III. Firearm Information by Type

C. Semi-Automatic Pistols

2. Models and Manufactures

f. CZ-52

2/18/96
Sources added 7/28/96

The CZ-52 pistol (as opposed to the CZ-52 (SHE) rifle) is a semi-auto pistol made by Ceskoslovenska Zborjovka, in the former Czechoslovakia. It is also sometimes called the Vz 52, or Vzor 52, Vzor meaning "model." CZ has been in the pistol making business for many years, from before World War 2, to today, after the end of communist rule. The CZ-52 was adopted in May or June, 1952, depending on whether you believe Ezell's Small Arms of the World, 12th Ed., or the article on this pistol in the May 1990, American Rifleman. All the guns were made between 1952-54, with most of the production in 1953 and 54. Between 150-200,000 guns were made. It continued to be used through the 1980's as the standard military pistol of Czechoslovakia, although slowly being replaced by the Skorpion machine pistol at the end. CZ-52's were relatively rare in the USA until the fall of the Soviet empire in the late 1980's. Even in the 1990 American Rifleman article the author notes the gun was then still in reserves in Czechoslovakia, and is very rare in the USA. However since then the newly independent Czechoslovakia sold some of their obsolete weapons stocks for western currency. As a result Century International Arms has imported many inexpensive CZ-52's, most of which are in excellent shape. This pistol is a great bargain.

It is a single action pistol in 7.62x25 Tokarev caliber. Although not exactly the same dimensions, 7.63 Mauser ammo can also be used in this pistol, although it may be too weak to properly cycle the action. Some guns have been converted, after being imported, to take 9mm Para. ammunition. As the rim diameter of the two cartridges is basically the same it is a fairly easy conversion, I suspect they just re-bore the original 7.62 Tok barrels. The same mag will work for both. While the 7.62x25 caliber CZ-52's are on the C&R list, the rechambered ones are not. The CZ-52 uses a 8 round single stack mag. It utilizes a roller locking system to safely use all sorts of Tok ammo, from less powerful loads for the Tokarev pistol, to very powerful loads meant for this handgun (Czech M48 round) and also for PPSh submachine guns. Hotter Tok ammo is capable of defeating most soft body armor, even with regular lead and copper constructed projectiles. The pistol is marked with the serial number on the left side of the frame, the top of the slide, and the chamber end of the barrel, visible through the ejection port. The "rid" marking next to the serial number on the frame is a code indicating the CZ factory. The two digits on the opposite side of the frame, next to the crossed swords, indicates the year of manufacture (should be a 52, 53 or 54).

According to the American Rifleman article, all the CZ's originally had a light gray phosphate finish. Beginning in the early 1970's many if not all the guns in service were sent back to the factory or arsenals to be refurbished. Some guns were refinished with a blue-black bluing. Guns in both the original and new finish are seen here in the USA. Although I have not been able to find a source for it, it has been reported on rec.guns that while being arsenal reworked the guns were marked on the top of the slide with punch marks to denote how worn out, or out of spec the guns were. The fewer such dots the better the condition of the gun. However all the guns should have left the arsenal rework in the same, factory new, condition.

The roller locking system in this pistol is similar to the system used in the HK rifles (91/G3, (93/33, 94/MP5), and their P9 series of pistols. It is also used in the Calico series of 9mm carbines. Two rollers on each side of the rear of the barrel fit into recesses in the slide wall, and are held there by a cam which is under pressure from the recoil spring. After the gun is fired the slide and barrel remain locked together and recoil together about 3/8 inch, at which point the cam has moved forward under the recoil, and releases the rollers. Once the rollers are free to move out of the recesses in the slide they do, and unlock the action. The roller lock system allows the use of a locked breech without having to use a gas system to unlock the breech. It can be considerably stronger than the Browning tilting barrel system used in most other locked breech pistols, like the M1911-A1 .45 pistols. The barrel does not tilt in this system, but remains in a straight line the whole operating cycle, which I believe helps control muzzle flip and felt recoil. Having the barrel move in a straight line, and not tilt, also helps with accuracy.

Disassembling the CZ-52 is easy. With the gun unloaded, and the mag out, pull down on the takedown catch, located on both sides of the gun, just at the front of the trigger guard. Doing so will release the slide forward about 1/4 inch, at which point it may be removed from the frame by pulling it straight up and off. To remove the barrel from the slide you must push the barrel forward, against the recoil spring until the rollers unlock, and the side guide rails on the barrel line up with the openings in the slide for it to be lifted up and out. The front surface of the base of the mag is meant to be used to engage a slightly rounded cut in the bottom of the roller cam. However using it for that purpose leads to damaged mag bases. Use a screwdriver, or even better, a properly sized punch in the round hole in the roller cam. Pushing the cam forward with a tool will release the rollers, then continue to push the whole barrel forward about 1/2 inch, lifting up and out of the slide. The barrel will come free. No further disassembly is required. In particular I don't think it is advisable to remove the grip panels, retained by a piece of spring steel. Prying from one side of the spring with a screwdriver can lead to a broken grip retaining spring. Originals are not available, as far as I can tell; Gun Parts Corp. is making a replacement. But there is little to see or do under the panels. If you insist on doing it be sure and force both sides of the spring equally off the indents on the grips, perhaps by prying from the backstrap, and marring the finish. While this is a clever way of retaining the grips, I don't think it works very well in practice. You may also remove the firing pin, to replace it, or to clean the channel it is in. Push the lock, located toward the rear on the bottom of the slide, all the way up with a punch or similar instrument. This will free the firing pin, and it will slide out the back of the slide.

The CZ-52 is easy to shoot also. Put the safety on fire (pushed down), so the red dot is showing, rack the slide and fire. It does not have a mag safety, it will fire without a mag in the gun. The safety has three positions. With the safety pushed up to cover the red dot the trigger is blocked, and the hammer's forward movement is blocked, but the hammer may be cocked. Pushing the safety all the way up, with the hammer cocked, will de-cock the gun. One nice passive safety is the Walther style firing pin lock. The firing pin is locked on this gun until the very end of the trigger stroke, at which point the block is disengaged. The hammer hits the firing pin, and then rebounds, and is held away from the firing pin's rear face until the trigger is released and fully pulled again. The firing pin block is also re-engaged when you let go of the trigger to fire the next shot. Thus it should be safe to carry with a round in the chamber, the safety off, and the hammer down. Dropping the gun on the hammer in such a state will not let it fire. On the last round the slide stays locked open. There is no external slide release on this gun, to drop the slide you must remove the mag, pull it slightly back and release it. The mag release is the conventional European heel type, at the rear bottom of the grip area. It is adjacent to a lanyard loop that flaps back and forth in the same slot as the mag release.

One thing you notice about the CZ-52 is that it has quite a muzzle blast, at least with the Bulgarian surplus from Century I used in mine. It also has a fair amount of felt recoil, in large part due to the blocky and lame grip design. The makers left a fairly sharp edge along the front edges of the grip area of the pistol, and the grip panels themselves (cheezy brown plastic) do little to aid in handling recoil. Aftermarket grips would be nice in this gun. I don't know of any, although they are not so complicated as to preclude custom replacement grips. The rear sight is adjustable for windage by drifting it in a dovetail. They are not great sights, but are adequate. The main pluses of this gun are its cheap price, the excellent mechanical safeties, the interesting locking system, and the very powerful round it uses.

Sources Most of the CZ-52 pistols in the USA were imported by: