Due to the C21 proposal, a lot of people have been trying to liquidate their VZ 52 or 52/57 lately. So far I have seen 2+ VZ 52s being sold as VZ 52/57s on the EE. Even though their differences can be easily found online, I figure I'll make a post on CGN just to be sure people here know as well.
-The VZ 52 was produced from 1952-1957. The rifle is chambered in a rather obsolete caliber of 7.62x45. Some 52s were converted to fire 7.62x39 by the addition of a chamber sleeve which has been widely reported as unreliable.
-The VZ 52/57 was produced from 1957-1959 due to pressure from the Soviet Union for Czechoslovakia to use a common Soviet caliber. These rifles are mechanically the same as the 52s with the main difference of being manufactured to shoot 7.62x39 caliber instead. These were factory x39 guns.
Ways to tell if a VZ is 52 or 52/57 from pictures: First, the 52/57s are marked as such with stamped numbers on the right hand side of the receiver under the rear sight. The /57s have pinned barrels and the pin along with the recess can be observed on both sides of the rifle under the rear iron sight. VZ52/57 mags have a more angled but straight bottom while the 52s don't. Although 52 mags work in 52/57s, they are not optimal due to x45 being longer than x39. A visual comparison of the two rifles can be found in the link below along with differences in their metal finish:
https://en.topwar.ru/145397-vintovki-po-stranam-i-kontinentam-istoriya-puhloy-vintovki-chast-23.html
-The VZ 52 was produced from 1952-1957. The rifle is chambered in a rather obsolete caliber of 7.62x45. Some 52s were converted to fire 7.62x39 by the addition of a chamber sleeve which has been widely reported as unreliable.
-The VZ 52/57 was produced from 1957-1959 due to pressure from the Soviet Union for Czechoslovakia to use a common Soviet caliber. These rifles are mechanically the same as the 52s with the main difference of being manufactured to shoot 7.62x39 caliber instead. These were factory x39 guns.
Ways to tell if a VZ is 52 or 52/57 from pictures: First, the 52/57s are marked as such with stamped numbers on the right hand side of the receiver under the rear sight. The /57s have pinned barrels and the pin along with the recess can be observed on both sides of the rifle under the rear iron sight. VZ52/57 mags have a more angled but straight bottom while the 52s don't. Although 52 mags work in 52/57s, they are not optimal due to x45 being longer than x39. A visual comparison of the two rifles can be found in the link below along with differences in their metal finish:
https://en.topwar.ru/145397-vintovki-po-stranam-i-kontinentam-istoriya-puhloy-vintovki-chast-23.html
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