Sa vz. 23
Česká zbrojovka · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1948
Also known as: vz. 23, vz. 25, Samopal 23, Samopal vzor 23, Sa 23, vz. 48a, vz. 48b
Overview
The Sa vz. 23 is a Czechoslovak blowback-operated, open-bolt 9×19mm submachine gun designed by Jaroslav Holeček at Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod and adopted in 1948. It pioneered two features that would define compact SMG design for the next half-century: a telescoping bolt that wraps around the rear of the barrel to dramatically shorten overall length, and a detachable box magazine inserted through the pistol grip. Its progressive two-stage trigger eliminated the need for a separate selector switch - light pull fired single shots, full pull went full-auto. The Sa vz. 23 family includes fixed-wood-stock and folding-metal-stock variants chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum (vz. 23/25) and 7.62×25mm Tokarev (vz. 24/26 - adopted 1951 to standardize with Warsaw Pact ammunition).
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3270 g (115.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 686 mm (27.01") |
| Folded Length | 445 mm (17.52") |
| Barrel Length | 284 mm (11.18") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Progressive Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 24 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 381 m/s (1250 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 540 J (398 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: 24 Round Detachable Box, 40 Round Detachable Box
- Safety mechanisms: Progressive Trigger, Manual Safety
- Features: Telescoping Wraparound Bolt, Magazine In Pistol Grip, Progressive Trigger No Selector, Uzi Layout Predecessor
Variants
- Sa vz. 23 (vz. 48a) — Fixed Wood 9mm
- Sa vz. 24 — Fixed Wood 762 Tokarev
- Sa vz. 25 (vz. 48b) — Folding Metal 9mm
- Sa vz. 26 — Folding Metal 762 Tokarev
Service history
Operators
- Czechoslovak People's Army · adopted 1948 · as Sa 23
- Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces · as Sa 23
- Egyptian Army · as Sa 23
- Syrian Arab Army · as Sa 23
- Vietnam People's Army · as Sa 24
- Irish Republican Army · as Sa 23
- Cambodian forces · as Sa 23
Conflicts
- Suez Crisis (1956)
- Six-Day War (1967)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
- Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
- Cambodian Civil War (1967-1975)
- Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990)
- Syrian Civil War (2011-present)
- The Troubles (Northern Ireland) (1968-1998)
Production
Estimated total produced: 100,000 · Production years: 1949-1968
Production at CZ Uherský Brod. Replaced in Czechoslovak service by Sa vz. 58 assault rifle in early 1960s.
Origin
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Designer: Jaroslav Holeček
Discontinued: 1968
Notes
Originally designated 9 mm Samopal vz. 48a (fixed stock) and 9 mm Samopal vz. 48b (folding stock) before renaming. Source variance on muzzle velocity: militaryfactory.com cites 549 m/s (1,800 fps) which is unrealistic for 9mm Parabellum from 284mm barrel; 381 m/s (used here) is the consensus figure.
Background
The Sa vz. 23 is the unsung grandfather of the modern compact submachine gun. When Egypt deployed vz. 23s during the 1956 Suez Crisis, Israeli forces captured numbers of them. Israeli designer Uziel Gal studied them closely; the Uzi he subsequently developed adopted both signature vz. 23 features - the telescoping bolt and the magazine-in-grip - and went on to global fame. The vz. 23 effectively created the template for compact SMG design, copied for decades afterward in the Uzi, Mini-Uzi, Star Z-84 and beyond.