I Know It's Czech but the CZ52 Looks Like It Was Design By Citroen?

Capybara

Capybara

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
1,073
Location
Ventura County, Ca.
I have wanted a CZ52 for a long time, largely because of its unusual aesthetic and design. How many other pistols are delayed roller blowback? These are really cool guns, fun to shoot but you do need to replace the extractor, firing pin and rollers as the hardening and metal quality was sub par. Luckily Harrington Products makes and sells replacements for all of these and they work well. 7.62x 25 is a great little barn burner round.

This is one of my CZ52s, I have somehow ended up with two. I love the Bakelite grips on this example, they're pretty funky looking. Thoughts? Post your CZ52 images if you own one.

SUKE2lg.jpg
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
Haha, if Citroen had designed it, it would be air cooled and the breech would be at the front of the barrel. :)
Click to expand...

Ha, ha, right? You have to hand it to the French, they definitely go their own way. I always wanted a CZ52 largely because of the looks, it is a very "of it's era" design that I dig.
 
I love the 52, while also hating it as I did NOT want to be shot with one back in the Cold War days.

It has some "issues" today but I still think it is an amazing pistol. The CZ's make good stuff as a rule.
 
I can see the similarities. They are really thin but big and flat. I haven’t gotten mine out yet. Partly because the only Tokarev ammo I have is corrosive Yugoslavian stuff and partly because I’ve been on a revolver kick lately.
 
I think they are cool!

I got one for my 18th B-Day in early 1994. That summer in the Colorado boonies, it was on my hip loaded with Fiocchi ball when one of the few times in my life a DGU seemed imminent.
 
Capybara said:
I have wanted a CZ52 for a long time, largely because of its unusual aesthetic and design. How many other pistols are delayed roller blowback?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's incorrect. The only roller delayed blowback pistols, to my knowledge, are the following from left to right. They're all German.

Korriphila HSP701, HK P9S, Geiger GRP, and Korth PRS

LkGBcE.jpg


Sorry, but the CZ 52 is not a blowback of any sort.

Cool design, but its a locked breech pistol. Big difference.

:cool:
 
Kinda regret selling mine.....bought it way back in 00 from a California outlet. Gun was a minty 1954 production with gray finish and bakelite. From it's condition it appeared to have never been fired. Found it quite accurate and 100 yard targets such as cans or milk jugs were in mortal danger. Picked up some virgin brass from Graf's and worked up several loads with blue dot, shooting a lot of 100 gr cast. For small game I found the Hornady 90 STPs to be devastating with massive wounds on exit in armadillos or garbage can raiding coons.....again mostly with the blue dot for fuel.

Never could get the thing to reliably cycle sabot loads.........and I will not repeat some of the loads I tried as I am more than sure they were 'off the map' in terms of pressure......still that gun showed no sign of failure and I cannot recall a failure other than the foregoing. Might just talk myself into another if I keep going on.

I'd note that I never had a part failure with mine....I was aware of the firing pin issue, but that's simple, just don't dry fire it. I did smooth up the trigger release and had it breaking at a crisp 4 lbs or so. Also, if those bakelite grips are cruddy looking then give them a light polish on a soft buffing wheel. I used a commercial metal polish and followed up with a clean soft wheel.

Good gun , enjoy!


Forgot to caution you to use some sort of ctg catcher if you reload.........mine would eject no less than 25 plus feet!
 
Love mine. Was $149 including holster back in the day(if only now!:(). All in excellent condition. Kinda an odd recoil impulse and I spent as much time looking for ejected brass as I did pulling the trigger! Was dinging it off of shooters 5 benches away at the shooting range. Learned quickly to shoot it from right hand most bench.
 
bc1023 said:
Yeah, that's incorrect. The only roller delayed blowback pistols, to my knowledge, are the following from left to right. They're all German.

Korriphila HSP701, HK P9S, Geiger GRP, and Korth PRS

View attachment 1150544


Sorry, but the CZ 52 is not a blowback of any sort.

Cool design, but its a locked breech pistol. Big difference.

:cool:
Click to expand...

According to Weaponsystem.net, "It is a recoil operated pistol with a roller locking design reminiscent of a MG42 machine gun". It's definitely the only gun I own with rollers in it and I replaced them with new case hardened rollers from Harrington Products.
 
Capybara said:
According to Weaponsystem.net, "It is a recoil operated pistol with a roller locking design reminiscent of a MG42 machine gun". It's definitely the only gun I own with rollers in it and I replaced them with new case hardened rollers from Harrington Products.
Click to expand...
Yes it’s a roller locked breech pistol. Blowbacks don’t lock. They operate differently than the four pistols I posted above.

It’s not a blowback in any way, shape, or form.
 
bc1023 said:
Yes it’s a roller locked breech pistol. Blowbacks don’t lock. They operate differently than the four pistols I posted above.

It’s not a blowback in any way, shape, or form.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected, I had read somewhere an article that equated the CZ52 as utilizing a similar system to H&K MP5, etc.
 
A friend of mine bought three "gunsmith special" CZ-52s back in the day for next to nothing - and as usual I worked on them for him. Two failed the "pencil test" - the other had a broken firing pin. All three needed extractor springs, and one had galled rollers. I dropped Harrington refurb kits in all three, and milled the decocker notches out of the safeties to bring them down to one trigger apiece. ;)

Cool little pistols, but I went with a Yugo M57 instead, as TT33s were already expensive at that point.
 
Capybara said:
I stand corrected, I had read somewhere an article that equated the CZ52 as utilizing a similar system to H&K MP5, etc.
Click to expand...
It’s all good. I just wanted to clarify.

It’s definitely a cool design. The Italian gun I posted above took the design and turned the quality level way up. It works great.
 
Bought one a long time ago, when they were really cheap: think I paid about $90.00. A very reliable pistol. I think I have some old chronograph notes around here somewhere testing some factory 7.62X25 ammunition. But very odd overall, and if I didn't know any better, could certainly believe it was a French design. I don't miss mine..
 
These aren't pistols I shoot a lot and I find my Romanian Tokarev more enjoyable to shoot with the same 7.62x25 round, but there is something interesting and intriguing about the design and history
that makes me glad I own two. I also don't enjoy shooting my Radom P64 either, it's too small and not particularly accurate but I am glad to own one as the workmanship and machining on it is excellent.
 
Capybara said:
I have wanted a CZ52 for a long time, largely because of its unusual aesthetic and design. How many other pistols are delayed roller blowback? These are really cool guns, fun to shoot but you do need to replace the extractor, firing pin and rollers as the hardening and metal quality was sub par. Luckily Harrington Products makes and sells replacements for all of these and they work well. 7.62x 25 is a great little barn burner round.

This is one of my CZ52s, I have somehow ended up with two. I love the Bakelite grips on this example, they're pretty funky looking. Thoughts? Post your CZ52 images if you own one.

View attachment 1150491
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I sold mine years ago, never should have but it had more than doubled in price and we needed the money. Bought mine for $150 which included two range sessions so basically it cost me $100.
 
Riomouse911 said:
I have never owned a CZ other than ones from the 75/97 family. I think I need to rectify that situation someday. ;)

Stay safe.
Click to expand...

CZ82 is an excellent pistol if you can find one in good shape without the paint flaking too much. Great design and shooter, my favorite 9x18 Makarov pistol to shoot.
I need to replace the one I was forced to sell off in a divorce.
 
Capybara said:
CZ82 is an excellent pistol if you can find one in good shape without the paint flaking too much. Great design and shooter, my favorite 9x18 Makarov pistol to shoot.
I need to replace the one I was forced to sell off in a divorce.
Click to expand...

I need to get around to fixing my son's, and getting some extra magazines for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top