cz-52 any good?

[Metalfan1989]

Where can I purchase CZ-52 ammo? I have search website, after website and all I get are articles discussing the pistol or the ammo, to include the 9mm conversion. I just want the ammo.

I visited a few gun shops in town and showed them and the gun shop guy did not know what the heck I was showing him. HMMMM.

Anyway, I figured you all might know a good website to purchase reliable CZ-52 ammo. Thanks.

[CD Woods]

I picked up some extra magazines for my CZ-52 on line, just watch for deals. Aim still has a great deal on ammo at 1200+ rounds for about $120.- I've got a Chinese TT-33, three (3) CZ-52, three Yugo M-57's, and I enjoy them all. The TT-33 has a better trigger pull for me, but I enjoy all of them alot.

[maximillion]

hey guys ,, got 3 cz52's,, love them I have many differant hand guns but when I need good reliable personal pertection I always grab my cz52 first ,, I only shoot my own reloads or sellier&bellot 85gr. tokarev ammo and have never had a bad round or cycle ,, machined steel firing pin that I got from ********* .com auction for $15.00 bucks cured the firing pin breaking thing ,, I stay away from that military ammo cz's puke on it , I know i've pulled enough hair out trying to use the stuff winchester sells it but to me thats kinda iffy ,, holter wise ,, anything that fits a colt 1911 will fit the cz52 but the cz is a bit heavyer .......................got a big love afair with my cz52 open for questions
just call me max

[cosmo05]

Originally Posted by Metalfan1989

Where can I purchase CZ-52 ammo? I have search website, after website and all I get are articles discussing the pistol or the ammo, to include the 9mm conversion. I just want the ammo.

I visited a few gun shops in town and showed them and the gun shop guy did not know what the heck I was showing him. HMMMM.

Anyway, I figured you all might know a good website to purchase reliable CZ-52 ammo. Thanks.

AIM Surplus, a top self company and they have Romanian in stock.

Also, I saw a few posts where feeding problems were brought up. For Romy ammo the crimp style makes the lip of the shell at the end of the neck stick out a few thousandths, that is what causes the problem. I run all my Romy ammo thru a Lee factory crimp die that is set just enough to smooth out the neck. After doing that the shells go thru the guns (CZ52s and TT33s) like a hot knife thru butter. Romy is excellent ammo and well worth the extra step.

[WRC]

I have a CZ-52 and consider it to be a very good pistol for the money. Maybe it's the surplus ammo I have, but it's a little unconfortable for me to shoot. I put a lot of .44, .357, and .45 lead downrange so it isn't I don't like a pistol with power. Having said that, it's very accurate.

One problem I have is the slide remains back after firing often maybe every 5 or six rounds. Maybe a magazine problem? I simply pull back on the slide, release and continue firing. No shell jam. Did have a few live stuck shells and that was cured by running the shells through a Lee factory crimp die ( I'd like to thank the individual who sent in that fix). I don't recall where the ammo was manufactured.

I'm sure reloading my own would cure the stuck shell problem, but, what will it take to fix the slide remaining open?

Other than the small slide issue, the CZ-52 is worth purchasing.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Bill

[danny3572]

Originally Posted by pakmc

I had the 9mm barrel for the CZ-52, it didn't shoot to point to aim and i didn't think it was very accurate. I sold one of my 52's and the man wanted the 9mm barrel also, Done deal, I was glad to get rid of the barrel. I've still got one in .30 cal. with the built in muzzel brake. It's for sale. I'm not real impressed with it either. I just like the guns like they come. "O", I'm down to my last four. (CZ52's) Pat

You said you are down to your last four CZ52's,does that mean you would be willing to sell me one of them because I would be interested buying one and I currently hold a C&R lisc..Could you please contact me and let me know,and if yes how much you are asking. Thank you.

[paradox998]

I have two and they are a blast (literally) to shoot. Lots of good advice here. Don't dry fire and don't trust the decocker unless you have verified that is works properly. I tore one of mine completely down and rebuilt it with new springs and firing pin. Shoots very well. Not a target gun, but sure would stop anything short of an amoured vehicle, and might stop that. Ammo is dirt cheap and since the barrel is easily removed, cleaning it with water to neutralize the corrosive ammo is easy.

[pawn]

they are well made pistols and alot of fun to shoot. i replaced the original firing pin in mine and also went with some custom czech made grips.

[john luvaro]

I have a CZ 52 in excellent condition that a friend wants to buy. I want to sell it at a fair price but dont know what its worth. How do I get a value?

[CD Woods]

Just check the prices offered on the various auction sites. That will give you a good idea based upon the condition. Something around $200.- to $250.- is the norm.

[gdmoody]

I bought one yesterday (Tuesday 2/2) to replace the one I had to sell a while back. I gave $200 for it at my local gun shop. You just can't seem to find them at the distributors any more. This one had the prettiest set of walnut grips with it which I put on right away!

[chris0959]

Hello all. I have a CZ-52 that shoots consistently approx 12" low and 12" left of point of aim at about 5 yds. I've moved the rear sight practically off the gun, and have more than the full front blade above the rear sight, and this helps, but obviously it's not a very comfortable way to enjoy a day at the range.

I love the gun and would like to see it perform as others in the forum indicate is possible. Does anyone know if a replacement barrel is the answer here?

I shoot a lot, and no, I'm not flinching. This is with S&B factory ammo. I have completely stripped and cleaned the gun more than once.

I suspect the barrel for two reasons: 1) It's the only piece I can imagine being replaceable that would help, and 2) the previous owner may have used corrosive ammo and not cleaned it properly.

Thanks for any info you guys can offer!
--C

[gdmoody]

I barrel would be a good place to start. I don't know it that will change your point of impact but it wouldn't hurt to try. If you know someone else that has a CZ-52, see if you can "borrow" their barrel to check it before you spend the money for a new one.

[Claude Clay]

chris--check the 2 roller bearings on the bbl. perhaps one has a flat spot; or the inside of the slide is worn wrong.

worth repeating--Do Not Trust The Decocker.

[LDBennett]

chris0959:

Check the crown for dings or anything less than perfection at the transition from the rifling to the barrel face surface. Anything wrong with that edge and it will rip at the bullet which throws the bullet off line.

Here's a stupid question: Are you shooting the right ammo in this gun? It is suppose to be 7.62 x 25 or 9mm Luger if it has an after market barrel. If the later what's the inside of the barrel look like?

LDBennett

[chris0959]

Wow. Thanks for all the great replies and advice.

LD: Funny you should mention that, as just today I read an article about how to lathe perfect crowns. Had never given it much thought. The crown on this barrel looks OK to my amateur eye. I'll try to attach a photo. Maybe you can see something there.
It's S&B 7.62x25 Tokarev ammo. Inside of the barrel isn't brand-new shiny. See some off-color brown-orange on the lands, but there seem to be sharp lands and grooves present. Previous owner admitted to not knowing about corrosive ammo when he had it. How easily can that affect accuracy to this degree?

Claude: I've read about frozen rollers sliding and creating a flat spot...that does not seem to be the case here. They release and roll as designed, and seem smooth and round. Photo attached.

Guess I'm left with a barrel replacement unless you guys see something in the photos. Oh, and I read on another post about the number of little punch marks on the sighting rib on top of the slide. One guy says they're Rockwell hardness tests. Another says they're accuracy marks, one being very accurate, 4 being barely servicable. Mine has 8. Is the second guy correct?

Ha! What a hoot if so. I didn't know what I was buying. May have to have a word with the seller.

--C

[fleetwood1976]

They're not good, They're Great!!!!!. I have two and would not pass up another one that was $200 or less.

[LDBennett]

chris0959:

As best I can see from the photos there is no glaring ding in the crown. It is not completely clear in the photo but do you see the symmetrical powder burns on the crown at the end of each grove? Perfectly symmetrical is good and means the crown is true and that the bullet is coming out of the barrel with the base square to the bore (no cant).

So how tight is the muzzle end of the barrel fit to the slide? if it is loose that might do it too but when that happens the group size just gets bigger, usually. The red in the grooves is rust from corrosive ammo. Dull lightly pitted bores does not mean bad accuracy (necessarily). Some Mauser rifles I have shot with dull bores and light pitting shot fine.

I would suspect the sights to be bent, or something, to shoot that far off point of aim. Or bad ammo (???).

My CZ-52 shoot fine and is fairly accurate. I shoot reloads that are within industry spec for pistol. A lot of the ammo in this caliber is for machine guns and really too hot for the CZ-52. I don't know about the S&B.

LDBennett

[chris0959]

LD: Thanks for the follow up. The CZ is back in the car where it lives, so I can't check the powder burns on the crown at this moment. However, now that you mention it I do recall they were somewhat asymmetrical.
The S&B factory ammo is supposedly a conservative load, and perfectly suited for the gun...not a hot machine gun load.
In any event, I went ahead and purchased the new barrel today. In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.
Figure the new barrel will either clear things up and the '52 will become a fine shooter, or not, and he'll remain a car-jacker's worst nightmare. ;-)
Thanks to all for your help. All the best.
--C

[chris0959]

For anyone who might have wondered how this turned out...Yes, a replacement barrel from SportsmansGuide did the trick. Swap out was easy, and the new fit is nice a snug. Shoots dead on at 10yds. Can't wait to try it out at the outdoor [longer] range.
Thanks to all for their advice.
--C

[Max Donovan]

Some years ago, the ICCA Journal reprinted from the New Zealand Cartridge Collectors Newsletter a translation from Warsaw Archeology Magazine that the Vzor 48 cartridge attains (the metric equivalent of) 1680 FPS in the Vzor 52 Pistole. I chronographed some rounds with the zodiac headstamps and, along with misfires and bloopers, got 1690 to 1710 FPS. If you study the sequence of Czech submachineguns, it appears that they had the cartridge and the SMGs in 1948, but did not have is pistol that would hold the cartridge until 1952. Their workaround was to issue the SMGs, woodstock and folding stock, in 9 Para in 1948 and the 7.62 package in 1952.

[Silkman]

Owned my CZ-52 for about 5 years. Paid $200.00 for the firearm, holster and 2 clips. I've been told that was $50 too much!! Price is extremely affordable for a great firearm. Accurate, plenty of quality 7.62 X 25 Ammo available. This ammo provides a spectacular muzzel flash. Ammo speed provides great penetration, but not the best for knock down. Shooting this thing attracts attention at the range.

[Max Donovan]

An excellent pistol with just one fault: The slide stop is not positively retained. I made a longer pin and used a Tokarev clip on it. Ammo: The New Zealand Cartridge Collectors printed a translation of an article from the Warsaw (Poland) Archelogy Gazette that said the pistol velocity was 1680 FPS. I fired a few rounds with the various Zodiac headstamps and found that to be accurate. Fun gun. Shoots right through Kevlar and the ejected case is almost as deadly.

[wolfen1949]

Great gun, The rumor about hot Sub machinegun ammo is just that. Cz52 was made to shoot the same ammo as the Sub machine guns. I was told at one time that a big bunch of ammo that was proof rounds was sold by an importer as regular ammo? Enough of that stuff shot trough a gun will most likely cause damage. With suplus ammo also have to remember that all may look great on the outside. But because gun powder is a chemical it can do damage to brass from the inside. It can currode the brass from the inside and make brass brittle. So all of that said I have not seen a bad or weak CZ but have seen plenty of bad ammo. I have a pair of CZ52,s one in 7.62x25 and one in 9mm Largo. A friend of mine converted one to .38 super?

[LDBennett]

There indeed may be rumors that are not true, but that is neither here nor there.

Hornady did a re-do to their load recommendation for ammo for the CZ-52 after doing pressure tests on the ammo then available (that was a couple years ago). They posted on their site what they were doing and why. They said they could not find a reliable standard in Europe for the cartridge that they could base their reloading data on, so they made some assumption, on the safe side, of course.

Shooting the hottest ammo you can find or even just hot ammo is not the road to longevity for any gun. I like mine the way it is today, not beat up by excessively hot loads from hot surplus ammo. Since the H&K and the CZ share the same roller lock design what has appeared to a weak point in the H&K MAY be a weak point in the CZ. The H&K's can suffer eventually, after much use, from the roller track getting beat back making the lockup a bit loose. I would think the CZ-52 might eventually suffer the same consequences with hot loads.

To err on the side of safer, lighter loads that still operate the semi-auto mechanism seems like a better approach than beating up the gun with hot surplus loads. But that's just me and you may have a different opinion.

LDBennett