CZ 52 First Range Trip

[AyyDudee30]

So this is my newly acquired CZ 52, before I had picked it up i learned the firing pin was broke so I gave all the firing components a total overhaul with a Harrington firing pin as well as ejector. Decided to make it an all out shooter so I opted for some nice wood checkered grips with the vintage looking CZ factory logo etched into the sides. Initially the pistol does feel rather large and ungainly in the hand but the more I shot it and got used to the recoil impulse the more it definitely felt like a simple extension of my arm, since I shoot these surplus pistols one handed it turned out to feel much like a slow, smooth push and a steady drop back to the sight picture after a clean and military weight break of the trigger followed by a positive reset. After an initial 100 rounds through I experienced zero malfunctions or failures of the gun of any kind so I am ready to keep this lil gun chugging along! Now to find me a good surplus holster and a few spare mags! Definitely been on the lookout for a 9mm barrel for it too as I enjoy shooting the gun and in my neck of the woods it aint too easy to find the 7.62 Tokarev ammo so any leads on a conversion barrel I would greatly appreciate! Also I didn't take too many pictures so try to enjoy the P1 and P64! Just figured I'd throw this post up and come back into the swing of things around here. Good to be back y'all!

 

[.455_Hunter]

Welcome to the club!

My Father bought myself and my brother matching CZ-52 packages (gun, holster, two mags, etc) on the occasion of my 18th B-day in 1994. Six months later, it was in that holster on my hip loaded with Fiocchi 7.63 Mauser FMJ during the first time in my life that a two-way nighttime firing range seemed imminent in the remote Colorado boonies.

Mine has never jammed or malfunctioned.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I had two CZ52s at one point, but I finally got the bug out of my system a few years back. In the 90s when parts were plentiful, I bought a spare slide that I had chromed and equipped with an extended barrel. I eventually had a total of seven barrels: 3 in 7.62 Tok, 2 in 9x19 and 2 in 9x23 Largo.

Be careful my friend, this CZ52 thing can get out of hand!

 

[Capybara]

Good looker with those grips. I too have two CZ52s and just swapped out the firing pins, extractors and rollers on both with the Harrington Products replacements. Have been too busy to make it to the range to shoot them with the new mechanicals, but getting them out to put some rounds downrange is on my list. Did you get those grips from Marschal in Hungary or elsewhere?

I just put a set of the Marschal Grips (oiled Walnut below) on my Tokarev, have been contemplating getting a set for one of my CZ52s but I must confess, I kind of dig the look of the stock Bakelite grips on the CZ52, both of mine have a different look to the Bakelite on each. The CZ52 is an interesting and pretty cool C&R pistol!

 

[AyyDudee30]

I had two CZ52s at one point, but I finally got the bug out of my system a few years back. In the 90s when parts were plentiful, I bought a spare slide that I had chromed and equipped with an extended barrel. I eventually had a total of seven barrels: 3 in 7.62 Tok, 2 in 9x19 and 2 in 9x23 Largo.

Be careful my friend, this CZ52 thing can get out of hand!

These guns look like great little shooters and I absolutely can appreciate the looks on them! Don't blame you at all cause right now I got a CZ 82 in gun jail (10 day wait per CA tomfoolery) so I suppose the bug has bit and it bit stinkin hard! Figured it would be really cool to have the tokarev and makarov pistols from CZ and I fell in love with the handling characteristics of both, I just wish parts were as available as they used to be.

 

[AyyDudee30]

Good looker with those grips. I too have two CZ52s and just swapped out the firing pins, extractors and rollers on both with the Harrington Products replacements. Have been too busy to make it to the range to shoot them with the new mechanicals, but getting them out to put me rounds downrange is on my list. Did you get those grips from Marschal in Hungary or elsewhere?

I just put a set of the Marschal Grips (oiled Walnut below) on my Tokarev, have been contemplating getting a set for one of my CZ52s but I must confess, I kind of dig the look of the stock Bakelite grips on the CZ52, both of mine have a different look to the Bakelite on each. The CZ52 is an interesting and pretty cool C&R pistol!

View attachment 1141241

Thanks! I sourced the grips form a site called grips4u.net, they seem really high quality and they do a stellar job with the little logos that nearly make the things look factory and on top of that the checkering feels great in hand. That Tokarev of yours is a beauty with those grips. Contemplating if I should just bite the bullet and pick a Zastava m57 up while they're reasonably inexpensive, I have just been on a CZ kick as of late.

 

[Capybara]

Thanks! I sourced the grips form a site called grips4u.net, they seem really high quality and they do a stellar job with the little logos that nearly make the things look factory and on top of that the checkering feels great in hand. That Tokarev of yours is a beauty with those grips. Contemplating if I should just bite the bullet and pick a Zastava m57 up while they're reasonably inexpensive, I have just been on a CZ kick as of late.

Thanks for the grip info, they look pretty good. I love the Marschal Grips but these took nearly six months to be custom made and sent to me from Hungary.

You already have the ammo for your CZs, sure I would add a Yugo and or a Romanian or a Chinese Tok. The Russian ones have pretty much priced themselves out of the practical shooter market and are now almost
in the too expensive to shoot much market unless it's a Russian beater. Also look out for the Polish ones, they are very similar to the Russians and like all Polish guns, extremely well made. My little Radom P64 isn't my favorite
to shoot but damn it is a beautifully well made little piece of Radom goodness! I'd love to own a Polish Tokarev.

 

[Walkalong]

Man that’s a sweet looking pistol.

 

[AyyDudee30]

Thanks for the grip info, they look pretty good. I love the Marschal Grips but these took nearly six months to be custom made and sent to me from Hungary.

You already have the ammo for your CZs, sure I would add a Yugo and or a Romanian or a Chinese Tok. The Russian ones have pretty much priced themselves out of the practical shooter market and are now almost
in the too expensive to shoot much market unless it's a Russian beater. Also look out for the Polish ones, they are very similar to the Russians and like all Polish guns, extremely well made. My little Radom P64 isn't my favorite
to shoot but damn it is a beautifully well made little piece of Radom goodness! I'd love to own a Polish Tokarev.

Yeah, I consider myself lucky to have a Russian SKS that didn't put me into debt, they're great arms but the collector market on them has just gotten too out of hand. The Polish pistols really are something to behold, been able to shoot and handle a P64 and a P35. I'll second you on the 64 being a bit of a rough ride but surprisingly these little things are accurate.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Yeah, I consider myself lucky to have a Russian SKS that didn't put me into debt, they're great arms but the collector market on them has just gotten too out of hand. The Polish pistols really are something to behold, been able to shoot and handle a P64 and a P35. I'll second you on the 64 being a bit of a rough ride but surprisingly these little things are accurate.

If you get a chance, I definitely suggest bringing an actual military surplus Makarov (like a Bulgarian) into your herd of euro cold war duty pistols.

 

[Capybara]

If you get a chance, I definitely suggest bringing an actual military surplus Makarov (like a Bulgarian) into your herd of euro cold war duty pistols.

Yep, I love my Bulgarian Makarov. I recently had an issue where the safety/decocker was messed up and it turned out that even though the pistol itself was in beautiful cosmetic condition, a claw on the safety had been worn off or broken off
and the safety wasn't functioning correctly. Fortunately Numrich still had brand new Makarov safeties in stock for $30 so I replaced it and the gun functions as good as new now. The lines of the Makarov are beautiful, it's a very well designed and balanced
feeling little pistol. I had mine on my CCW for a few years but I then moved to carrying plastic pistols and removed my P64, Makarov and CZ82 from my permit, replacing them with plastic fantastics.

 

[.455_Hunter]

... but then moved to carrying plastic pistols and removed my P64, Makarov and CZ82 from my permit, replacing them with plastic fantastics.

 

[Capybara]

Still have the P64, Makarov but had to sell off the CZ 82 during divorce so I will eventually replace that one when I can afford to.
It just wasn't making sense to carry heavier, metal pistols that held half the ammo and weighed considerably more. I also shot some tests
and 9mm 124gr +P Speer Gold Dots for the plastic guns had considerably better penetration than the Hornady Critical Defense I could find in 9x18 Makarov.

Still shoot them, just don't have them on my permit.