Does anyone have a vz.58 SBR?

I've had one of the CZ vz.58 models for a few years now and was thinking about making it into an SBR, adding an AAC 51T flash hider and working up subsonic 7.62x39mm loads for it. Is this a fool's errand?

sherman123 said:

I've never seen it done but I would like to add I think it's an awesome idea and if you go through with it I'd love to see pictures

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I'll have to do some research on this. It seems easy enough to buy a spare barrel and have it cut down and threaded. As for subsonic 7.62x39mm, I ran some numbers through QuickLOAD and in theory it looks like a Hornady 174gr (.310) bullet and 6.7gr of Trail Boss (85% density) would result in 1,058 fps from a 16" barrel. With a 9" barrel and 7.8gr of Trail Boss (98.8% density) QuickLOAD shows 1,046 fps at around 28ksi. This is all theory and using the bullet length of Sierra's 175gr .308 SMK since I can't find any Hornady data. I have no idea if this load would produce enough gas volume and velocity to cycle the action?

Gord said:

I don't know how practical it would be, but when has that ever stopped anyone?

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It could be as practical as a .300 AAC Blackout SBR which I considered buying. However if subsonic loads won't operate the action and offer reasonable accuracy (1" at 50 yards) it's a no go for me. The good thing is that I can work up some subsonic loads before I put too much time and effort into the project. I wouldn't use it for hunting, just for fun and maybe home defense if it works out.

In case anyone's wondering about the logic behind making a vz.58 into an SBR, there's a simple explanation. If I want to use a suppressor with the vz (and I do), I'd need to remove the welded on muzzle attachment. Once it's removed, the barrel is less than 16" long. I don't want to weld on an AAC Blackout 51T flashhider so would need the SBR stamp. I'd rather not mess with the gas system so will most likely keep the factory barrel length.



https://www.czechpoint-usa.com/faq

Q: How can the permanent muzzle attachment be removed from the original surplus barrel on a 7.62 x 39mm rifle?

A: **WARNING: removing the muzzle attachment results in an overall barrel length less than 16 inches. Possessing a D-Technik engraved 7.62 x 39mm vz.58 rifle, without the factory installed muzzle attachment, results in an illegal short barrel rifle. This is a felony! All NFA rules apply.
After the necessary BATF paperwork has been approved, a person may remove the permanently attached muzzle attachment. The two hidden welds on the muzzle attachment will become visible when the paint is removed. The hidden welds on the attachment require grinding down to the barrel threads (careful not to damage the threads on the barrel). Unscrew the muzzle attachment and then clean the barrel threads.

aubie515 said:

I was going to do this, but I ended up getting M85NP. I'm glad I went the M85NP route because I have a ton of AR15 mags.

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I have a bunch of vz mags and it's easy to find more but they're not MAGPUL cheap. I don't have any interest in AR/AK pistols so this is really the only way I can add a suppressor (762-SDN-6) to my vz.58. I sent an email to AAC asking if they offer 51T Blackout flash hiders for AK/vz which have 14x1.0 LH threads. If not, I'll most likely have new threads cut to work with one of AACs existing 51Ts.

Girodin, you make some very good points. I agree that if I were building an AR in .300 AAC Blackout it'd be pointless to make one with a 15" barrel. An SBR needs to be short (9" to 12" perhaps) to offer any real benefit such as reducing the overall suppressed length. The baffle strike issue is the same for any rifle platform and certainly isn't unique to the vz or AK platform. I think I'm going to stick to my initial plan at the moment but plan B would be to take a few more inches off the barrel.

Arizona_Mike, I realize that external piston driven rifles are typically louder when shot suppressed compared to traditional ARs. However, I'm sure my neighbors will be able to tell the difference between suppressed and non suppressed even if I won't.