CZ 457 Varmint
The cleanest 0/15 on the Index. A bolt-action rimfire precision rifle in a Czech wooden stock — exactly what the SOR criteria don't reach.
Is the CZ 457 Varmint banned in Canada? Not currently. The CZ 457 Varmint is Non-restricted, but it scores 0/15 on the Holdover Ban-Risk Index. It is not currently eligible for compensation. The current amnesty for prohibited firearms expires 90 days after the latest Supreme Court appeal termination under SOR/2026-114.
Classification: Non-restricted · OIC/SOR: - · Ban-Risk: Low · Compensation: Not currently eligible · Amnesty: SCC appeals + 90 days
Verdict
The CZ 457 Varmint is the rubric's true minimum: zero points across every dimension. Bolt-action, rimfire, no flag features, no prohibited family, no policy momentum. The Index keeps the entry because it's the most-asked-about precision rimfire on the Canadian market — every PAL holder progressing from CFSC course rifle to first centrefire passes through the CZ 457 or its predecessor 455 at some point — and because the entry illustrates what the bottom of the rubric looks like. The MTR target variant pushes price to $1,199 and barrel length to 25.6 inches; the standard Varmint runs at $549. Czech-manufactured, walnut-stocked, adjustable trigger. The rifle that anchors the Canadian precision-rimfire competition scene. The Index reads it as the rubric's reference Low — the answer to the question "what does a 0/15 rifle look like?" — and as the entry every new shooter should arrive at first.
Tracking a rifle on this list?
The Ban-Risk Index updates as classifications and the federal compensation list change. Get those changes, and the SCC + 90-day amnesty deadline reminders, in The Dispatch.
What would change the score
- Categorical reclassification of bolt-action rimfire (no current federal signal).
- Magazine-class prohibition extending to CZ 457 standard 10-round magazines (no precedent).
Lineage
Parents: CZ 455 (predecessor, also Non-restricted; pre-2019 design)
Siblings: CZ 457 American, CZ 457 Lux, CZ 457 Royal, CZ 457 MTR (precision match target variant)
Derived: CZ 457 Premium, CZ 457 Pro Varmint sub-variants
Primary sources for this entry
- RCMP Firearms Reference Table — RCMP. accessed 2026-05-27
- CZ-USA — CZ 457 Varmint product page — Manufacturer. accessed 2026-05-27
Safety note: the Ban-Risk Index is editorial estimation, not legal advice or a substitute for current official guidance. The classification field reflects current RCMP FRT status as of the last-scored date. For any transfer, surrender, deactivation, or transport question, consult primary RCMP / Public Safety Canada sources and, where appropriate, a Canadian firearms lawyer.
