Loading for the CZ-52
Well, Matt - It looks like it's been a while since you posted here, and not a lot of responses.
How've ye been doing?
Have you landed that Czech-O-Matic yet?
The first thing I'd recommend doing before you start reloading for the CZ-52 is to slug your barrel to determine the exact groove diameter of it's bore.
We have had everything from .308" to .312"; mine is .310 and that seems to be about the norm. Needless to say I have not had great accuracy with S&B ammo, with it's .307" bullets!
I have been using bullets of .311" and .312" diameter in loading for my CZ-52, and they seem to be much more accurate.
These bullets are made for the .32 ACP and .32 H&R Magnum cartridges, and can be obtained via MIDWAY or other suppliers in a variety of weights and configurations.
If your barrel slugs out @ .309" I would not go over .311" bullets, and if .308 stick to the M-1 Carbine family of .308" bullets in the 85 - 110 gr. weights.
As to cast bullets, I also assumed that they would lead badly at these volocities - but I went ahead and tried it anyway.
Having an old cigar-box loaded up with .311" 78-grain hard-cast RN bullets from a LYMAN mould in the stash, I loaded up some casings that I'd made out of .222 Remington Brass (you can do that for this cartridge if you ever run short) with 6.5 gr. of Hercules UNIQUE and corked them off with the little RN cast missiles.
Much to my surprise, not only were they a sweet, reliable (cycling my action despite it's 16.5# recoil spring) accurate little load, but after I ran a magazine full of FMJ milsurp through the pistol, there was no trace of leading to be found!
Given the irregularities of CZ-52 bore sizes, the lack of decent high velocity hollow-point hunting or defensive ammo on the market, and the irregularities, hard primers, and corrosive priming of the milsurp fodder, I think that reloading is the way to go for this weapon.
Save the cheap milsurp stuff for the sandpit and informal "plinking", IMHO.