Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 23 / 24 / 25/ 26 (Samopal)

Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 (Samopal) History

At some point in its history, the former Czechoslovakia was a prolific designer and manufacturer of various small arms, covering the full range of pistols, submachine guns and light machine guns. Shortly after World War II, Czech follower Ceska Zbrojovka started producing a new domestic (and quite revolutionary) submachine gun (SMG) in Samopal Savz. 23 series.

The genre was widely embraced by the then Soviet tier 2 and tier 3 allies, and although it was introduced during the Cold War, it continues to appear on various modern battlefields, such as the Syrian Civil War (2011-present).

The weapon is a no-frills SMG with an open bolt arrangement (the bolt overhangs from the frame at the rear to allow for an overall shorter weapon, a new concept at the time), operating on a standard recoil principle. The original chamber was in the ubiquitous German 9x19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge, but the Soviet 7.62x25mm Tokarev pistol cartridge (due to Soviet influence on Czechoslovakia in the post-WWII world) was supported by future model additions.

The trigger is designed to allow the operator rapid selective fire control of the weapon - a light pull provides single-shot capability, while a deep pull activates fully automatic fire mode.

Generally, this weapon is of conventional design. The frame is tubular to accommodate the firepower inside. A small circular rectangular opening along the right side of the fuselage serves as the ejection port for the cartridge case. Like the Israeli UZI SMG, Savz. The 23 carries its straight-box magazine on a pistol grip (in fact, the Czech design is said to have pioneered such a concept).

The grip is placed behind the center mass, also behind the trigger assembly. In front of the trigger is a small support structure for non-shooters. The barrel sticks out a short distance in front of the frame, and iron sights are mounted on the gun as usual.

Shoulder straps (solid wood or foldable wire) are usually mounted at the rear as a third point of support - especially useful in fully automatic fire.

In terms of performance, these tightly gripped small guns can fire 600 rounds per minute and have a muzzle velocity of 1,800 feet per second.

The original production form became Savz. 23 (also known as "vz. 48a"), known for its sturdy solid wood shoulder rest and 9x19mm cartridge. Standard magazines are magazines with a capacity of 24 or 40 rounds. sa vz.

The 23 quickly became the standard submachine gun of the Czech Army between 1951 and 1952.

Sa vz. The 24 (vz. 48a./52) retains the wooden stock but uses the 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge instead. The pistol grip also slopes slightly forward. The replacement of the cartridge allows the use of a magazine with a capacity of 32 rounds. sa vz.

The Type 24 submachine gun was adopted by the Czech army as a standard submachine gun after its introduction.

Sa vz. 25 (vz. 48b) is Savz. 23 with folding metal stock. It also fires 9x19mm cartridges using one of the aforementioned 24/40-round magazines. sa vz. 26 (vz. 48b/52) Collapsible metal stock with vz. 25, but the internal composition of vz. 25 Tokarev pistol rounds fired. sa vz. 26 Served in the Czech Army from 1952 to the 1960s.

This line of submachine guns received a lot of attention in the early days of the Cold War, and historically it was part of the Cuban and Rhodesian fighting. In the latter, it was slightly modified and called "Rhogun". The design also influenced the local Sanna 77 SMG collection.

Sa vz. The Series 23 is largely outdated by today's standards, though that doesn't stop them from appearing from time to time in the world's far-flung wars, where violations are often "the cry of the hour." Total production reached about 100,000, but was limited by the influx of Soviet-origin guns available to the Czech army.

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