I'm looking into the VZ 58. Why do you like/dislike it?

No last round hold open? Say what?
Something wrong with your gun then.

Perhaps worn down magazines that don't engage the hold open properly. New mags may work, but the pinned surplus ones with decades of use could have worn down aft and right of the opening.
 
Wonder if the vz 58 will be restricted or confiscated at anytime. I'm so unsure what semi auto to buy o don't have the money to spend and then let the law take it from me and not pay me back for it. If I was wealthy no worries but money is hard earned here
 
I guess I will be the first to give input on the 5.56 version even if i'm not yet very familiar with the rifle.

The gun can become a real money pit if you intend to accessorize it. If you want to keep it simple to field strip and keep the iron sight you are limited with the side rail or a rail up front. On the receiver only short optic can be mounted. Too far foward and the brass hit the scope. Too far rearward and the scope is kissing you. To get a proper sight picture you will need a straight AR15 style stock on it or a cheek weld. The rifle is not as reliable as people want you to believe, no issue but not SKS level reliable either. The trigger feels like a stapler. It's a niche gun so finding information on it is pretty hard (at least for the 5.56) sometime I wonder if I'm the only one reloading for this rifle. The barrel heats up really quick and when it does it looses a lot of accuracy. I wish I could put a heavier barrel on it but there's barely any aftermarket support for it.

It's nice to handle, lightweight, easy to disassemble and maintain (even more than the SKS, altought very similar.) it's a head turner at the range and scores very high on the cool factor. The gun is well built and the finish looks nice.
The cool thing about the 556 version are the AR15 mag adapters and 10 rounds feels a lot better and it is chrome lined barrel. I've had some FTE the first 20 rounds (without the adapter) but now it runs fine. I like the broader ammo selection and reloading possibility vs the 7,62x39 it's day and night.
 
if made by CSA depending the year there was a lots of issue , CZ858 is the real deal other than the gremlin that show up on some rifle there not much to talk about , you can put soo many thing on then , from tactical stock to old school one ^^ , custom made one , before i got an xcr-l in 7.62x39 the cz858 was the rifle i was shooting the most, before the cz858 it was the sks , i Havent shto the sks in a long time ,

Ammo cost the 7.62x39 mm is way cheaper too shoot than the 223

here my flashy red cz858 ,

img_2015.jpg
 
7,62x39 is only cheaper than 223 if you buy the corrosive stuff. Non-corrosive is pretty much on par I find. I can reload accurate loads for 30 cents each so I'm well covered.
 
I can hunt (and have done successfully) deer with x39. Legalities aside, I wouldn't even try with 5.56

I can strip my 858 with gloves on, including dis-assembling the bolt. Notsomuch with my AR.

Enough accessories available that you can tweak it to your liking.

Accurate enough to tag a coyote past 100 yards, and with a good hunting round, there's a ton of leeway in shot placement.

Bulk non-corrosive can be found under $0.30/rd.

Muzzle brakes can reduce muzzle flip to AR levels.

Surplus mags are cheap and plentiful, and FAR more durable than pMags in the long haul.

Bombproof reliable.

###y as all get out...

cz_858_and_accessories.jpg
 
Not sure to how to upload pics from a mobile but I have one in 556 with mag adapter and folder. Best non restricted rifle to have in the woods all year long for me
 
I can strip my 858 with gloves on, including dis-assembling the bolt. Notsomuch with my AR.
I experimentally bought a 3D printed extended bolt release and, due to shipping timing, tested it for the first time during a tac rifle match (IPSCish). Bolt release broke off during the first stage. I took it out and reinstalled the original one using no tools except for a bullet tip in about 3 minutes. I completed the rest of the 4 stages in the competition unknowingly having reassembled the receiver cover incorrectly -- only one side properly engaged the receiver. Inspite of this I experienced no malfunctions and was hitting the long range (100m) targets on my first attempts. I only found about it after I was packing up the CZ and getting it ready to go back home.
Bulk non-corrosive can be found under $0.30/rd.
I mostly shoot $0.22 non corrosive bulk rounds. Recently the price climbed to $0.23. I know it is non-corrosive because I leave my rifles marinating in gun powder residue for a few days or weeks after shooting and before cleaning. I've never found any rust in my CZ.

Muzzle brakes can reduce muzzle flip to AR levels.
I've only been doing these tac rifle matches for one season. I'm just an average shooter. Nothing exceptional. The five round mags are indeed a handicap when everybody else and their dog are on ARs with 10 round mags. However I seem to consistently rank in the middle of the pack. I use an ambi mag release, but no extended bolt release yet. Muzzle flip/recoil is nicely tamed with a 2 piece special forces brake. I don't attribute my ranking in the middle of the pack to my shooting talent. I suspect it's got to do with how common it is for ARs to malfunction making some shooters finish with a bolt action rifle instead of a semi auto. The CZ never lets me down and keeps on going well after my peers' ARs quit because their bolt got dry or it decided to undergas, etc.

Surplus mags are cheap and plentiful, and FAR more durable than pMags in the long haul.
I buy 4 for $75 or 1 for $25. Used military pop riveted. Never had an issue with them and during these matches they do get dropped in the mud or on hard ground.

What kind of mag release and safety lever do you have in that picture?
cz_858_and_accessories.jpg
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7,62x39 is only cheaper than 223 if you buy the corrosive stuff. Non-corrosive is pretty much on par I find. I can reload accurate loads for 30 cents each so I'm well covered.

30 cents a shot for 223 or for 7.62x39? If your 223 loads are only 30 cents a shot u need to give me the reload Info!
 
I've had one for about a year, I like how it handles and take down/cleaning is easy. Mags are cheap, especially compared to my Mini 30. New shooters always want to shoot it because of it's looks. :)
Easy to see why they're popular, but I dislike the factory stock angle and Iron sights. I find I have to reallllllly mash my face against the stock to get my eye low enough for the irons. Maybe it's just me. Most accessories are way overpriced, imo. And in the year I've had it, the firing pin broke. Only a 30$ fix, but annoying none the less. So I like the rifle, but by the time you buy one and deck it with accessories, they aren't a great value...imo
 
I experimentally bought a 3D printed extended bolt release and, due to shipping timing, tested it for the first time during a tac rifle match (IPSCish). Bolt release broke off during the first stage. I took it out and reinstalled the original one using no tools except for a bullet tip in about 3 minutes. I completed the rest of the 4 stages in the competition unknowingly having reassembled the receiver cover incorrectly -- only one side properly engaged the receiver. Inspite of this I experienced no malfunctions and was hitting the long range (100m) targets on my first attempts. I only found about it after I was packing up the CZ and getting it ready to go back home.
I mostly shoot $0.22 non corrosive bulk rounds. Recently the price climbed to $0.23. I know it is non-corrosive because I leave my rifles marinating in gun powder residue for a few days or weeks after shooting and before cleaning. I've never found any rust in my CZ.

I've only been doing these tac rifle matches for one season. I'm just an average shooter. Nothing exceptional. The five round mags are indeed a handicap when everybody else and their dog are on ARs with 10 round mags. However I seem to consistently rank in the middle of the pack. I use an ambi mag release, but no extended bolt release yet. Muzzle flip/recoil is nicely tamed with a 2 piece special forces brake. I don't attribute my ranking in the middle of the pack to my shooting talent. I suspect it's got to do with how common it is for ARs to malfunction making some shooters finish with a bolt action rifle instead of a semi auto. The CZ never lets me down and keeps on going well after my peers' ARs quit because their bolt got dry or it decided to undergas, etc.

I buy 4 for $75 or 1 for $25. Used military pop riveted. Never had an issue with them and during these matches they do get dropped in the mud or on hard ground.

What kind of mag release and safety lever do you have in that picture?

The ambi mag release and ambi safety are both from Corwin-Arms. The ambi-safety he carries is a 45degree throw, and just so much nicer than the stock one.

The mag release is also very well done - I push forward with my trigger finger, and then use my weak hand to bring up a new mag and "slap" the old one out as I'm bringing it up, and as the new mag goes in, my trigger finger only has to go up an inch or so to get on top of the bolt release and drop it. When I get it right (and it's a matter of practice, which I don't do often enough), it's smooth and efficient and fast.

The bolt release is a NEIT bolt release (NEIT is NEA before they became NEA). LONG out of production, but, oddly, they show up NIB on the EE every now and then.

It took a bit of careful dremel work on the NEIT release to reprofile a small part of the bottom of it to keep it from interfering with the mag release.

I do the occasional 3-gun match, and I'm generally a solid "middle of the pack" competitor with my AR. Might switch over to my 858, just for fun. What keeps me in the middle of the pack isn't rapid mag changes or being super ninja tactical. I'm on the downslope of my 40's (closer to 50 than 40 at this point), with the reflexes and bad knees to match. What keeps me in the middle of the pack is, well, I aim. I don't take missed target penalties.

The vast majority of my shooting is wandering around the prairies alone shooting gophers, or the bush alone hunting. My main reasons for doing the odd match is to:

a) work on my ability to rapidly acquire and shoot (which is a valuable skill for all shooters). Sucks to let a gopher or deer get away because you're slow to shoulder, aim, and fire.

b) keep my safe handling practices where they need to be. Wandering around the prairie or bush alone with a gun in your hand, where "safe direction" is 360degrees for miles around, and with no one keeping you honest, and, well, some of you handling practices can slide (just being honest here). Running (Ok, hobbling around with the haste) through a 3-gun match, with people milling around behind the firing line, and an RSO right behind you within "punch you in the back of the head" distance ready to DQ you the moment your handling practices slide, really forces you to make all your safe handling automatic and second nature.

c) It's a hoot. Great way to spend a Sunday.
 
I Bought a czh2003 for $600. Amazing for that price.

Paying $1200 nowadays. Not worth it. The range sucked shooting 5rds. I thought 10rds was bad. 5 is like hell.

5 rounds and the fun is over. Get a AR with better accuracy and LAR mags for 10rds

I still love it but i wouldnt spend 1200 for it.
 
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30 cents a shot for 223 or for 7.62x39? If your 223 loads are only 30 cents a shot u need to give me the reload Info!

250 bullets for $29,99 with BLC2 at $38 at P&D and range pick up brass gives me 32 cents a round according to the handloading calculator.

I shoot cheap corrosive I bough years ago for 199$ a crate :p

You'll eventually run out ;)
 
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