vz. 52
Česká zbrojovka · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1952
Also known as: Sa vz. 52, Samonabíjecí puška vzor 52
Overview
The vz. 52 (Samonabíjecí puška vzor 52) is a Czechoslovak gas-operated, semi-automatic service rifle adopted in 1952. Mechanically it pairs an annular short-stroke gas piston that wraps around the barrel with a tilting-bolt locking system and an M1 Garand-style hammer/trigger group. It was originally chambered for the indigenous Czechoslovak 7.62x45mm vz. 52 intermediate cartridge and fed from a 10-round detachable box magazine that could also be charger-loaded.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4140 g (146.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1005 mm (39.57") |
| Barrel Length | 520 mm (20.47") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2455 J (1811 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 650 m (711 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x45mm vz. 52 · primary — also known as 7.62x45mm Czech, 7.62 vz. 52
- 7.62x39mm — also known as 7.62x39mm M43, 7.62 Soviet
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Bolt Hold Open
- Features: Annular Gas Piston, Tilting Bolt Lock, Integral Folding Bayonet, Tangent Rear Sight, Charger Loadable
Variants
- vz. 52/57 — Rechambered
Service history
Operators
- Czechoslovak Armed Forces · adopted 1952 · as Sa vz. 52
- Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces
- Egyptian Armed Forces
- Syrian Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Suez Crisis (1956)
- Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
- Arab-Israeli Wars (1956-1973)
- United States invasion of Grenada (1983)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,000,000 · Production years: 1952-1959
Approximately one million produced before being superseded by the Sa vz. 58
Origin
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Designer: Jan and Jaroslav Kratochvíl
Discontinued: 1959
Notes
Initial production began at Považská strojárne (Považská Bystrica) before moving to Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod. Warsaw Pact ammunition standardization forced a rechambering to the Soviet 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge, producing the vz. 52/57. The rifle was replaced in Czechoslovak service by the Sa vz. 58.
Background
Czechoslovakia developed its own intermediate cartridge, the 7.62x45mm, independently of the Soviet 7.62x39mm, but Warsaw Pact ammunition standardization forced the entire rifle to be rechambered to the Soviet round, creating the vz. 52/57 and orphaning a perfectly good homegrown cartridge.