Vz. 52
CZ (Ceska Zbrojovka) · Rifle · Discontinued · 1952
Also known as: CZ 502, Sa vz. 52, M52, Samonabijeci puska vz. 52
Overview
The Vz. 52 is a Czechoslovak gas-operated, tilting-bolt self-loading rifle adopted in 1952 as the standard service rifle of the Czechoslovak People's Army. Chambered for the unique 7.62x45mm Czech intermediate cartridge, it feeds from a 10-round detachable box magazine and is distinguished by a permanently attached folding knife bayonet that stows into a recess on the right side of the wooden stock. Designed by Jan and Jaroslav Kratochvil, it was powered by an annular short-stroke gas piston encircling the barrel.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4140 g (146.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1005 mm (39.57") |
| Barrel Length | 520 mm (20.47") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 744 m/s (2441 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2455 J (1811 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 25 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 280 mm (11.02") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x45mm vz. 52 · primary — also known as 7.62x45mm Czech, 7.62x45mm M52
- 7.62x39mm — also known as 7.62x39mm M43
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Integral Folding Bayonet, Tilting Bolt Lock, Annular Short Stroke Gas Piston, Wooden Stock, Fixed Open Sights
Variants
- Vz. 52/57 — Rechambered
Service history
Operators
- Czechoslovak Armed Forces · adopted 1952 · as Sa vz. 52
Conflicts
- Cold War (1952-1959)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,000,000 · Production years: 1952-1959
Approximately one million rifles produced before replacement by the Vz. 58; many were later converted to 7.62x39mm as the Vz. 52/57.
Origin
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Designer: Jan and Jaroslav Kratochvil
Discontinued: 1959
Notes
Under Warsaw Pact standardization pressure from the Soviet Union, the rifle was later rechambered for the Soviet 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge and redesignated the Vz. 52/57. It was quickly superseded in Czechoslovak service by the Vz. 58 selective-fire rifle adopted in 1959.
Background
The Vz. 52 grew from a postwar CZ Strakonice prototype by brothers Jan and Jaroslav Kratochvil, paired with a new intermediate cartridge inspired by the German 7.92x33mm Kurz. Its short independent service life ended when the Soviet Union pressured Czechoslovakia to adopt the standard 7.62x39mm cartridge, forcing the rifle's conversion and rapid replacement.