Czech vz.52/CZ52 in 9mm and 7.62x25 

THE HK P9S IS HAMMER FIRED. I misspoke. My contract says I can make one stupid comment per video. Thank you. 😂

I Love the CZ52 and bought a few in mint condition when they were $109.99 with holster and extra mags. I bought a couple .9mm Luger barrels and years later had one rechambered to 9x23mm Win and it shoots great. The original 7.62x25mm is still my favorite especially with the Hot Loaded Czech SMG ammo. When surplus guns are dirt cheap I always buy as much as I can afford and have Never been disappointed because when they dry up the price increases. My friends thought I was nuts buying pallets of ammo and crates of SKS/59-66A1,Mosin Nagants M38/M44,91-30,etc. when they were under $100. Great video as always Tim

The original “Pocket Rifle”. First gun I carried was a CZ 52.

I'm glad I Czeched out this video. 👍

Hi Tim, I just picked up a 1953 CZ-52 that is in really good shape. Watching your video on the take-down helped me alot to get the roller mechanism and the barrel out, and it went right back in. Can't wait to get it out to the range! I agree with you about "Czechnology", their firearms are superb, and I have flown in some of their light aircraft. Thank you!

One day people will realize that 7.62x25 is the best handgun caliber.

A CZ52 was my first handgun.

Love my CZs as well! The 52 was the first one I had shot in my teen years and got me hooked...thanks for sharing!

In Czech Republic it is pretty common to have vz.52 with both 7.62x25 and 9x19 barrels... you can swap them as you wish then. And bonus is, that with 9x19 rounds that gun holds together somewhat longer. That 9x19 version might also be one of "export" guns that were exported to the civilian market of many countris to get enough foreign currency for the state needs (like for buying steel alloy additives or special parts unavailable in Czechoslovakia.) Even cars like Skoda 120 were exported to various western countries to get some cash in western banknotes, because czechoslovak crowns were useless if you wanted to buy some technology or parts only available on western market at that era.

I'm drinking a Czech beer while I watch this.

I see Tim's busted hands during the take down and think of 8 Ball from GTA 3. _"I know a place near the edge of the Red Light District where we can lay low, but my hands are all messed up, so you better drive, brother."_

If you want a stronger firing pin (the originals have a tendency to break), Harrington makes good replacement parts, including rollers and extractors.

Finally Someone else who appreciates the CZ52! :P Great vid MAC! 7.62x25 is an underrated round in my opinion. Would love to see a modern carbine in that caliber.

Tim you have the best gun collection i have ever seen Sir. I absolutely love seeing these CZ firearms videos. I can't wait to get a CZ82 in my collection, bucket list item. Another awesome episode MAC

Hey Mac, thanks so much for so clearly explaining taking the barrel out of the slide, dealing with that roller mechanism! Tonight for the first time, I took the barrel out of the slide and re-assembled it, but had problems getting it back into the slide! It does take a lot of practice to do it easily, but now that I know how to do it, I will master it! Thanks!

One of my favorite surplus pistols, thanks for the vid.

I would love for someone to make a modern double stack 7.62x25 pistol

I was lucky enough to get a CZ52 (VZ52), still in cosmoline and extra mag still wrapped up on the cheap from an auction earlier this year (also scored a bayonet for a SMLE III* and some Nambu ammo that auction... $420 for all), so you can still find them for a decent price if you look hard enough. Personal preference... I like the TT33 better than the CZ when it comes to shooting.

Thanks Tim, I love your videos.

Being Czech I definitely have to say that Tim is correct, Czechs are awesome! Czechs make great guns and hot women, what more do you need?!

Bought one of the CZ52s from J&G Sales years ago for $100, should never have sold it.

Great video and AIM Surplus had the 9mm barrel conversion kit a few years ago (more like 12 years ago for about $70 or so), and I purchased it and then bought my CZ52 and swap out the barrels when at the range to get 2 in 1 pistol.

Hi Mac, a really nice review as always! I also have a CZ52, love it! Also, my gf is Czech, been with her for over 15 years, she is a real keeper... just like my CZ52! In 2013 we went to Prague for a visit to see her hometown. Went to the train station where she worked as a young girl, had NO IDEA the CZ store was right across the street from it! Boy, have we kicked ourselves many times about that, lol! Btw, I also have a CZ27, CZ38, CZ50, CZ52, CZ70, CZ82, as well as several current model CZ's. Love those early CZ's, wish I could know the history behind each and every one of them!

Yes, the 7.67x25 is one hot little round. Very enjoyable to shoot with. I have the TT33 and a Norinco 213 for the 9mm version. Both nice guns too.

Let’s see some more of those cheap gun videos that you and Jason find “crap” and test who’s is less “crappy”

Josh! My man! I was his Scoutmaster. Glad he is with y'all. Having a Aggie on the crew Whoop.

Nice little firearm. I was fortunate to buy 1 with both the 7.62 and 9mm barrels. 7.62 is a fireball. To bad the surplus ammo is getting so expensive. Would love to see a modern double/single action CZ 75 variation in 7.62.

Holy shit Tim plays video games ? I didn't realize I could like this man anymore than I already did😂

Hey you got a 9mm CZ52!! Awesome, found one last year, to compliment my 7.62x25. Cool stuff!

MPact mechanix gloves, that gloves are always a must need. Sometimes I watch my old ones and I'm glad that the holes are in the gloves and not in my hands.

I picked up a cz52 at the wanenmacher gun show a few weeks ago. Fun gun to shoot. Came with 2 mags, holster and cleaning rod

Very different report from the 9mm. Excellent pistol and smart transition. Thanks.

Great video, enjoy the older mil spec stuff

I have a shop near me that has a 52 in almost new condition and with the original zinc finish. Thinking of possibly springing for it this weekend. Love the videos on old surplus guns, especially Czech made guns.

I love these so much, such an odd and interesting design. I have one in near new shape that is parkerized, one that is unfired in 9mm from BRNO/Century Arms, and one that was FUBAR that I got for $90 that I stripped down milled rails for and turned into a race gun and had Lok Grips make me a custom set of grips and that one has a Burris Fastfire 3 on top and an aftermarket firing pin, super fun.

You failed to mention that the 7.62 x25 can be hand loaded to 357 mag muzzle energy. Twice the energy of the 9mm.

my gunsmith had cut up, removed metal for a higher grip under the trigger guard, an Amazing difference with the undercut.

Sir, good meeting you Thanks.

Nice pistols. I checked out your twitch. Like the variety.

My second handgun... Cz52 in 7.62x25 along with its serialised 9x19mm barrel... straight from Century in 1994 for $169 baby, yeah!!! It’s nicely oiled and tucked away at the moment. May need to dig it out.

“Heel release, which is a piece of sheet...” Sounds right Tim, didn’t need to add metal to it

God damn the blued 9 mil is beautiful!

Great video!! Thanks !!!

TY Had a GI one till left truck unlocked & 3 xtra mags in pouch.also! Miss it dearly was a Fine Pistol ! Great Video TY

That Sellier& Bellot are surprising great Czech made ammo..I use it extensively at the range

Definitely, on my list of pistols that I would like to acquire in my lifetime, the novel action type really does it for me.

I have an original cz52 and love it.

Just when I think I can't love this channel anymore, ya'll go and create a Twitch channel. Yup. Best channel ever!! And I'm gonna have to invest into a CZ. I've always loved the concept of them and how simple they are.

Really an excellent video of a historical pistol. Appreciate your warning about decocker failures with it. I won't own a pistol with a decocker since my first pistol as a boy was a slave labor Polish vis35 radom 9mm and it fired when the defective decocker was activated; it now resides in Lake Michigan-lol

love the fire ball that comes out -only gun i've ever seen with more was a 38super

Wish there was a replica or an airsoft version,I'm absolutely in love with this thing dammit (can't have guns here where I live)

Just watched Sootch00's video on this weapon, it looked like a cannon in his hands but you make it look like a Makarov.

I'd love a long 1 hour video about the history of Czech military weapons post ww2 to modern day talk about the history behind each one and why it was made, the history behind these guns fascinates me I wanna hear more

A foreign gun that has no import marks is not necessarily a "duffel bag gun" or as that implies a war bringback. All guns imported before 1968 were not required to be import marked.

Still one of may favorite handguns. Its the Mosin Nagant of handguns. Its heavy, clunky, crappy feeling in your hands but once it shits out a 3 foot fireball at night you forget about all of that. 7.62x25 is just plain fun even if im shooting 60's surplus tuna can ammo.

Just bought one with a very rare parts kit in wooden box. Filled with 40 odd parts in multiples to keep it running for 100 years. A 🇨🇿pistol with soul. 👍✌️🇺🇲

Excellent video ! 5⭐

I bought my CZ 52 in 7.62 x25 around 18 years ago for 170 bucks and it was new in the box, never fired with two mags and holster, the holster was brand new also. When I bought it I expected it to be used but in good condition, I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the box and seen that I got a new one, I'll never be that lucky again..lol

Quick cinematic footnote on the Tokarev TT-30 Tim shows at the end; that model pistol, or a variant thereof, is the official issued pistol of the 'Kingsmen' from the 2014 movie, most notably used by 'Harry Hart', or 'Galahad', Colin Firth's character in that movie. The obviously non-functional prop has a fake, but VERY cool 20-gauge shotgun attachment under the barrel, which is what he uses to shoot the first woman in the freakin' SPECTACULAR 'Freebird Church Melee', one of the greatest and best choreographed fight scenes in all of cinema history. For those who live in caves and haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a watch, if nothing else for that scene alone....

I love my cz82 still. Even if it recoils more than a lighter 40 s&w after I installed the heavier recoil spring.

Sweet.... Love the slam on remington. ..lmao.

That roller lock is sick but seems like those rollers would take beating.

Have my own VZ 52 9mm from the factory with LOK grips and it's a ton of fun. Bad grip angle unfortunately.

The Cvechs didn't like the 7.62x25, so they made the round much hotter for their sub-gun VZ 24/26 series than the standard soviet load, the pistol was designed to shoot that hot loaded sub gun ammo, I had some of that ammo back in 2003 or so and it was sold as CZ52 only ammo back then. The ammo came on 8 rd stripper clips and the bullet had a silver plating on it. Unfortunately I shot it up not realizing it was limited. I bought 2 of these CZ52's back then, they came the holster, extra mag and cleaning rod for less than $100 from my dealer also bought the 9mm barrels and roller lock to be able to change calibers easier.

Roller locked or delayed matters :) I think You know tht the CZ 52 and MG42 are short recoil roller locked - CETME 308/L/AMELI and later G3, STG 57 and the HK Pistol are roller delayed or half locked. As i understand it the engineers working on a STG44 competitor recognized on high speed footage that their roller locked gas piston full auto gun's bolt would sometimes bounce open, fire halfways out of battery and work that way so they half locked the gun on purpose and got rid of the gas system. Roller delaying gave them a fixed barrel and no need for a loose barrel recoil operation or a gas system with the downside that making the thing reliable means underdelaying and catching the bolt with your shoulder. Share the love for czech guns- zh, zkk600, RAMI looking forward to the czech video!

Hey MAC actually the date of when the pistol was re barreled is marked on the gun. The stamp you see at the end of the serial numbers/date codes on the right side of the frame should match the stamp on the barrel. The two numbers you see after that are the year it was re barreled 96 or 1996. My example has the same stamp and date , but apparently your pistol must have been blessed by the Czech Gods because mine would only fire one round at a time and jam on every consecutive round of 9mm. Even though i tried multiple different brands and types of 9mm ammo the results were always the same. So i went and got an original 7.62x25 barrel dropped it in and have never had any problems since then using that caliber. I also want to say that i appreciate your love of Czech firearms, since i am very found of the CZ line and i am of Czech descent myself. I am also glad that you actually disassembled the pistol the way it was meant to be done. You are pretty much the only person on Y.T to actually do so and not make excuses or complain about it being difficult. While at the same time putting your cameraman and the walls of your home in grave danger from a normal compressed recoil spring and barrel assembly :) . Thanks for the video and your content Cheers and Merry Christmas.

Such a svelte pistol, reminds me of sleeker Jericho. Didn't know they made 9x19 variants, l want one bad but don't even know where to start. Not a fan of online purchase of firearms, might have to take a trip to your shop. Great video

That little "X" is a pair of crossed swords. I have one of these that was factory refinished in 1991, still chambered in 7.62 Tok but all blued, the magazines are still parkerized though.

Glad I Czeched it out big fan of CZ52 so hared 2 sell it 2 pay Wife's med bill's was amazing pistol great review !

You have more snow over there then we have in South Finland. Very odd winter thus far

for anyone interested...the military acceptance mark isn't X but crossed swords

Beautiful Tokarev. Is it blank polished? The hammer and fixed sights are much like the succeeding Makarov's, which is a soviet Walther clone.

I have a 9mm cz52 it’s a complete jammomatic but I still like Czech stuff so I keep it around but it drives the 9mm into the dead space in the magazine

I bought a CZ52 a few years ago that came with the 9mm barrel.

I collect European military clothing and if the Czech's make their guns anywhere as good as the uniforms,then they must be totally frickin' awesome.My Czech M-85 jacket was made in '91 and frankly the quality is impeccable.

How many people had to rewatch the section where he said ‘twitch’. +militaryarmschannel you continue to surprise me

I remember not being able to sell these for $100 in the 90’s. Fast forward and now they want around $300 for them. You are right, they will only continue to go up in price.

I am debating adding one to my collection. I have read a lot of boards with all kinds of negative comments from the decocker firing rounds, rollers chewing up the barrel, brittle firing pins, and even cracking slides. I understand Harrington Products makes high quality hardened rollers and firing pins, and I can deal with not trusting/relying on the decocker. But I am concerned about the stories of poor quality metal used. I am looking at an unfired example. Any thoughts on overall quality, especially if I upgrade the rollers, pin and recoil spring (Wolff)?

I had just recently purchased an unfired from the arsenal refurbish 52 and it shoots awesomely. Not the most accurate milsurp pistol I own, that goes to my Walther PPs and East German Makarovs but its such a unique pistol being a roller delayed pistol and in 762 tokarev. I hate tokarev pistols normally because they look so ugly and I dont like the ergos but the 52 just looks so dang cool and has a very nice boom when it fires! I would shoot it more except ammo is fairly pricey compared to 9mm and comparable to 45 if you buy the milsurp steel stuff. I try to stay away from corrosive ammo though which means I'm stuck to brass cased ammo which is far more expensive to shoot.

I own one it came wit 2 barrels 9mm and 7.62 x25 Tokarev, it was brand new it came with a clip 9mm and a clip Tokarev, very easy to change the barrel, I bought in 1988 , I am in Canada.

I have a CZ 52 with both barrels. 7.62 & 9mm.😁

I don't care what anyone says. I just got rid of mine because it's a dangerous POS. I refer to the de-cocker on this gun as the "alternate trigger". It would fire the gun. I also bought a 9mm barrel for it. I still have it around my house somewhere. Shooting 9mm, it would jam at least twice with every 8-round magazine. Check out online how if you dry fire this gun too much, you are likely to break the firing pin. This gun is garbage. I traded it in at a pawn shop and got a brand new Ruger SR9c - a reliable, safe weapon. I had to buy a ny-lock nut and cap screw with shoulder washer on EBay to replace the pin for the slide lock lever that kept falling out (and mine was marked refurbished in 1979). The only reason to buy this gun is for its historical attributes. Don't buy this gun for any other reason.

CZ-52 mechanism ≠ HK P9s mechanism In both systems rollers serves the same purpose : delaying the action using rollers until the pressure drops to a safe level before the bolt unlocks, the way the mechanism works and the rollers are used is completely different between both. On the CZ-52 rollers are either mechanically locked or unlocked they are used as simple lugs they just keep the slide and barrel locked together until, both recoiling together reach a small distance where the locking piece trips and the rollers retracts. The barrel stops recoiling and the slide slide is then free to recoil and cycle. In the end it's just a short recoil operated gun with an unusual locking system. While on the HK MP5/P9/G3 the rollers are resting in an "unstable" position that depends on pressure applied to the breech. The rollers are actuating the unlocking process. There's no barrel moving, the rollers are not only locking the bolt but they are transmitting part of the energy to the angled locking piece within the bolt until it reaches a certain pressure and unlocks. The nuance is faint, but the unlocking process doesn't work the same way. Here's a video demonstration: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RxmOamgrVMo.html Great video quality nonetheless.

...bud of mine at Sikorsky bought one from me when I had my C&R license...he bought a 9mm bbl (traded me a Mitutuyo caliper for it - I still have that caliper) but it had (inherent) feeding problems and I bought the lot bacjk from him...sold it to another C&R guy I knew from the Yahoo C&R group...the problem is that the 9mm is 9x19 6mm shorter than the 7.62x25 and cannot make that jump from the mag reliably...a redesigned (or well made home engineered block) mag would prolly fix the problem but neither my bud nor I was interested in that grunt work...wish I'd kept it...I bought mine ca '90 or '92 (IIRC) for (again IIRC) $95 from Century...the prices last I looked have AT LEAST quadrupled!!!

Love the spicy hot little 7.62 Tokarev!! I don’t have a CZ52 yet 😒 but will soon! In the meantime I’m just enjoying my Yugo Zastava M57, another incredible little combloc .30!

I had an original CZ 52 in the eighties and it came with some interesting paperwork. It was not redone but brand new packed in cosmilene (forgive spelling) from the military arsenal and the old wise guy I purchased it from was in ww2 and specialized in military weapons, besides my Grandfather was born in CHECKOSLA (so I can't spell) which I gained some knowledge that some may not have on this subject. Nine millimeter 9mm barrels were available at that time. But I did not convert because the CZ 52 was originally designed to take the HOTTER MACHINE GUN AMMO in 7.62×25 which appeared to be the same but not only was it hotter but it was ARMOR PIERCING !!! It functioned better was even more accurate especially at long distances !! And we got thrown out of an indoor rang for damaging their BACK STOP !! (before I realized it was ARMOR PIERCING) I can't remember exactly but I think there was something on the bottom a mark, letter, or number. You had to look a little harder but you could find it at the Gun Shows which there were a LOT MORE of back then. I purchased 500 rounds at a time it wasn't expensive the people selling it would make it clear that it would damage other pistols !! We kept it under our hats especially when they put the BAN on other ARMOR PIERCING ammo this seemed to slip through !! We were fortunate no mass shootings or crimes were performed with this ammo or gun. ESPECIALLY since that ammo would penetrate two people wearing body armor !!!! So THAT'S why I didn't convert to 9mm, we had many 9mm, and other good calibers and I could tell you stories all day about the things we did at the out door range at 100+ yards and the CZ 52 and that ammo !!! ( some of that old 7.62×25 regular ammo even had functional problems in the CZ 52 !!!

Saved the best for last eh. Ha ha ha Like you, I love the Tokarev!

just catching up on old video's and just a note at the top of the slide by the front sight you may find a punch mark the numbers of punch arks will tell you how accurate it is and how any times it was work on at factory

Just picked up a 52 myself, identical to yours but a year older.

I drop a log everyday for my homies

This beautiful peace of tech has the same problem as the P 08. The slide is still a functioning weapon when pulled off the frame.

i have one with original 9mm and 7.62 conversion barrels . Both barrels have same serial numbers as pistol. Got old video on it

Thanks, in your opinion which is better Zastava M57 or CZ 52. I am also a huge fan of Czech guns since purchasing my CZ 75 years ago followed by CZ 97 (45). Looking into VZ 24 (Mauser) and CZ 82 (Markov).

Blew a hole in the roof of my golf cart too, that cartridge has a lot of penitration power lol

I have been told that, since the Russians were exspecting to be fighting in COLD weather, against enemy soldiers well wrapped up in thick Winter clothing, this cartridge with it's fast, light bullet was deemed necessary just to be sure of penetrating all those layers and still have a chance of inflicting a serious wound! Don't know for sure, but that seems pretty logical to me!

The 'hammer drop safety' aka decocker may fire the CZ52. On the pistol I had it fired the gun every single time. It was just as reliable at firing the gun as pulling the trigger.

You forgot to mention the decocker on this model. When in safe just push up a little more for those who don’t know :)

Hey Tim I live in Indianapolis and was trying to find the local website you were talking about but I’m not sure I got the name right. Can you tell me what it is please?

Harrington Products were making CZ52 9mm barrels w hardened rollers,they are sold out .MAYBE we could request that they do another run of 1000 barrels and rollers. I'll take the first 5 sets.

Pimped out the 7.62 TOK with 8 grains of Power Pistol. Use the lightest weight .32-.30 dia bullets, If you want the muzzle flash of a 30-30 mares leg in a 4.5" barrel. Desert Eagle owners wish they'd have this kind of overcompensating muzzle flash. I replaced the barrel, bought the set of rollers, firing pin and polished extractor from Harrington. CZ52's are unbreakable, a solid steel billet milled frame. The most unassuming grey beater in my safe.