Samopal vz.58: The Czechoslovakian Answer to the AK
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Among the nations of the Warsaw Pact, only Czechoslovakia designed and produced its own infantry assault rifle - everyone else used the Kalashnikov. The Czech vz.58 is often mistaken for an AK because it has the same basic layout, but is in reality a completely different gun mechanically and has no interchangeable parts with an AK. It is a short stroke gas piston system will a pivoting locking block like a Walther P38 pistol and a unique linear hammer for firing. The vz.58 was produced from 1958 until 1984, and underwent no substantial modifications during its service, although various new bolt-on parts are available today for commercial sale.
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Two fun facts: You can remember the fire selector like "none for the ground, all 30 for the enemy and one for yourself." They did actually teach it that way.
The fixed stock variant is known as "a Paddle" and is exactly meter long with a bayonet and the variant with collapsible stock is often called "a scythe".
also: while the word samopal means "automatic" as Ian mentioned, it is usually understood as a submachinegun, the story (which i cannot prove) goes that the armies of the warsaw pact were all "peace armies" and no army of peace army could be armed with something categorized as an assault rifle, therefore the vz. 58 was called "samopal", the same way as vz. 26 or vz. 61 scorpion.
Thank you.
@@petrsidlo7614 Very interesting.
@@petrsidlo7614 To be fair, "assault rifle" is a very "american" term. In my country for example, the type of weapon is simply called an "automatic carbine" ("Automatkarbin" or "AK") in military terms.
@@lavrentivs9891 Assault Rifle, Sturm Gewehr, has originated from Germany, specifically Hitler himself.
NATO then used the term as well, first as a substitute of Automatic Rifle (let's be real, despite ROF, you can basically use a M14 as a BAR), then to identify rifles with intermediate cartridges, like M16, StG 77 and so on.
It's true that the M14 and AK were also intended to be used like SMGs, but both sides realized it just didn't work.
1) Boots - Check
2) Vest - Check
3) Food - Check
4) Water - Check
5) Ammunition - Check
6) Rifle - Czech
Not a proper pun unless you groan out loud when you hear it.
I kicked myself for not seeing this coming when reading this. Take my like, I lol'd in real life. :P
Take my like, friend. That was clever
@@dabritishgamer4328 I snickered. Close enough?
@@dabritishgamer4328 Or it registers on a Sighs-mograph.
French guns: Named after the man and his friends who designed and built the thing
Czech: A U T O M A T I C M O D E L 5 8
Straight to the point. This is Hmg this is SMG and this is a Plane
Its military weapon so its got military name. We have no intention of giving it a compliments and fuck it later. Get over it
@@neuzdost1939 So you're telling me I didn't have to spend all that money on rose petals and scented candles for my gun?
Machinegun vz.58
SA58 = Samočiný automat 58 => self working automatic 58
"Only the Czechs insisted on going their own way"
Well, that's almost all of Czech history for you
We bent over to other countries for the last 80 years. First the nazis, then the communists, and now the EU.
@Martin Čelko Pozri si výsledky volieb po vojne. Česi jasne volili komunistov a dodnes ich majú v parlamente. Havel si poslušne podával ruky s nimi. Preto Karel Kryl povedal, že sa vlastne nič nezmenilo. A netreba zabúdať, že v Protektoráte bol najmenší odpor voči nacistom v celej Európe. My sme mali aspoň to nepodarené SNP. Dokonca aj v atentáte na Heydricha mali prsty slováci. Gabčík bol Slovák.
Česi a slováci sú rovnaká banda. Hitler mal pravdu, že existujú silnejšie a slabšie národy. My a česi sme submisívni. Podobne ako poliaci či ukrajinci. Raz Nemci, raz rusi, teraz EÚ. Keby prišla Čína, tak nás tiež prevalcujú ako psov.
A hlavne vidno aké máme komplexy, hlavne z rusov, lebo nás ponížili. Je to trápne. Oni sú proste silnejší a my sa chováme ako Churchill, ktorý bol pokadený zo Stalina.
Takí fíni, ktorí sú o niečo väčší národ ako my, sú omnoho schopnejší a bojovnejší. A dali rusom na držky.
Nie je národ ako národ.
CGTOW
@Martin Čelko The youtube translate is just barley helps get your point across
Damn
"Very well thought out." Basically the entire gun in a single quote.
It's like Czechoslovakia told Russia, "yeah that's a good rifle...but here's how to do it better."
@@akkid89 Seems to be a popular method for the Czechs.
So this is the original ak essential
Sorry just caught up in the video
Isn't that to CZ company Motto.
Can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this one. To me, it’s the ultimate symbol of czechnology
Isn't that the vz. 52/57? That gun screams Czech..... and screams of huffing diesel fumes.
Same
Aleksej Rakić The 58 was one of the first guns outside of ARs and AKs that I learned about. As a kid, it’s actually the reason I learned czechs exist at all. Can’t help but appreciate it for that :)
@@steelcider-9508 Ahh, I was joking. On InRange Karl used a 52 during Red Oktober, the gun showed how terrible it is. I was saying it is very Czech by how weird and terrible it is.
Aleksej Rakić wasn’t offended at all. I remember watching that match and being kinda bummed that it performed so bad. Cause it is such a cool looking rifle
Czech history in gun form:
On the outside, we comply...
On the inside, we're very, very differant....
Actually, we slavs are all the same. We even understand each other without any translation, albeit using completely different alphabets. Russians just have different government. And neither of us completely agree with what they (I mean the governments) are doing.
@@atomotron biggest overstatement I've seen in my life
@@shilopnamreg6468 how about even bigger one: all people are the same. They have more similarity than discrepancy.
@@atomotron hmm yes culture doesn't exist
Mate, that's spot on. I am finding my kind of people on these gun channels. I've been opposed to guns as I thought people will come to their senses after the fall of Soviet Union, but once I see the craze all around the world I have totally changed my point of view.
I remember when I was a little kid and went to a summer camp. At night they gave us a deactivated vz.58 and told us to guard the camp. It was cool we were always sitting at the fire with the gun and felt badass.
I do own deactivated vz 58
It was gift for my like umh 10th birthday xd
Dude, why didnt they give me a deactivated m31 when i was in summer camp?!
How can one guard anything with a deactivated weapon?
@@horeageorgian7766 we were kids man
@@ahrenscat8517 sure, but still, even as a kid did it not hit you how illogic that was?
World: Upgrades its rifle and changes caliber.
Czech: Ne, puška je v pořádku
Souhlas.
Velkopopovice arms
Čest pádlu soudruhu!
Czech: we have lots of these and for mobilized army it’s good enough (pardon, že to není česky, ale chtěl jsem, aby si to mohl přečíst každý)
@@Hetschoter nejak to uz rozchodim :D:D:D
Vz. 58 is actually still in service in the Czech army. It is used by the reservists.
dont forget Slovakia, they still use it as theyr primary combat rifle
What replaced the vz.58 as the current primary rifle?
Lavrentivs the CZ 805 Bren and the later CZ 806 Bren 2, I believe.
@@jason1182000 806 was 7.62 variant of 805, Bren2 is its own gun, no 800-ish number designation to it at all
Replaced by Bren 805 as primary combat rifle and 806 in SPR role in active forces. Vz58 still remain as primary for reservist.
Average people: Wood-embedded bakelite
Intellectuals: *_B E A V E R B A R F_*
For some unknown reason I have remembered this comment for 3 months ago and just now I found it funny
@@ricardohernandez1685 I'm glad I made your day!
The wood originally used had an undesirable property in combat. It shattered into splinters when hit by a projectile. These splinters could injure the owner of the weapon. So they switched to plastic.
As a Canadian I should be insulted. But I can't stop laughing! Lmao
Have wondered how to (roughly) duplicate this stuff.
This was my personal weapon when I served in Czechoslovakian army
yeah, had one too, the one with the side-folding stock (airborne version)...
netro very very much
Just like mine ...
Such a stupid comment buddy 🙄 it was our personal weapon did u see any other weapon around ?
@@zdenekmrlina UK 59 and Sa. 61 were a thing.
I always love "0, 1, 30" markings. Like "just go ahead and shoot the whole mag. You know you're gonna."
There's a saying here about it. "One for yourself, zero/none into the ground, 30 (vz.58) / 20 (vz.61) for the enemy" :)
My favorite is the H&K markings: No Bullet, One Bullet, Three Bullet and Many Bullet.
0, 1, ∞ are even better, makes you think of 1980s action movie shootouts
Just once I'd like to see a rifle with the markings "S" "1" and "FU"
@@Sseltraeh89 eh. Too memey. Also, mathematically incomplete. Is it a Real infinity? Complex? Integers? Natural Numbers? 0,1,n would be more accurate, but still too memey.
I am just here to tell you to prepare for waves of enthusiastic Czechs, giving you free Czech language and history lessons. We are always happy to take over the comments any chance we get...
Jo
If you bring your excellent beer, you’re always welcome 🍻
Patrioti spojte se :)
Matt Hayward you know your beer is good when an entire class of beer is named after one of your cities
The CZ range of pistols dominating Production Div in IPSC certainly gained your country many admirers down this way I can tell you!!!
I've had the chance to shoot this rifle multiple times in shooting ranges in Slovakia. For its age its surprisingly reliable and accurate
It's surprisingly easy to update the design as well. It's just such a handy, easy to carry and shoot little rifle.
Ahoy, from Slovakia
Tbf, Most of the time the age of a gun really doesn’t determine it’s reliability, It’s just how well it has been maintained through out its life (And of course its initial build quality)
And it also feels like firing a fake 47 or AKM.. The grip and trigger feels werid, the selector is horrible, or at least in my case it was, very jaggy and sticky, just horrible, maybe it was faulty, and if thats normal then I imagine troops using this never switch it to safety unless they storing it somewhere.. For todays standards it really feels outdated, but granted just as most AKs its super sturdy and insanely reliable, thats its biggest streghts I guess.. With a bit of modding, making it a bit more modern in terms of ergonomics and trigger system I think this could be one of the best firearms out there, but that pretty much once again goes for many AKs and variants, well at least those in 7.62 and not the baby ones in 5.45
@@NotEvenDeathCanSaveU the fire selector is supossed to be uncomfortable when in safe possition, so because of that you remember to switchit off and don´t run in to any significant emotional events like gun not firing because you forgot to disengage safety.
Slovak infantrymen I worked with in Kandahar Afghanistan carried these back in 2014. They're the damned coolest guns I got to shoot while there. Been wanting one of my own ever since.
The rifles they had, had been "modernized" with plastic rails like those cheap ones made for AKs and red dots and I think one guy had an m4 style stock... the mods were kind of ghastly. Most of the infantrymen had the old folding stocks though. The one I shot had all the original furniture on it except the upper heat shield.
I'll be honest, if I had to fight for a warsaw pack country... I'd take the vz.58 over an AK any day.
Most likely FAB Defence kits... they work way better than they look, as long as you dont magdump during weekend with temps around 35°C in the shade... I have half-melted mine, so switchover to CNC'd parts was necessary.
What were the Slovaks like?
@@vaclavjebavy5118 They were solid soldiers. Helped us out quite a bit and were good with the Afghans. Very professional and knew what they were doing.
@@OspreyKnight Cool.
I suppose you'd figured why I asked :p
Lovely to hear that. Greetings from Slovakia ;-)
That rifle is most probably the best example of the Czech firearm design and engineering ingenuity! You just have to love it.
Pozdrav iz Srbije za braću Čehe!
Thanks Serbian Brother...99,95% czech love you in Serbia, only our corupt politicans once betrayd you :( but we never left you.
Have you heard of bren 2?
Btw love your zastava and m53:)
MyMatK Most of us are aware of your support and are very grateful for it. Politicians, be they as they are, can’t stop us from keeping good relations with our brothers everywhere, right? ;) take care my man.
exograelus iksdé sure, I did hear about the Bren 2 (with a capital B ;) ) in that comment, what I mostly had in mind was the Soviet era and the type of experts you had to have in order to say: “Screw you AK, we’re gonna do this our way”. So I may be wrong, but I consider the good old 58 a kind of a bigger achievement all things considered.
Recently banned in Canada, my friend luckily lost his in a boating accident.
SBR laws are dumb.
@@Cowboycomando54 The reasoning for them isn't even valid anymore.
@@Cowboycomando54 well you see, someone stole guns, impersonated a cop, and killed people. So ban guns, obviously.
It’s funny, my “friend” had the same problem!
@@Hansengineering yeah because you can impersonate a cop with 1958 czechoslovak assault rifle :D apparently :D
As a Czech person I deeply respect your knowledge and research you have done into this rifle. And most of your assumptions and conclusions are absolutely correct!
Ah yes, CZcams recommendations want me to feel patriotic again.
Indeed
Yes
same bratu
mám to stejně
same here :D
When she's a 3 on the street, but a 10 under the sheets.
That furniture do look pretty, I'd simp for the Vz. 58 with no shame
If Google weren't tracking keyboard strokes, I'd say something about moving to Czech Republic, but I don't want to be bombarded by ads
I don’t think it’s any uglier than an ak
@Vladimir Kozlovsky beaver barf😫😫😫
USSR: "Comrade, you want AK?"
CZ: "Uhh... No comrade, we good."
USSR: "We make good gun."
CZ: [Laughs in Czechnology]
Actually csr no cz
CechoSlovakisch Republik
You also write UdSSR not Russia only
;)
Soviets: (proudly display their AK-47)
Czechs: "That's nice..." 🙄
Branislav Průžek Don't be that guy....
Pavel D.
Im not Bro
Im also half cz and half sk
And we was csr not only cz
Just for corekt writeings ;)
21:00 "It's kind of interesting, that this is a rifle that, from about 1961 on... this was its form, it wasn't ever really modernized in any substantial way... which is a little bit unusual compared to some of the work that was done to various AK patterns."
Well, seemingly in Czechoslovakia they appreciate the virtue of "getting it right the *first* time."
The reason why vz.58 was never modenized was soviet invasion in 1968. We were not alowed to invite our weapons from that time until Gorbacov came in lead position.
No actually it's called it was so bad they didnt want to touch it again
@@AlmazZGruppa But why, if it is better than an Ak?
Beautiful pronunciation of Czech words, it can be seen that he cared. Thanks, it's flattering and professional from you.
Jiří Čermák vyslovuje ako Jizi Čemak.
@@adrianakuzmikova1697 Tak jasně, není to dokonalý, ale snaží se, je vidět, že si dal práci.
9th 😅I⁸9 loop
80@@hollohlaway5320
"Samopal" is the term used for SMGs. (An MG would be called "kulomet" and an assault rifle would be called "útočná puška".)
Even though the vz.58 is an assault rifle, the older Czechoslovak firearm terminology only recognized "lehký samopal" (light SMG, or today just SMG) and "těžký samopal" (heavy SMG, the equivalent of an assault rifle). That's the reason why the vz.58 was dubbed "samopal" (SMG), even though with the modern terminology we would call it "útočná puška" (an assault rifle).
Fun trivia: "Samopal" literally means "something that can fire on its own".
More fun facts. Early arquebuses were called "самопал" (samopal) in Russian. It literally ment "self-igniting" as opposed to hand cannons that needed separate ignition rods. And now this word transformed into an adjective "samopalny" that means DIY stuff in a little bit ironic way.
It might be autoshoot. :-D
EDIT: I'm thinking about and autofire is just better because pálit means to shoot but also to burn (and to destill if you're talking about moonshine)
Samopal = Selfshooter
@@mortisCZ zajímavé úvahy máte, chlapci :)
@@KoudZ robíme reklamu Československu >:D
The material of the whole weapon, which Czechs call 'dřevotříska' or Slovaks 'drevotrieska' (chipboard), was designed to be more durable than ordinary wood, which tended to break when soldiers fought in close combat. I also like the Canadian nickname for weapon material 'beaver barf' :)
The chipboard in resin can be incredibly strong. I think it is a great idea. It doesn't swell, Crack or break and is cheap to produce.
@@boowiebear Not to mention, incredibly ugly. Ugly is strong, durable, and long-lasting. And... Beaver barf, as I learned today. I will start a line of Beaver Barf furniture in my new factory. I really like the rifle, though.
In Eastern Europe their (and generally all czech ones) is Zbrojevka or Zbrojovka (ie armament firm)
@@Marcellogo "Zbrojovka Brno" was actually a company name, so it's the Zbrojovka not just a zbrojovka (company that manufactures weapons).
@@boowiebear ; Composite materials are awesome.
I have a left-handed friend who traded his AR for another friend's VZ, and it works so much better for him. He can switch the safety with his firing hand thumb and eject mags with his trigger finger like I can with my AR, and it is a wonderful little rifle.
Greetings from CZ. Stay strong there over ocean in this weird time.
Ahoj from USA!
Thank you. We need it
Hello from Texas I want to go to Czech Republic to visit my ancestral background
STOP
Czech yo’ self.
Thank you from Alaska
Always had a soft spot for Czech engineering and beer.
I'm saying that as a German.
You Germans always liked our shit in the case of weapons :D .Almost 1/3 of German tanks during invasion of Poland and France were Czech made Pz. 38(t) :D
@@saiien2 Try to take it as a compliment, we recognize quality when we see it :)
Chech engineering is something genious. Just look at thei best truck in the world in my opinion - Tatra - thats unique
@@zenly_csgo Czech...not chech...Chech is for Chechnya.
@@4mageo it always hard for me because in russian we write it - Чех - I dont get that letter Z there - also in russian we call Chechens - similar - Чех
Headline: 10,000 Canadians lose recently prohibited CZ 858 rifles in rash of boating accidents.
@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine global warming, snow melting
What is with that gun now?
@@DOMINIK99013 banned along with the vz58 recently because a guy impersonated an rcmp officer and went on a killing spree using stolen/undocumented firearms. not any of the ones on the list of banned weapons, but thats not important right?
Why? They were classified as prohibited but that just means they are hard to sell to anyone but the government and almost impossible to buy it does not actually mean they will be confiscated. There is no reason to "lose" them.
@Robert Ross My buddy shoots a 32acp at the range...
I am a machinist in the medical implant industry so my parts are required to have tight tolerances and very good machined finishes. I think the Czech machinists make EXCELLENTLY machined weapons. This is a beautifully made rifle. If you are a Czech machinist, keep up the great work. Your country puts out some super quality weapons. CZ rifles and pistols are always flawless when they are being ran and are really accurate too.
Ian: ...only used for a short period...
Slovakia: *still uses vz58*
No he said that the vz52 was only used for a short period
@@tigris5826 Exactly, this sentence was about vz.52 rifle. vz.52 was created for the 7.62x45mm cartridge and modernized for 7.62x39 later with the new name vz.52/57. Funny fact is that vz.52/57 is still in use(!) by the ceremonial unit of the Army of Czech Republic. Their rifles are in blank-firing-only state though (and they have other weapons for the real service use). You can see these rifles in hands of Prague Castle's guardsmen.
People never learn to listen before opening their mouth or typing.
Russians: we made a perfect assault rifle!
Czechs: Hold my Pilsner!
😂😂
How accurate :D
thats perfect :D :D
that made me laugh
Also Czechs: Fight all the way through Russia to fucking Vladivostock, piss there on russian AK AND fight all the way through Russia back to home!
(OK, there was no AK in 1920, but you get the point, no?) :)))
AK guys: Rifle is fine
CZ: Rifle is finer
How can you say something so controversial yet so true?
@@girishmahajan3646 It's okay, many an AKM owner will freely admit as much. We love our AKs, and they are quite rugged and well-built (we... uh, we just won't talk about Century guns) but we'll certainly concede they're not perfect. That CZ's gettin' close though! I've dreamt of beaver barf for several years now, but haven't yet found any that aren't Century-built; sucks that both of those platforms are afflicted with CAI. Sorry, I said we weren't gonna talk about that...
Exactly 😂
No
VZ is not better than AK, remember that
Warsaw Pact: Now we all agree how to make our new gun.
CZ: ahem, *MY GUN*
Ian : by a little bit and *little bits do matter*
Me : **sobs** thanks Ian
I believe that the main benefit of their bayonet design is that it keeps you from putting your hand in front of the muzzle when attaching it.
I was imagining myself holding a gun and putting a bayonet on it, ergonomically it also makes more sense, you stretch your arm out less, stay a more compact and you can more easilly see what you are doing while still pointing your gun facing enemy.
And there's no way the bayonet is gonna Carcano off from recoil.
We Czechs had a lot of military material made on our own cause we had a lot of experience and the industry from beeing the industrial hearth of Austria Hungary. We were also one of the most independent eastern block countries cause we liked to do stuff in our way. So that's kind of one of the reason for our partial independence.
@Loran2014 I meant militarily. Cause our military industry was pretty unique compared to the rest of the east block.
Tito of Yugoslavia, the real independant leader, all my respect to him
@Loran2014 You forgot Romania Ceausescu and Albania Enver. Very indepence.
@@peterthepeter7523 We still used the 7.62, so I am guessing that was enough for the soviets.
@Loran2014 Very true. The fact is, we elected some communists in '46 in the parliament and in early '48 they basically took over in a paramilitary coup (see People's Militia) and a reign of terror ensued, which kind of loosened in '53 after Gottwald's death and '56 after Khrushchyov denounced Stalin. But we were still tamed by the party, unlike the Poles or Hungarians, who had to be crushed in the 50's. We took until '68...
"Only the Czechs insisted on going their own way"
Czegtow?
I used this rifle whilst serving in the Czech Army back in 2003-04. It is so easy to maintain it's virtually indestructible :)
Ahh, yes. Wasn't even born yet..
LSD 03
I had it in the Czechoslovak infantry back in 1986. You actually could intentionally pour sand in it, shake it out and it would carry on working. A crazy piece.
VZ 58 facts: It mesures exactly one meter with bayonet on.
Coplapsible stock was used by tankers and such other mechanized troopes used paddle vz 58.
I was trained for 30 mm PLDvK, we used Vz 58 with side-folding stock there, too.
Folding stock version was for paratroopers thats waht the V stands (výsadkový). tankers sued scorpion as side arm. rifle would be too big to move round with.
version vith movable stock was called "a scythe" between soldiers due its shape and version with solid (wooden) was called "a paddle." It was durable and simple weapon. If you gave it proper care, it was excelent weapon. I was using this weapon in late 1990s during my Czech army duty.
May I know more please.
@@josephpearson3947 same
Yes tell us more please Kamil
Do you sacrifice children?
@@denpabacon8501 Yeah, but only orphans. ;)
Wow this video brings memories... I used to have it while in serving my country /Slovakia/ in 2001, thank you for this vid.
Some fun facts about the gun:
When you mount bayonet on it, it is exactly 1m /3,28 ft/ long from bottom of stock to tip of bayonet.
Military standards for dis-assemble time is 7s and re-assemble is 15s.
If you connect ammunition belt to it, you can fire just like LMG and this gun will withstand from temperature overheating like no other, it will not melt whatsoever.
K 58ce se dá připojit nábojovej pás?
@@janbernad4729 taky na to čumím s otevřenou pusou :-)
Sa vz.58 has no belt-feeding capability. But you can pile up a lot of magazines and fire, fire and fire.. Be wise and use your gloves. ;o)
@@michalpavlat3943 Not magazines, all you would need are clips that you could use to feed the ammo directly into the magazine through the top.
Czechoslovakia was the most technologically advanced country of the Eastern Bloc, so they were allowed to do theyr own thing. They also served as technology advisor for other communistic countries (not only them, Japan got licence to make Jawa motorcycles, and you know it now as Honda Super Cup).
@@platypusball94 I overheard somewhere that Czechs combine German precision and Slavic ingenuity XD
@@hanbanaroda I've always thought that their Czechnology was basically simpler and more aesthetically pleasing German Engineering. Tatra and CZ would be great examples of this. I might ride a BMW, but I carry a CZ75.
Soviets expected from czechs something interesting, something more than combined ideas of AVS-36 and AK
@@user-yk2xb1ti2w Like if AK and AVS were something original. Both used patents of John Browning and were inspired by other weapons. Like pretty much all modern guns. Like Sa 58 or CZ 75. Soviet weapons development was interesting and their weapons were very good. But it was the only thing USSR was good at. This and space program (until Kurchatov was gulaged). And Poljot are pretty cool watches.
@@jakublulek3261 as to AK yes i agree but as to AVS i did not agree it too different from other examples mechanics. As to John Browning yes this is great inventor but sometimes people think that gun powder was intoduced not by chinese. The main thing USSR was good at spending 12% of whole budget on education for some period and education spending in general. Usa and the other counties failed in Afghanistan. USSR at the beginning has some Republics that were almoust the same and made from them much more modern society that not producing 90% of world cocaine whitch stop spreading bubonic plague like in Middle Ages
I really hope Ian says "beaver barf".
he did
Lmao
I'm glad he did, because I never heard of it and it's brilliant
One of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. I want to meet the person who came up with that because they’re probably very funny.
7:14
These are still used by the Slovakian army, although they are modernized. They are also pretty popular on the Slovakian civilian market.
Also Czech Army reserves still use them. And even Sa VZ.58 is considered as obsolete is still in ARMY inventory (curent service rifle/AR is CZ 806 BREN II / same unit still use CZ 805 BREN)
Nechcete si konečně od nás koupit už ty Breny? :D
Fun fact, the standart version has nickname "pádlo" or paddle and the airborne version is called "kosa" or scythe in english. I used to have deactivated kosa :)
Slapnuts here had too many nicknames .., kosa is most known.., :)
Now they (we) don't use the pádlo nickname at all, and the kosa is used for all 58.
Ondrej Urban well yeah, its old nickname since it reminded soldiers of said paddle during their service, another nickname for it was “koště” or broom, but that was only during the early days of development.
@@minedynamiter "Koste" was official name for the project ;)
@@minedynamiter Well, as far as my knowlage goes (and I'm from military family), the name "pádlo" was given due to the training, that claimed it could be used as a paddle if the situation needed it. I guess it can, still it's rather strange
Not sure if someone mentioned in the comments already, but just a small fun fact. Here in Czechoslovakia/Czech republic later we used ammo that was compatible with normal russian 7.62x39 but our ammo had about 10% smaller powder charge. It was however recommended to shoot a few mags with russian ammo from new guns to make sure all parts moved properly before using local made Czech ammo.
Finally, a Forgotten Weapon that I actually own.
The one in video is full auto though...however many of the Canadian owned Vz58 are converted auto, meaning most of the rifle are build with original hardware, with slightly bubbahed receiver.
I know right!
@@kospencer1 That's actually not true nowadays. Most of the Canadian owned ones are made brand new by CSA (Czech Small Arms) with no repurposed parts. They are completely devoid of cutouts in the receiver that would be required to even accept full-auto parts.
The repurposed full-auto receivers were probably an early-import thing. They're all new production now.
Source: My closet.
@@aviciouswalrus1303 CSA was using surplus parts a few years ago (bolt carriers, strikers, possibly receiver covers) but as those parts sources started to dry up, they use newly made parts, as of 2020 possibly all new parts only (source private email from CSA). Barrel, bolts and receivers were always newly manufactured.
AViciousWalrus Mine had weldment around where the sear sits, I was under the impression that’s the sign of a converted auto. Obviously I did bother to find out more about it because I sold my riffle to John.
Source: John
Memories: I had one of these when I lived in Soviet Kanuckistan. It came with the bayonet & sheath, six magazines, an original leather mag pouch, both kinds of stocks (fixed and folding), a muzzle nut, a muzzle brake, an original cleaning kit, and a 1968 dated crate of ammo (about 1200 rounds, IIRC, all on 10-round stripper clips). If memory serves, it cost me $650CA for the whole package. Mine was built on a full-auto receiver but didn't have the FA parts so it was semi-auto only. I took one of my first carbine classes with that gun and at first I was cringing as I performed reloads and watched my spent magazines fall into the wet sand at the range, feed lips down every time. I banged the mags on my knee pads to knock as much sand out of them as possible but it still made a gritty sound every reload. I shot over 1000 rounds at that class and had one malfunction (stuck case which I mortared out). After that class the Vz became my go-to carbine until I moved to the USA.
Where is kanukistan?
@@Bandera123 Canada. Get it: Kanuck + stan?
I used to.have one. Had an AK too..I preferred the underfolding AK stock compared to the skeleton stock VZ in a vehicle or when I didn't want the bloody thing in my way. The VZ is far more accurate.. And it's fire is more controllable. The AK is easier to clean though. But as shown, this is pretty simple. I just pulled it all apart soaked it in brake kleen and used Hoppe's to install it. Ten minutes if you're slow. I even preferred it to the Armalite based stuff
Ya the Canadian with the semi-automatic rifle and 30 round magazines which he never used to either end tyranny or hunt game with is upset about...and upset about this enough to fuck off to the US. lel
im ex-canadian too.
Vz58/Cz-858s are available to get too.
if you were still interested in owning one again.
absolutely love mine.
21:32
"Czech them out"
I'll see myself out.
Haha nice
During one of exercises we were doing some "advance on enemy position" in pairs, from cover to cover, fire 2-3 shots per cover (blank) number of covers was calculated that when we reached the end of track for this exercise we should fired atleast 3 magazines and some rounds from last one (you carry 4 full magazines as standart) and then fire the rest of ammo from last magazine in full auto inside bunker which was the end of track. (about that full auto, we were told at the doors to bunker where instuctor threw a training grenade inside as if we were breaching it) so Me very clever guy, thought before that, that i will shoot only so much that i spent only one magazine through whole track so i dont have to clean the gun so much after.........my clever idea crumbled at the entrance of that bunker where i was told to shoot rest of my ammo (3 magazines) so i did, gun did not jammed, but the barrel got so hot i could not hold the gun for the handguard even when i had leather gloves
One the best firearms I've ever shot
Out of curiosity, may i ask why so?
@@madingahmar4420 No you may not.
@@Ean.oo7 lmao
@@Ean.oo7 Roasted.
🤤
The thing I love about this rifle is that when you fire the empty brass is actually thrown out in a forwards arch into your line of fire. Thanks to that you can fire close to your squad-mates without worring about hitting them with the hot brass.
But hitting your friends with hot brass is more fun 😂
I took my VZ to a weekend rifle course where one arm of the locking wedge snapped off midway through. Didn't realize it until I got home and cleaned it. Disassembled and the broken piece fell out of the receiver. Gun ran just fine, no change in operation, and ate through approx 500 rounds in that condition.
Czechs looked at the AK and were like "pfft, casual, watch this shit" and thus the vz. 58 was born.
It had nothing to do with "permission". None of other Warsaw Pact states had a domestic arms industry worth speaking of. You'll notice that in WW1 and WW2 they were all using foreign sourced armaments.
The Bohemian industrial regions were the industrial heartland of the former Austro Hungarian empire...they had the infrastructure and skills, the other states didnt.
Not that bad idea even from Soviet standpoint. And they were not paying for the development, so why not.
"The Bohemian industrial regions were the industrial heartland of the former Austro Hungarian empire"
Steyr: am I a joke to you?
In terms of general heavy industry you're probably right though, look at how much misery Austria-Hungary went through trying to build battleships.
The area of the crown of bohemia6had close to 70% of all the industry in Austro-Hungary. Hungary had no industry to speak of so the rest was in Austria lol
@@MalikCarr yes, Styer, you're a joke to us.
We had the luck that our cities and industries were not turned into rubble in the WW2 .. most of our neighbors didnt have this kind of luck
An interesting fact about the Vz. 58 is that it was used frequently by loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, following importation in the mid-1980s. The source of the weapons was South Africa, who agreed to send arms including the Vz. 58s in exchange for missile technology stolen by loyalists from a missile factory in Belfast.
The rifles were originally PLO weapons, captured by the Israelis and then bundled into the arms deal by the Israel-friendly South Africans, who arranged for the weapons to be transported from Lebanon. However, much of the consignment was captured immediately after importation, including a one-third share which was destined for the Ulster Defence Association. One of the three groups involved in the importation was a newly-formed group, Ulster Resistance, who never carried out a significant campaign but who are believed to have retained a large portion of the weapons. That said, it isn't believed that UR actually hold many of the rifles anymore, as they gave many of the weapons to the two more active loyalist groups.
One of the rifles imported was actually on display in the Imperial War Museum in London until recently, when it was discovered to have been used in 7 unsolved murders, including a sectarian massacre in a bookmaker's in South Belfast in 1992. It is now being used to assist the investigation of the bookmaker's massacre and has been removed from display, but had originally been handed into the police by an informant, who then neglected to perform proper forensic analysis of the weapon.
It's strange how the weapons had such an international profile, and the actual story of the loyalist arms importation of the mid 1980s is fascinating, involving a British army agent within the UDA and lots of Le Carré-style action. If anyone is interested in learning more about arms importation to Ireland, then I recommend the book 'Gunrunners: The Covert Arms Trail to Ireland' by Sean Boyne.
Wow that is super interesting
Really interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing
You nailed the Samopal and Vzor pronunciation! Congrats! ;-)
Hey! I bought a random bayonet because it looked unique, and turns out it is one of these. Thanks Ian!
I've always admired the ingenuity of this rifle. I never imagined (and never bothered to check) that it's lighter than the AK! It looks so sturdy and beefy compared to the AK. A real masterpiece.
I had a deactivated vz 58 in my hands during the sumer, and it is kinda light
There is a nice little thing to remember the positions of the fire selector in the czech army:
To the middle for safe, forward for enemy, back for yourself.
Greetings from Prague
I know it bit differently. When sliding your fingeron the top of the handle, the safe positions "blocks it" from reaching the trigger, the smooth rounded "nice" part means you're not taking it too seriously and will be "nice" and the sharp pointy "unpleasant" part means that you're ready to be very mean. Sorry the translation is not that great. Dolů = se svěšeným to nejde, oblá = jsme milí a šetřiví, ostrá = jdem do toho zostra.
@@kamilstuchlik9529 Aha, zajímavý, takhle jsem to ještě neslyšel, diky 😉
Wow, I'm really impressed by your knowledge about this rifle. This is the best video about VZ.58 I've ever seen.
12:35 - it takes time to learn the trick to remove the "hammer"
15:23 - actually the rifle continues to cycle even when the spring breaks down or is removed - the bolt carrier slams the protruding piston while going into battery. Seen three rifles (over course of time) doing this and the only way the operator found out the piston return spring was broken was during cleaning.
19:59 - thats not entirely correct - Czech Small Arms (CSA) makes brand-new (no spare parts) rifles - including the recievers (wich were and still are precions-cast and machined to finish specs - I had the opportunity to see the casting tooling)
20:56 - not yet fully replaced - some reserve units of the AČR are still equiped with Vz. 58 rifles. Also Slovakia still uses Vz. 58 rifles.
why you have 0 subs...
@@dixienormous1559 Just to make ppl point it out and rave
Slovaks call the wooden furniture (material) on it "drevotrieska" and it is basically cuz those are splints glued together by epoxy or smthing.
Splint=trieska, drevo=wood so. Great vid btw :) And I think that the Vz is still in service iirc
we czechs call it "dřevotříska"
Interesting.
there was also another material used in electronics construction, the hovňák(TM)... roughly meaning "made of 5h1t"
"dřevotříska" is actually DTF, so it's kind of joke (closes thing to this is modern OSB finished with epoxy resin).
@@dr.cheeze5382 Si zabil! :D
You've made a mistake here Ian: the Czechoslovaks could report to their Soviet overlords that their new rifle, when fully loaded and combat ready, shares 30 interchangeable components with an AK. 30 temporary, disposable components, that is...
One has to appreciate the valiant effort that went into your pronounciation of the name Jiří Čermák. That's not a name that rolls out of foreigner's tongue easily.
I appreciate how clearly and well you said "Samopal"!
Great work on the video as always, greetings from Slovakia.
Best piece of particle board I've seen in my life.
That was my thought: "That is fleck board and resin."
Right
These rifles feel so much smaller than AKs in real life, still my favourite platform for the stripper clip capability.
Also last shot hold open! I love that. And for some reason, I find it shoots a tad softer then an AKM47.
@@Duwurf VZ has much better gas regulation, aks are super overgassed
@@109268 There is also less moving mass. The whole bolt/piston assembly of an AK moves quite a distance and isn't exactly a light part.
In this, the bolt and bolt carrier (overall smaller assembly than an AK's) are the only things that really move much with any weight to them.
@CTG That full-auto difference might have something to do with the +200rpm rate of fire the VZ has lol
It's always so interesting to watch these especially when you open it up, show internals and tell how it functions!
I have one of the semi-auto civilian versions by Czechpoint USA. It feels so solidly built for its light weight, and I think that all over again every time I pick it up. The ease of disassembly is very impressive for a firearm from its era. Gun store folk will tell you there isn't much of an aftermarket for these rifles, but don't believe that; I've been able to find every darn thing you could think of. Many stock options, drums, you name it.
This is a _stunningly_ good rifle. Head and shoulders above the AK--which itself, of course is an excellent gun.
I really don't think Czech arms manufacturers get the acclaim and respect they deserve. The weapons they produce are just as good as Western offerings and in some cases superior.
Just a lovely gun.
They say that the greatest honor a product can get is being copied by everyone.
The CZ 75 is the second most copied gun in the world.
Makes me feel proud of my country.
I know I love my CZ 75!
The bolt lock up is really quite elegant. In fact, internally it’s all very elegant. The wood and finish are a bit crude, but the design is far from crude.
looks can be decieving look up demo ranches torture tests on hi points lol people always think cheap means junk but simple is alot of the times better than complicated
@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine Like a double barrel shotgun, it's not going to fail unless the ammo is pure shit.
@@MoarteaLunii Double barreled shotguns (like revolvers) have rather delicate trigger work inside, and like any shotguns, have comparatively fragile barrels. I wouldn't say a hunting shotgun is a super reliable bombproof firearm, when put next to any military firearm at all. They're just used in low-wear conditions, never thrown around, just carried slowly and fired a couple dozen times a season. Add to that very low pressure ammo for essentially endless barrel life and low wear on lockwork. And STILL double-barrels' hinges and locks tend to become very loose with use over decades, needing refurbishment.
Have been waiting for ages for a video on probably pinned of the best but unknown weapons ever made.
Thanks
Operation flashpoint Vet: ahh yes, memories.
Czechs were true madlads in weapon-o-logy.
We still are. You should check (or Czech? :D) CZ-806 Bren. Czech army is starting to use them instead of CZ-805.
If you want to be a bit more academic, the term is "hoplolgy."
for Interest, in czech military slang the rifle is called "pádlo" or paddle if it has the wooden stock and "kosa" or scytche when it has the foldable one.
Great video. The Czech weapons I've seen on this channel always have something unique about them that makes them appealing.
Terrific video as always. I picked up a new production VZ58 from Czechpoint USA and what a quality rifle. I really like the design and feel of it.
18:58 There was a prototype of LMG version of this. with longer barrel and bipod
Yes, just wrote the same thing.
picture here: www.zelenysport.cz/images/sklady/kulomet_vz_58_kleoe_levue_big.jpg
8:15 If anybody is interested, the writing says:
"It is forbidden
to turn on during daytime without a shutter
and aim against bright light
Range for light machine gun and assault rifle"
Damm commies not allowing to destroy expensive equipment and blind you self :)
@@iplaygames8090 Because you wold have damaged property of socialist people and you would have been useless in combat when blind and due to betrayed the trust put into you by socialist people. Thats a communist desription why they wrote that there.
@@jansvoboda4242 vtip.....
I have been waiting quite some time for this gun to be reviewed. I absolutely love mine. Can't wait for some ranges to open up so I can use it again.
super clean explanation, as always. I really like how this gun operation is easy to understand.
I'm always so happy when you showcase Czechoslovakian guns, I'm from Slovakia and gun history in our country is basically non-existent, so when i see something from our brothers its really nice :D
as a proud owner of 2 VZ58's and other CZ made guns, I am a huge fan.
Thanks
Marek, look up the PS 97 pistol made by Považské strojárne POVZBROJ. Very beautiful and comfortable to shoot. Too bad that it desintegrates itself after merely 2000 shots.
@Cristian Rudi politics decided,not people.
@Cristian Rudi Do you still live with your borther?
6:34 well “she” is a czechloslovakian beauty
Fun fact, this gun is a "she" in Czech language since it's commonly nicknamed "kosa" which means scythe in english because the folder looks vaguely like one. Kosa in czech is of feminine gender so it is a she!
@@ghost963cz The words "gun", "weapon", and "assault rifle" all have feminine gender in Czech language as well. Samopal is masculine though.
And it is called Patdesiatosmicka, meaning 58 (but in female form). So yeah it is a She.
Very good presentation, author has very much information. I remember my Vz.58 from my compulsory military service. Amazing weapon.
I have a one I picked up as a curiosity a while back, planned on selling it. But after a few mags at the range it is a permanent part of the collection. Such a great gun. Thanks Czechoslovakia! Keep up the good work!
I won't lie, I've been looking forward to this video just as much as I had been the G11 one.
Russians: "Everyone, we built a new gun for everybody to use and defend communism everywhere!"
Czechs: *laughing in czechoslovakian*
CSK: Yo, that AK is cool and all, but what if it was better?
"This gun didn't have enough power! So I rewired it!"
"I don't think so, Pavel."
It sold 0.9 million copies of vz.58 and 112.6 million copies of AK, guys. Only American shotgun Remington and Soviet RPG-7 can compete in sales of AK.
Although no, I was wrong. It sold 10 million copies of Remington and 9 million copies of RPG-7. So AK out of competition in the global market.
"Sold" copies dont matter for vz.58, it was never a commercial product, only used by czechslovak military and noone else.
Thanks for this video. It used to be my father's service rifle, he said it's pretty reliable in any conditions. And in my opinion also quite controlable (for such ammo and not "straight-line" recoil construction). It's one of few things we made well in that era :)
Sir, I am very impressed with your knowledge a correct information you very clearly and understandably give in your channel. Thank you.
There was a prototype of a VZ 58 machine gun and it is named: VZ 58 Kleč
few of these has been made
Finally thank you for posting this!
This is so far the best vz58 video on CZcams.
Your explanation, as well as pronounciation is excellent, thanks from Czech Republic!
Long have I waited for vz. 58...
Awesome video :)
Traded a CETME for a VZ.58 semi auto a couple months ago. Definitely worth, really fun to shoot
I love that Ian is obsessed with mechanical engineering. I feel like how the gun locks up is mostly overlooked when it's the most interesting part of firearms. IMO
This video almost brought tear to my eye because the channel is called "Forgotten Weapons" and I used this weapon a lot 8 years ago on my basic military training. But luckily we use Bren now which is much much better (especially the Bren 2)