Type 52/57
Summary
| Country | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic |
| Category | Light machine gun |
| Manufacturer | Ceská zbrojovka |
Technical specifications
| Type 52/57 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 900 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 7.62 x 45 mm Cz or 7.62 x 39 mm |
| Magazine | 25 or 50-belt rounds |
| Length | 1045 mm (41.1 in) |
| Weight | 8.0 kg (17.6 lb) |
| Range | 600 m (1969 ft) |
Description
The vz. 52 is a semi-automatic rifle developed in Czechoslovakia shortly after the Second World War. Its designation, 7,62mm samonabíjecí puška vzor 52, translates to "model 52," and it fires the 7.62×45mm cartridge. Initial production was undertaken by Považské strojárne in Považská Bystrica, but due to production difficulties, manufacture was later transferred to Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod.
The vz. 52 is a shoulder-fired, semi-automatic rifle featuring a tilting-bolt locking mechanism operated by an annular short-stroke gas piston system. The bolt locks via two lugs engaging receiver slots, tipping frontally to lock. The gas piston system utilizes residual bore gases vented into a sleeve around the barrel. A manual safety is located within the trigger guard. The trigger mechanism design closely resembles that of the M1 Garand rifle. The cocking handle is integral to the bolt carrier and positioned on the rifle's right side. The rifle is equipped with open iron sights, featuring a hooded front post and a V-notch rear sight adjustable for elevation from 100 to 950 m. It can accept day and night optics via an optional side rail on the receiver. The one-piece pistol grip stock is crafted from walnut or beech and incorporates a hollow buttstock for storing cleaning accessories. An integral blade bayonet folds into a recess on the right side of the stock. Feeding is accomplished via detachable 10-round box magazines, but the rifle can also be loaded rapidly from stripper clips with the bolt held open.
Following Soviet pressure to adopt the 7.62×39mm cartridge, existing vz. 52 rifles in Czech service were rechambered for this caliber. Subsequent production was also chambered in 7.62×39mm and designated vz. 52/57. Dimensionally identical to the vz. 52 except for its barrel and magazines, the vz. 52/57 is less common and often found in better condition due to its chromium-plated bore and chamber. Vz. 52 magazines can function in the vz. 52/57, but feeding reliability is reduced.
All rifles of the vz. 52 series were swiftly replaced in Czechoslovak service by the vz. 58. The rifles were then distributed to Soviet allies during the Cold War, seeing service in conflicts in Grenada, Somalia, Cuba, and Afghanistan, with many passed to guerrilla forces. During the Cuban intervention in Angola, at least 12,000 vz. 52s from Cuban reserve stocks were supplied to Angola as military aid. The rifle was used by Cuba during the Escambray rebellion and the Bay of Pigs invasion. It was also used by the Milicias de Tropas Territoriales (MTT) but proved unpopular due to confusion regarding ammunition and magazines stemming from both vz. 52 and vz. 52/57 variants being in service. Some vz. 52/57s were used during the US Invasion of Grenada. Chrome-finished, deactivated vz. 52 rifles with darkened wood stocks are used by the Czech Castle Guard for ceremonial purposes.
Users of the vz. 52 series have included:
- Angola
- Biafra
- Cuba
- Czechoslovakia
- Egypt
Ethiopia, Indonesia, Israel, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Syria, Tanzania, Vietnam, Yemen, Laos, and Zimbabwe were also users.