VZ58: Cleaning & Maintenance Techniques

Exoce†

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I was asked to start a thread about vz. 58 maintenance & cleaning.
So here's what I've got. Please feel free to add your own videos and/or write-ups.

1. The field strip
[YOUTUBE]iXmhG-aivIo[/YOUTUBE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXmhG-aivIo

2. The hot water method with reassembly & lubrication/
[YOUTUBE]5bf0J6Taue4[/YOUTUBE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bf0J6Taue4

3. Bolt detail-strip and reassembly
[YOUTUBE]Q-vSb4xpQBM[/YOUTUBE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-vSb4xpQBM

4. Trigger mechanism removal and reassembly
With sear pin shimming technique
[YOUTUBE]lEN-mp6sRbI[/YOUTUBE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEN-mp6sRbI
Added: Jan 17 2010

Curtton's abridged hot water method:
Added: Jan 17 2010
exocets hot water procedure is pretty thorough , too thorough for my liking, im a bit lazy and besides my FSN is chrome lined so i can afford to take some short cuts.

1. turn on the electric kettle, boil 1 L of water.
2. remove real wood top and lower HG, not necessary with red compressed wood.
3. dissassemble the parts and put it in a container, i use paint tray.
4. put a brass bush down the bore a few times to loosen crud.
5. place the tray in the wash tub.
6. tie the rifle above the tray .
7. by now the kettle should automatically turn off. add a bit of dish soap and turn on the kettle again till the water has suds.
8. pour into the trigger housing and chamber, avoiding the wooden grip.
9. pour into the gas block, dont worry about over spillage, the water is going to fill the tray.
10. after the water has been poured out . run a clean patch down the bore a few times, the heat from the hot water will dry the bore pretty quick.
11. using a rag wipe the rest of the rifle.
12. start wiping the parts in the tray, take one part out at a time, the parts are hot you may wanna use a dishwashing gloves.
13. once everything is dried then start your normal cleaning.

btw: always dismantle the bolt to get at the water in the firing pin tunnel.

P1090768.jpg

Curtton's Recoil spring reinstallation:
Added: Jan 17 2010
From my oct 2007 thread on "how to re-install recoil spring in less than a minute for vz58".
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum...d.php?t=189025

the only tool i needed was a drinking straw , i used the ones that bend near the top (thinner than the milk shakes type).

1. slide the straw over the spring retaining wire , all the way to the end of the wire, it should fit snuggly.

cz858recoil025Custom.jpg


2. slide the recoil spring all the way in.

cz858recoil027Custom.jpg


3. place the rear end of the top cover firmly on the table (preferrably on a non-skid pad or the wife will kill ya, lol) and using both hands grab the spring and push it down till it passes the top of the retaining wire(you can see it thru the straw). taking the next two pic was no easy task due to the pressure from the spring, luckily i kept it steady and it didnt fly away. :D

cz858recoil030Custom.jpg


4. hold the spring firmly with your fingers (thumb, index ) while the remaining fingers (middle, ring and pinky) gripping the top cover, once that is done, release the other hand and pull up the straw, exposing the top of the wire.

cz858recoil031Custom.jpg


5. with the free hand put the spring retainer piece on top of the wire to lock the spring in, easy way is to line up the two wire with the grooves on the side of the retainer piece and rotate the piece with your fingers and the wire will line up to locking position... note my fingers was turning purple due to it took longer than a minute to take pics. :D

svt1940's Cleaning kit tutorial:
Added: Oct 24 2012
Most of VZ/CZ owner know the tool kit but for the potential new owner, a little course 101 of the kit.

IMG_0869.jpg

We have,from left to right
-The blank firing device. Screwed onto muzzle,permit the rifle to cycle using blank cartridge.
- Muzzle guide, protect the bore when using the cleaning rod
-cleaning jag
-Multi tool. The pointed end is useful to remove the extractor from the bolt and the tool also serve to lock the cleaning rod on the combination oiler/cleaning tool/rod handle.
-cleaning brush,mostly for chamber cleaning.
-oiler/rod handle
-cleaning rod.(The VZ kit have 2 rod section so i had another since the non restricted version have a longer barrel.)

Oiler, can be lock on the cleaning rod using the multi pointed tool, to serve as handle. Also, cleaning jag or brush can be attached to it.
IMG_0882.jpg

IMG_0871.jpg

IMG_0872.jpg

IMG_0877.jpg

IMG_0878.jpg

IMG_0879.jpg


The muzzle guide. Slide on the rod before using cleaning attachements. The guide is slip on the muzzle collar then turned to lock it.
IMG_0873.jpg

IMG_0874.jpg

IMG_0875.jpg

IMG_0876.jpg


The pointed tool is use to depress the extractor plunger so the extractor can be removed.
IMG_0880.jpg


That's it!:)
Joce

brentRnelson's Improved Trigger-pin Shimming Method:
Added: 04/11/2014
I found an easier way after trying the 9mm brass method unsucessfully...

1) Find a spring loaded ball point pen.
2) Dissassemble and keep the spring
3) Trim the spring down to a few mm on the end (keep the small compacted end)
4) Insert on trigger mechanism bar (You may have to file it down after cutting to fit flush).
l8yl4Aa.jpg


I tried it and i've been running good ever since.
 
Last edited:
Well done!!
I put around 400 rounds downrange with my recently acquired VZ last weekend and what a fantastic little carbine!
 
My damn bolt won't disassemble no matter how hard I push the spring in...Been trying for about 6 months lol..

are you referring to removing the firing pin? The ejector arm pulls straight out away from the bolt, best to push the little pill in and flip the bolt over so it drops out. Its a serious PITA
 
That is really excellent work! Very helpful. Just out of curiosity, how many times did you practice the extractor/firing pin removal before filming? Little spring loaded things like that always seem to launch into the next universe for me......! I changed out the extractor on my Remington 597 inside of a large ziploc bag just in case the spring or plunger made a bid for freedom.......
 
Hah! Don't tell the wife eh.....Mine made me get a special CZ 858 bath mat, as she was getting tired of finding filthy muzzle rings on the good mat left by the rifle during cleaning sessions!
 
the reason for requesting exocet to starting a thread is to get different techniques on how to clean after using corrosive ammo for both the VZ58 and SKS.

thread stuck ... thanks exocet.
 
exocets hot water procedure is pretty thorough , too thorough for my liking, im a bit lazy :D and besides my FSN is chrome lined so i can afford to take some short cuts.

1. turn on the electric kettle, boil 1 L of water.
2. remove real wood top and lower HG, not necessary with red compressed wood.
3. dissassemble the parts and put it in a container, i use paint tray.
4. put a brass bush down the bore a few times to loosen crud.
5. place the tray in the wash tub.
6. tie the rifle above the tray .
7. by now the kettle should automatically turn off. add a bit of dish soap and turn on the kettle again till the water has suds.
8. pour into the trigger housing and chamber, avoiding the wooden grip.
9. pour into the gas block, dont worry about over spillage, the water is going to fill the tray.
10. after the water has been poured out . run a clean patch down the bore a few times, the heat from the hot water will dry the bore pretty quick.
11. using a rag wipe the rest of the rifle.
12. start wiping the parts in the tray, take one part out at a time, the parts are hot you may wanna use a dishwashing gloves.
13. once everything is dried then start your normal cleaning.

btw: always dismantle the bolt to get at the water in the firing pin tunnel.


P1090768.jpg



and from my oct 2007 thread on "how to re-install recoil spring in less than a minute for vz58".
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=189025

the only tool i needed was a drinking straw , i used the ones that bend near the top (thinner than the milk shakes type).

1. slide the straw over the spring retaining wire , all the way to the end of the wire, it should fit snuggly.

cz858recoil025Custom.jpg


2. slide the recoil spring all the way in.

cz858recoil027Custom.jpg


3. place the rear end of the top cover firmly on the table (preferrably on a non-skid pad or the wife will kill ya, lol) and using both hands grab the spring and push it down till it passes the top of the retaining wire(you can see it thru the straw). taking the next two pic was no easy task due to the pressure from the spring, luckily i kept it steady and it didnt fly away.:D

cz858recoil030Custom.jpg


4. hold the spring firmly with your fingers (thumb, index ) while the remaining fingers (middle, ring and pinky) gripping the top cover, once that is done, release the other hand and pull up the straw, exposing the top of the wire.

cz858recoil031Custom.jpg


5. with the free hand put the spring retainer piece on top of the wire to lock the spring in, easy way is to line up the two wire with the grooves on the side of the retainer piece and rotate the piece with your fingers and the wire will line up to locking position... note my fingers was turning purple due to it took longer than a minute to take pics.:D
 
Last edited:
Shoot, spray on Gunzilla, wipe, snake bore, store. 5min job total.

Pretty easy. I have never needed to break out the cookware to clean my rifle.

... Never had it rust either. Must be doing something right.
 
Shoot, spray on Gunzilla, wipe, snake bore, store. 5min job total.

Pretty easy. I have never needed to break out the cookware to clean my rifle.

... Never had it rust either. Must be doing something right.

Likewise - although I mix it up a bit.

spray WD40, wipe, bore brush, wipe, spray on CLP, wipe, bore brush, wipe, spray on less CLP, wipe, bore brush, wipe.
 
I updated the first post with Curtton's pics and write-ups. I think I'll try to keep doing that as more stuff gets posted in here. Maybe make it easier to find the little nuggets of wisdom that pop up in here from time to time. :D

To everyone who's posted in here I just want to say thanks for the kind words and the additional input. I just hope this helps out a few guys who are trying to figure out their new rifles.

Just out of curiosity, how many times did you practice the extractor/firing pin removal before filming?
That was actually only the 2nd time I'd done it at that point. I've edited out the long pauses where I stare at it and wonder what I should do next. I started out making the video using a less elegant method and stumbled across this way of doing it. It worked so well I just had to share. :D
 
I've used both the hot water and "chemical" methods with good success. No rust so far. One thing I've always done is carry a spray bottle of ammonia/water mix to the range. Spray liberally down the barrel and gas assembly right after I finish shooting, then a quick pullthrough with dry patches or a bore snake kept just for this rifle, and a shot of G93. Ammonia costs about $2 for a gallon at CT - cheaper than Windex. A thorough cleaning when I get home, always. Seems to work - everything cleans up nicely, and no rust. Thanks for the videos, and to Curtton for the detailed writeup.
 
Hi newbie here, I shot about 100 rounds of corrosive ammo this sunday, I did the hot water method as soon as I got home, ran the hot water thru the bore and gas assembly, I cleaned the gas piston, bolt, bolt carrier and chamber with solvent, I did not touch the trigger assembly as it did not look dirty, now after reading this I am thinking that I didn't clean my cz properly, did i mess it up and should I be expecting rust or malfunction with my trigger assembly or bolt, firing pin (I did not disassemble the bolt. Is it too late to clean it.please tell me that I didn't ruin my beloved cz.
Fyi I have a 858 non chrome
 
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