| vz. 52 and vz. 52/57 | |
|---|---|
 Vz. 52 from the Swedish Army Museum. | |
| Type | Semi-automatic rifle |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovak Socialist Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1952–1959 (Czechoslovakia) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | 1958 Lebanon Crisis Vietnam War Bay of Pigs Invasion[1] Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation[2] Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War[3] Nigerian Civil War Yom Kippur War Lebanese Civil War[4] Invasion of Grenada[5] Iraq War[6] Kivu conflict Syrian Civil War[7] |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Jan and Jaroslav Kratochvíl |
| Designed | 1951–1952 |
| Manufacturer | Považské strojárne, Česká zbrojovka |
| Produced | 1952–1959 |
| No. built | ~ 1 Million |
| Variants | vz. 52/57 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.14 kg (9.13 lb) (vz. 52) 4.30 kg (9.5 lb) (vz. 52/57) |
| Length | 1,005 mm (39.6 in) 1,205 mm (47.4 in) with bayonet deployed |
| Barrel length | 520 mm (20.5 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×45mm (vz. 52) 7.62×39mm (vz. 52/57) |
| Action | Gas-operated, tilting breechblock |
| Rate of fire | 25 rounds/min (practical) |
| Muzzle velocity | 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) (vz. 52) 735 m/s (2,411.4 ft/s) (vz. 52/57) |
| Effective firing range | 650 m (vz. 52) 400 m (vz. 52/57) |
| Maximum firing range | 2,000 m (vz. 52/57) |
| Feed system | Clip-fed, staggered-column, 10-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Open iron sights graduated from 100 to 900 m |
The vz. 52 rifle is a semi-automatic rifle developed shortly after the Second World War in Czechoslovakia. Its full name is 7,62mm samonabíjecí puška vzor 52.[8] Vz. 52 is an abbreviation for vzor 52, meaning "model 52". It fires the unique 7.62×45mm cartridge. 52 rifles were made by Považské strojárne in Považská Bystrica, but due to production difficulties, its manufacture was taken over by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod.[9]
- ^ de Quesada, Alejandro (10 Jan 2009). The Bay of Pigs: Cuba 1961. Elite 166. pp. 60–61. ISBN 9781846033230.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
mcnab2002was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Their Blood Waters Our Freedom". Youtube.com. 25 January 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ Katz, Sam (24 Mar 1988). Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars (2). Men-at-Arms 128. Osprey Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 9780850458008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Grenadawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Captured Weapons".
- ^ "The Syrian Rebels Are Using WHAT? – VZ-52". 6 August 2016. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023.
- ^ Bishop, Chris (2006). The Encyclopedia of Small Arms and Artillery. Grange Books. pp. 13–14. ISBN 978-1-84013-910-5.
- ^ Walter, John: Rifles of the World (3rd ed.), page 229. Krause Publications, 2006.