questions on 7.62x25 for the CZ52

[coosbaycreep]

I've had a CZ52 a little while now, but haven't shot it much due to the fact that most of the surplus ammo is corrosive, there's not much in the way of boxer primed ammo available for this caliber, and most of the places I buy components from have been out of brass for quite some time now.

To be honest, I've been pretty disappointed with this gun. It's ugly (in a retro '50s kinda way), I don't like the mag release, I hate the decocker, the trigger is horrible (has a "bite" to it that makes it unpleasant), and the muzzle blast isn't as awe inspiring as everyone says it is, and it's reputation for huge muzzle blast and velocity is basically the only reason I bought this thing to begin with. All the claims that firing pins break constantly and the decocker is unsafe doesn't impress me much either (my decocker actually works fine, but I wouldn't trust it anyway).

I already have dies, a small amount of brass, and a few kinds of bullets to try, but I've been waiting on some powder to arrive before I load what little brass I have because I want to use the powders that give the highest velocities in my load manuals. Obviously I will start low and work the loads up, but I have no interest in shooting anything but the highest velocity rounds out of this ugly thing that it will handle. That leads me to my first question: Will a stock CZ52 safely handle max loads published in common reloading manuals (or from respected websites)?

Numerous searches on these guns on various websites always brings up lots of responses saying either that the CZ52 will handle any ammo that isn't loaded past max, or that the CZ52 has poor heat treatment and the barrel is garbage and will blow up and you should get a tokarev instead. A few websites I looked at also said that you should get a heavier spring if using hotter loads so it doesn't mess the gun up. So, is the heavier spring necessary?

Has anyone heard of/used any of the ammo from reedsammo.com? All the ammo they have listed claims way higher velocities than other ammo I've seen advertised. It's not in stock, but they list a 60gr JHP that chronies 2000fps from a CZ. When I first got this gun and was searching for info about it and load data, I'm pretty sure that makarov.com had data that was similar to the loading from reeds, but it's not there now. Does anyone have any safe data for a 60gr JHP for this caliber? I'm assuming it's just a resized .32acp bullet.

Any other sites with good load data for this caliber?

Anyone else as disappointed with this gun as I am?

If using the hotter loads ends up being out of the question, I'm probably just going to get out of this caliber altogether and put the money towards a 10mm or .357sig instead.

Also, here's the velocities of the only two kinds of ammo I've chronied so far:
prvi partizan 85gr FMJ=1336fps
unknown surplus 85gr FMJ-1537

 

[jr45]

I have reloaded this round for both my Yugo tok and CZ 52. I used Alliant Powder No7 with good results but do not have a chrono to determine the speed. You can try http://www.alliantpowder.com/ to look-up the data. I was never dissapointed with either gun as they are fun to shoot and surplus ammo is dirt cheap.

 

[Gik-tal]

First Brass may be hard to find but if you cut down some 223 cases and run them thru your sizing die they will work just fine. Of course you will need to trim them to the correct size after you size them. I have used Hornady 90 grain XTP as well as Sierra 85 Grain Sportsmaster Round nose in 308 dia. both over AA#7 Powder

 

[dogrunner]

Loaded it for some years now. Settled on 7.5 Blue dot. 100 gr. cast Lee, sized .308 & lubed with Javelina brand alox.

Also tried BE/Unique combo's but my gun seems to handle BD better than either. Also tried the sabot approach with utterly negative results in both accuracy and function. Could not get mine to cycle with the stuff with less than utterly ridiculous loads that I will not even repeat. Even so, I am amazed at the fact that the gun held up to some of those loads........still, that was back when the guns were going for a hundred bucks or so.

That BD load, by the way, will ring steel all day at fifty plus yards and I cannot ever recall a malfunction. Those bullets are cast from straight wheelweights......primers, standard WW. Brass is what I've got.....either Starline or S&B.

Not at all difficult to load for.

Meant to mention that one commercial bullet I've had good luck with is Hornady's 90 gr. HP XTP...............oughta make a heckava defensive load as it'll blow a rabbit apart!!!

 

[Shadow 7D]

Can't you use lead .32 s&w in it, but I also recall that if you start pushing it, that you might need gas checks as it can push a light round in excess of 1600FPS

 

[snuffy]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=685636

The wolf gold is good brass. As for the strength of the CZ-52, take it apart, note how thin the bottom of the chamber is where it's cut away for the roller locks. Then imagine war time rushing to get guns in the hands of the troops causing the heat treat step to either be skipped or shortened.

Hot rod it if you want to, it's your hand/face.

 

[NCsmitty]

I had a CZ-52 a couple, three years ago, and always had trouble finding the empty brass if there was any grass around.
I shot S&B ammo in it and reloaded it with 100gr Speer Plinkers and Unique powder. It was fun, fast, and fairly accurate, but chose to sell it.
I don't miss it.



NCsmitty

 

[atblis]

The wolf gold is good brass. As for the strength of the CZ-52, take it apart, note how thin the bottom of the chamber is where it's cut away for the roller locks. Then imagine war time rushing to get guns in the hands of the troops causing the heat treat step to either be skipped or shortened.

The CZ52 never saw combat.

 

[blindhari]

I burn Polish 7.62x25 milsurp in three diferent Yugo M57 Tokarevs. These are an older standard military sidearm. Yea the ammo is corossive, yes it can go off if you pull the import safety and drop it with a round in battery. At $200 price from J&G these are not collector's specials. I bought milsurp ammo from J&G at 6.5 cents per round in the 1260 round tin in a group buy. At that rate it is cheaper to shoot than Win 22lr solid copper.
Always remember;
1 Carry on an open chamber (it is not hard or awkward to rack a round from the magazine with this pistol)
2 Shoot it, CLEAN IT (I was an armorer in the Army, If it wasn't clean, it wasn't in the arms room.)

Think about it, $0.065 per round, why reload?

blindhari

 

[Hondo 60]

I'm with blindhari.

J&G Sales has surplus ammo dirt cheap. (got about 450 rds left from my first spam can of 1,260)

 

[roadliner]

What's not to like? It's a gun, it shoots, it shoots cheap ammo and it shoots better than I can. I agree that it's ugly, i've tried to appreciate the guns lines, but to no avail. I bought it years back when they were just a little over $100, about the same as my Tok. It doesn't get out much, but there's times when I'll toss it in the truck when taking other guns to the range. You can burn a box or two of ammo for very little cost.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Know a few that actually pull one type, doesn't have the staked bullets, so not Polish, and put in high quality SD HP's, as it's cheaper than buying the brass etc.

 

[blindhari]

Just an afterthought. My brother in law and I sat out Playing cards in the sand at 25 steps away and 1 step apart. At that range our M57 yugo tokarevs using Polish milsurp ammo took down a card at least every other shot out of the four hundred (?) rounds we fired. No misfires at all with the ammo or pistols. We went through two decks of cards.

blindhari

 

[Clark]

Beware of the AA data from 2000.

It calculates 60,000 psi with Quickload

When AA later changed their data for the CZ52, it calculates less than 30,000 psi.