Bob, the CZ452 is currently THE most popular rifle in our club (rimfire field-class).
There are all sorts of "Brno"s (they used to be Brno before they brought back "Czeska Brezovska")
Rifles in the club range from the current model "target", to my 1967 Brno Model 2 that I picked up about 8 or 9 years ago.
Mines microgroove, and shoots really well with a wide range of ammo, and although it pains me to say, it's more accurate than my Krico model 300.
Almost without exception, all the rifles in the club shoot well, depending on the nut behind the butt.
One thing that I don't like is that the action feels like a couple of poorly lubricated house bricks for a long, long time before use beds it in. Some of the keener types are using lapping paste to speed the process...with mine, 30 years of rabbit shooting by a previous owner has made it very smooth.
Hard to load single shot style with the magazine in, as it often falls off the rails, and pushes into the off hand side of the chamber.
Check the bedding, as there's traditionally a bedding screw from a lug on the barrel (I think the varmint might have a traditionally bedded action)...people who have the wood off regularly have problems with the tension of the barrel lug, until they find the right inch pounds for it.
Nice point is there is a chamber vent off the side of the action for a ruptured case (comes in handy if Remington don't anneal their cases well).
As to other left handed actions, a guy in the club has a Browning T Bolt, which is sweet (we have goofy hand matches between us where he shoots right hand, and me left hand), another guy has an Anschutz.
At the rifle club the other day I saw an IZmatch left hander.
And ultimate in versatility, I bought a Rossi matche pair the other day. Break action .22, and the guys at the range all want it.
Back to the CZ, there IS plastic on it, in the floor of the magazine. Can be remedied by finding an old Brno Model 2 magazine.
Down here, there are Norinco CZ452 knock-offs. They are relatively cheap, but even an old second hand rifle is better than a new chinese knock-off.
