The Czech VZ-52 Rifle Page

What's New? (February 2008)

1.  I've been retired for nearly two years now.  Actually, that would be semi-retired, because after just the first year after my retirement from the Air Force, I went stir crazy... I did manage to take more pictures of both VZ-52 rifles and the 7.62x45 brass I make.  The quality of the latter is so good, I have no reservations selling it to you VZ-52 aficianados who need ammo for your orphaned rifles.  See below for info, and how to contact me to obtain reloadable 7.62x45 brass.

2.  There's not much new in the VZ-52 world, unfortunately. What rifles were imported here into the U.S. in the 1990s is pretty much what's out there, almost all in private collections.  Every now and again, they pop up for sale, but I wouldn't hold my breath hoping for another influx of imported VZ-52 rifles.

3. I cannot recommend strongly enough that folks obtain their own Curio & Relic FFL.  This website's star attraction is still considered a Curios & Relic by the BATFE.  If you don't have one of these licenses, you are missing a great opportunity to enhance your personal collection, even if you're not looking for a VZ-52. The Curio and Relic FFL is as easy to apply for and fill out as a standard DD Form 4473, and nowhere near as intrusive as a standard FFL, no fingerprints, no pictures, voila'!  Benefits?  No waiting period,  dealer pricing from wholesalers, etc.  The actual list of firearms considered Curio & Relics by the BATF is rather long and comprehensive, to include many you wouldn't expect.  In the meantime, on with the page...

Introduction

I have been asked by many of my shooting colleagues to share the information I have acquired concerning the oddity from behind the Iron Curtain known as the vz-52 rifle. While not all-inclusive, this information should give any owner of the Czechoslovakian vz-52 rifle enough incentive to maintain and shoot this unusual piece of Cold War history. My sources for this compilation are varied, and if I omit a credit here or there, it's an honest mistake and I'd appreciate hearing from you so I can give credit where it's due.  I would especially like to thank Mr. Paul B. Thompson of Guns & Ammo Magazine, and, of course, the loyal readers and contributors to the UseNet newsgroup, rec.guns. Here it is:

The History

After World War II, as Czechoslovakia came under Communist rule, their army began work on an "intermediate" rifle cartridge for rifle and machine gun use. The Czech government did not standardize ammunition under the Warsaw Pact until the 1960's, so they were free to develop their own munitions and weapons. The Czech Army had finished out the 1940's with an assortment of German 98K Mausers, Russian Mosin-Nagants, and German G-43 autoloaders. These guns would add their influence to what became the vz-52 rifle.  The Czech 7.62x45mm cartridge eventually became the standard rifle cartridge to be used in the new vz-52 rifle and vz-52 machine gun. Contrary to rumor, this cartridge was developed independently of the Soviet M43 7.62x39mm round, although they were both designed to similar criteria. The vz-52 rifle was issued in large numbers through the 1950's, and a design change was implemented in 1957 to accommodate the Soviet M43 7.62x39mm round, at the insistence of the Red Army. These rifles are designated and marked vz-52/57 to differentiate from the older rifles. In 1958, the Czech Army adopted their Kalashnikov-looking vz-58, obsoleting the vz-52. Soon the vz-52 was found in the hands of various Third World countries with Communist affiliations. Most recently, when U.S. forces landed in Grenada, they were rudely introduced to the vz-52 rifle. Lately, they have been seen in service alongside SKS rifles in Palestine. Those that were stored after Communism fell in Eastern Europe are the ones imported to the U.S. by Century International Arms and SAMCO Global Arms.

The Rifle

At first glance, this rifle appears to be a variant of the Soviet SKS. Closer inspection reveals nothing could be further from the truth. Disassembly reveals an interesting mix of American, German, and Czech designs. The trigger group is surprisingly similar to the U.S. M1 Garand, right down to the safety lever and trigger guard takedown apparatus. The gas system is an annular piston around the barrel, closely machined to an exact tolerance, much like the German MKb 42(W). The piston drives an operating rod that is little more than a C-shaped piece of stamped steel. This operating rod propels two small steel "fingers" on a separate carrier, which impart motion to the bolt carrier on firing.  The bolt is a tipping design, as in the Tokarev, FN-49, and SKS, but differing in the fact that it locks with 4 distinct lugs in the front of the receiver,vs. the rear as in the aforementioned rifles. The box magazine is a detachable ten round unit, and its follower engages a bolt hold-open plunger after the last round is fired. The sights are quite simple: A tangent rear, with range marks incremented to 900 meters, and a front inverted V mounted on a tall base, with grooves for a hood. These hoods seldom appear on the surplus rifles, but I will list a source that may stock them later on this page. The barrel is threaded at the muzzle end, which is protected by a knurled cap. Aftermarket flash hiders and muzzle brakes are available for the barrel. Under the barrel is a heavy forend cap that secures the barrel to the stock, and also serves as the base for the permanently mounted pivoting bayonet. The bayonet folds and locks along the right side of the rifle, flush with the stock via an inletted portion of the right forearm. At the opposite end of the rifle, the buttplate is a stamping that is removable to reveal an inner buttplate with storage for a cleaning kit. The sling mounts from the left side, with mounts inset into the stock, much like the M1 Carbine and Mauser 98K.

The Ammo

The Czech 7.62x45mm round is as unique as the rifle designed to fire it. This round virtually duplicates the Soviet 7.62x39mm cartridge, albeit in a case that's 6mm longer than the Soviet round. It does NOT utilize a .308 caliber bullet, but rather a .310-311 diameter version, just like the 7.62x39mm. This is rather important for you handloaders out there if you want to realize any accuracy out of your ammo.   The bad news: Surplus military 7.62x45 ammo has basically dried up in these United States. If you do find a source, don't forget it is also steel-cased and corrosive, so if you must shoot it, be prepared to do a thorough cleaning of your vz-52, including the unusual gas system.  The good news: I have been making boxer primed brass for my Czech VZ-52 for several years, and will include the technique as a separate link to this page. If this process looks too labor-intensive, I also sell unprimed, virgin 7.62x45 brass for the reloader, contact me at my E-Mail address below for details.  For those of you who purchased VZ-52/57 rifles, you're in better shape, because your rifle uses the very common Soviet 7.62x39mm round.

Quirks

There are just a few quirks concerning this rifle and the 7.62x45 ammo it uses:

1. The gun ejects to the left, and rather briskly. Don't let this startle your buddies at the firing range. Recoil is exceptionally mild, and rapid aimed fire is a breeze.

2. Most of the rifles on the market look as if they've been dragged through Hell and back, with either cracked stocks or worse, black crinkle paint slathered all over the stock and metal upper handguard to hide the wood. My VZ-52 had an intact unbroken wooden stock, sans paint, but with more than it's fair share of garfs and dings. While I'm usually loathe to sand or refinish original military rifles, this one begged for attention. I set the original stock and handguard to the side, and purchased a new walnut reproduction set from a stockmaker in Northern California. I then had the action and metal accessories reparkerized after cleaning up a few pitted and rusted spots.

3. There were 7.62x39 adapter chamber inserts advertised for the VZ-52 in Shotgun News. These are machined metal sleeves that are inserted with LocTite into the 7.62x45 chamber, then fired to seat the chamber insert properly. I have two problems with this approach. First, chamber inserts have an annoying habit of extracting with a fired round at the most inopportune moment, regardless of which strength LocTite you used during installation. The U.S. Navy tried this for a while with M1 Garands adapted to 7.62 NATO, and ended up rebarreling for the shorter round. Second, with the chamber inserts, you have effectively added 6mm of freebore to the barrel throat, which does all sorts of funky things to the internal ballistics of the bullet upon firing, let alone affect it's accuracy. If you need to shoot 7.62x39 in your VZ-52, get a VZ-52/57 already chambered for the round.

Sources

Here are a few sources of parts and other vz-52 info:

Brass: How to make it (A labor of love)

Reloading Dies (RCBS)

vz-52 Parts and Accessories

Replacement Gunstocks

SAMCO Global Sales (surplus rifles)

Sarco, Inc. (surplus rifles)

So there you have it, my contribution to the preservation of that oddity of rifles, the Czechoslovakian vz-52. If you have any inputs or questions, please drop me an E-Mail at Darin at Mauser98 dot com (replace "at" and "com" with proper symbol). Constructive feedback is always appreciated!

Darin R. Pfaff

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This page last updated 20 Feb 08