, even when I don't have much time.

For decades, I thought that I was a lousy wing-shooter - but it turned out that my trusty old shotgun that I had had since I was fifteen didn't fit me very well. One day I tried out something different that had been thrown in as boot on a trade - and I was amazed to discover that I could shoot birds, after all!

One mystery concerning O/U shotguns remains... The proper way to open the gun.

What I have been doing is to move my fingers behind the trigger bow, and point the gun slightly downward. - Then I reach across with my off hand to actuate the lever, letting the weight of the barrels cause them to flop down, with my off hand ending up over the extracted shells.

Should I support the barrels somehow - or just let them drop like that? I am uncertain about how roughly or delicately the action should be worked.

Any kind of tips for newbees would be appreciated.

[bearandoldman]

Remember, it is a shotgun not fine crystal an will not break easily. If you are shooting right handed as most people do, after you fire, just holding the gun in your right hand with your finger off the trigger, just push the lever over and let the barrels open. Grab the fired or unfired shells in you left hand, drop the empties in your vest and reload and have fun. Shot a lot of sporting clays and skeet and never had a problem with any of the guns I owned and I shot usually 10 boxes of shells a week or more. See the real skeet hotshots with the Koehlers and Krieghoffs do it the same way.

[charlesb]

That is good to know. When I first used the gun, I had to give it a little jerk to pop it all the way open. Gravity would open it most - but not all of the way.

I took the gun down and smeared a thin layer of Hoppes gun grease on all of the mating and sliding parts, including the jeweled area on each side of the breech. That did wonders for the overall feel of the gun as I worked the action, and after a box of shells it was no longer necessary to give the gun a jerk to get it to pop open all of the way.

I look forward to shooting at clays when my farm sells, as the place I intend to move to has facilities for that at the local gun club. Here, I have to wait around for the right kind of bird to fly into range, and they don't always cooperate.

The birds and I are most active around 7:00 CST (am or pm), when it's not so hot outside.

[blue68f100]

It's amazing how well you shoot when the gun fits right. I went through the same thing 30 years ago. But it was a 1100 20 ga that did not fit me. I was terrible with that gun no matter how much I tried. Then I got a Citori and all changed. Just like you I started hitting things without any practice. I still have the 80's Rem 1100 that has only has maybe 300 rounds through it. One of these days I should sell it. I prefer the shorter length and balance of the Citori and have not fired the 1100 1 time since I bought the Citori in 84.

Single triggers are the only way to go in my book when your looking at O/U or maybe S/S.

Enjoy your new gun .......