vz. 50

vz. 50 (cz. 50)
vz. 70 with grips for the vz. 50 and vz. 70 magazine
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Czechoslovakia
Service history
Used by	Czech Republic police
Production history
Variants	Vz. 70
Specifications
Weight	710 g (25 oz)
Length	165 mm (6.5 in)
length	96 mm (3.8 in)

The Vz. 50 (also known as the CZ 50) is a Czech made double-action, semi-automatic pistol. Vz is an abbreviation of the Czechoslovakian term "vzor" meaning model.

History

Design

After the Second World War, Czechoslovakia's Ministry of the Interior requested a new pistol design from Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod. The resulting gun was chambered in .32 ACP and designed by two brothers Jan and Jaroslav Kratochvíl. It combined elements from both the Walther PP and PPK.^[1] The pistol is fed from an 8-round single-stack magazine, located within the bakelite paneled grip. Small fixed sights are located on top of the slide. The pistol functions via the blowback principle - recoil causes the slide to move backwards, thereby compressing a spring around the fixed barrel. After it reaches the end of its rearward travel, the recoil spring returns the slide to its forward position, stripping and chambering a new round from the magazine as it does so, rendering the gun ready to fire again. Hammer and trigger operation is double-action.^[2]^[1]

Manufacture

Vz. 50s were sold commercially but most were distributed to police agencies under control of the Ministry of the Interior. They were produced initially at Strakonice and later at Uherský Brod. Manufacture ended in 1970 with the refinement of the pistol in a new model known as the Vz. 70.^[2]

Markings

Serial numbers

Serial numbers start at 650001, continuing from the discontinued vz. 27 serial number range. Pistols manufactured at the Strakonice factory fall in the 740000 range. Pistols manufactured at Uhersky Brod have 5 digit serial numbers preceded by a letter (which may change in the middle of a number series).^[2]

Date stamp

The last two digits of the year of manufacture are stamped on the left rear of the slide next to the proof stamp (a lion superimposed on an "N").^[2]

Government property stamp

Vz 50s bearing a stamp of crossed swords indicates they were government property.^[2]

Variants

Vz. 70 (Cz. 70)

In 1970, an update of the Vz. 50 was released with minor cosmetic changes and internal improvements called the Vz. 70 (also known as CZ 70).^[1] These changes included:

New grip shape with a larger recess (Called the "tang") for the web between thumb and finger.
Milling on the trigger guard was changed to a more blended merge with the frame, removing sharp angles.
New grip pattern using a grid of dimples instead of grooves.
Top of the slide is engraved with a fine wave pattern to reduce glare.
Serial number is stamped on the slide under the ejection port instead of below and behind it.
Slide serations are wider and there are more of them.
Take down lever has a cross hatched instead of grooved surface.
Larger hammer with a hole in it.
Smaller magazine release.
Magazines have new base with a more angular and less curved shape
Grip extension via a modified floor-plate on the magazine (for the pinky finger).

References

1 2 3 Fitzsimons, Bernard (1969). The Illustrated encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare 24. New York: Columbia House. p. 638.
1 2 3 4 5 Traister, John (1 July 1996). Gun Trader's Guide. Stoeger Publishing Company. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-88317-193-6.

External links

Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod

Handguns	CZ 45 CZ 50 CZ 52 CZ 75 CZ 82 and CZ 83 CZ 85 CZ 97 CZ 100 CZ 110

Rifles	CZ 452 CZ 455 CZ 527 CZ 550 CZ 805 BREN A1/A2 ČZ 2000 vz. 24 vz. 33 vz. 52 vz. 52/57 vz. 58

Submachine guns	CZ SCORPION EVO 3 A1 Škorpion vz. 61 vz. 48

Czech Weapons	ČZW-40 ČZW-127 ČZW-438 ČZW-438 M9 ČZW-556 ČZW-762 ČZW-9 ČZW-9FC ČZW-9M ČZW-9PS RAG-30

CZ-USA	Dan Wesson Firearms M1911 ACP Pistol

Related	Česká zbrojovka Strakonice

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