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Firearms / Sub machine guns / Vz 23

Vz 23

General Facts

  • TYPE
    Sub machine gun

  • ORIGIN
    Czechoslovakia

  • NICKNAMES
    Samopal 23 / Sa. 23 (Czechoslovak military designation)
    Samopal 48 / Sa-48b / Vz 48b (early military designation)

  • DESIGNED
    1947 - 1948

  • DESIGNER
    Vaclav Holecek

  • PRODUCTION
    1949 - 1968

  • PRODUCERS
    Czechoslovakia

  • QUANTITY
    Unknown

  • UNIT COST
    Unknown

  • CHARACTERISTICS
    Rugged and reliable
    Limited size
    Easy to use
    Cheap to produce
    Limited production quality

Introduction

The Vz 23 is a sub machine gun of Czechoslovak origin. It was developed just after World War 2 and was produced in large quantities and exported in large numbers. The wrap around bolt design was the basis for other designs such as the Uzi, MPi-69 and M12.

Design

The Vz 23 is a simple sub machine gun with a tubular receiver. The magazine is inserted in the pistol grip and a bolt that wraps around the barrel is used to reduce the overall length. A short pull on the trigger fires a single round and a long pull results in automatic fire. The Vz 23 was produced with either a fixed wooden stock or a foldable metal stock. Under Soviet pressure the production changed to a model that fired the 7.62mm Tokarev round instead of the 9mm NATO round used by the original models.

Firepower

The original models fired the 9x19mm round from 24 or 40 round magazines. Later the 7.62x25mm Tokarev models were introduced that used 32 round magazines. The Vz 23 is a select fire weapon with a cyclic rate of fire of 650 rpm. The maximum effective range is about 200 meters.

Users

The Vz 23 was widely used in Eastern Europe and exported to many nations with ties to Soviet Europe. At first many 9mm models were exported when the 7.62x25mm round was standardized and later many 7.62mm models were exported when assault rifles replaced most sub machine guns. Nowadays the Vz 23 is considered obsolete and is only found in the reserve role or with irregular forces.

Variants

Vz 23

The 9x19mm models were the first Vz 23 models to be introduced. The original Vz 23 has a fixed wooden stock and the Vz 25 has a metal folding stock and is more common than the Vz 23. The 9mm models use 24 or 40 round magazines and their magazine faces straight down.

TypeSub machine gun
Caliber9x19mm Parabellum
Magazine24, 40 rounds
OperationBlowback operated, open bolt
Fire selector0-1-F
Rate of fire600 - 650 rpm
Barrel length284 mm
Rifling6 grooves, right hand twist
Muzzle velocity381 m/s
StockFixed
Length686 mm
Width?
Height?
Weight3.27 kg empty, 3.6 kg loaded (24 rd), 3.8 kg loaded (40 rd)
SightsIron sights, hooded barleycorn front and v-notch rear, 100 to 400 m gradations
Remarks-
TypeSub machine gun
Caliber9x19mm Parabellum
Magazine24, 40 rounds
OperationBlowback operated, open bolt
Fire selector0-1-F
Rate of fire600 - 650 rpm
Barrel length284 mm
Rifling6 grooves, right hand twist
Muzzle velocity381 m/s
StockFoldable
Length686 mm / 445 mm
Width?
Height?
Weight3.5 kg empty, 3.9 kg loaded (24 rd), 4.1 kg loaded (40 rd)
SightsIron sights, hooded barleycorn front and v-notch rear, 100 to 400 m gradations
Remarks-

Vz 24

The Vz 24 is the 7.62x25mm version of the Vz 23 and can be identified by its wooden stock and the 32 round magazine that is curved forwards. The Vz 26 is similar to the Vz 24 but has the same metal folding stock as used on the Vz 25.

TypeSub machine gun
Caliber7.62x25mm Tokarev
Magazine32 rounds
OperationBlowback operated, open bolt
Fire selector0-1-F
Rate of fire600 - 650 rpm
Barrel length284 mm
Rifling4 grooves, right hand twist
Muzzle velocity550 m/s
StockFixed
Length686 mm
Width?
Height?
Weight3.41 kg empty, 4.0 kg loaded
SightsIron sights, hooded blade front and v-notch rear, 100 to 400 m gradations
Remarks-
TypeSub machine gun
Caliber7.62x25mm Tokarev
Magazine32 rounds
OperationBlowback operated, open bolt
Fire selector0-1-F
Rate of fire600 - 650 rpm
Barrel length284 mm
Rifling4 grooves, right hand twist
Muzzle velocity550 m/s
StockFoldable
Length686 mm / 445 mm
Width?
Height?
Weight3.6 kg empty, 4.2 kg loaded
SightsIron sights, hooded blade front and v-notch rear, 100 to 400 m gradations
Remarks-

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