Shear_stress
Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2005
- Messages
- 2,728
Ever heard of a full-size, all-steel, DAO, tilt barrel (though pure blowback), 9mm Kurz (aka .380) service pistol? Yep, they made one. The gun was the Ceska Zbrojovka A.S. Praza vz. ("Vzor" = model) 38.
With a 4 5/8" barrel and 32.6 oz weight, this large and heavy-for-the-caliber was lavishly crafted from steel at the Strakonice plant in what was then West Bohemia. Production starting in 1938 and continued under German occupation. An estimated 41000 were commandeered by Germany, where many saw service with the Luftwaffe. The German guns can usually be distinguished by a matte, phosphate finish compared to the polished blue of Czech service pistols. A handful (1731) owere sold to the Finns and a number were made with a more conventional single/double action for the Bulgarians.
Dismissed as the "louskacek" (or "nutcracker") due to the tilting barrel and widely panned for its poor handling qualities, this pistol nonetheless pioneered the idea of the double-action-only service pistol--an idea that today enjoys widespread acceptance. The gun really is ungainly, though. It is roughly the size and weight of a 1911 and, unless the Czechs have mutant freak hands, I'm not sure what species the grip was designed for.
Still, apart from the double action, the Vz. 38 is a really interesting pistol. It is quite thin, having no external controls. With the push of a button, the slide can be rotated from the frame and then slid off the barrel. The large trigger guard permits use of gloves while shooting. Quality is also excellent. If you're going to make a weird pistol, well, at least make it right.
Mine bears the "E7" and "39" stamps, indicating it is the more common Czech serice variant. Here are some pics:
Initial takedown, showing slide and barrel rotating around frame:
With slide removed:
And with another, slightly smaller, DAO .380 for scale:
With a 4 5/8" barrel and 32.6 oz weight, this large and heavy-for-the-caliber was lavishly crafted from steel at the Strakonice plant in what was then West Bohemia. Production starting in 1938 and continued under German occupation. An estimated 41000 were commandeered by Germany, where many saw service with the Luftwaffe. The German guns can usually be distinguished by a matte, phosphate finish compared to the polished blue of Czech service pistols. A handful (1731) owere sold to the Finns and a number were made with a more conventional single/double action for the Bulgarians.
Dismissed as the "louskacek" (or "nutcracker") due to the tilting barrel and widely panned for its poor handling qualities, this pistol nonetheless pioneered the idea of the double-action-only service pistol--an idea that today enjoys widespread acceptance. The gun really is ungainly, though. It is roughly the size and weight of a 1911 and, unless the Czechs have mutant freak hands, I'm not sure what species the grip was designed for.
Still, apart from the double action, the Vz. 38 is a really interesting pistol. It is quite thin, having no external controls. With the push of a button, the slide can be rotated from the frame and then slid off the barrel. The large trigger guard permits use of gloves while shooting. Quality is also excellent. If you're going to make a weird pistol, well, at least make it right.
Mine bears the "E7" and "39" stamps, indicating it is the more common Czech serice variant. Here are some pics:
Initial takedown, showing slide and barrel rotating around frame:
With slide removed:
And with another, slightly smaller, DAO .380 for scale:
