PDW on Steroids: the vz68 and the Skorpion 9x19
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
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The original Scorpion was adopted in .32 ACP caliber as the vz.61 by the Czechoslovakian military - but development of the Scorpion did not end there. Prototypes were also developed in .380, 9x18 Makarov, and 9x19mm. In particular, the 9x19mm version, designated vz.68, got as far as field trials with the Army. Unfortunately, its designer died, and impetus for the development program ended with him.
In the 1990s, however, the new Czech Republic was looking for a new military submachine gun, specifically in 9x19mm. The CZ company (now a private concern) looked around for what it might already have available, and found the vz.68. A further series of prototypes were made, now designated "Scorpion 9x19". They were tested but rejected by the Czech military, and failed to get any foreign export sales. This is most likely because the 9mm Scorpion was a quite complex gun (as was the vz.61), and much more costly to produce that typical military submachine guns of the period - without providing much practical benefit over those cheaper designs. In total, only about 85 examples of 9x19mm Skorpions were made between the 1960s and 1990s. Instead, CZ would develop the Evo 3 for Czech military use.
Mechanically, the 9x19 versions of the Skorpion are basically unchanged from the original vz.61. The receiver has been stretched just slightly (about one inch) and the bolt mass approximately doubled. The same rate reducer is used, and the 9x19mm guns are still closed-bolt and hammer-fired with a simple blowback operating mechanism. Thanks to CZ for giving me access to these really neat prototypes from their factory reference collection!
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The fact that Ian probably had to shoot all the CZ videos in the space of a few days and had to repeatedly pronounce 'Uherský Brod' shows the amount of dedication that goes into his content.
Dude Czech can’t be that hard, plus I’ll never forgive how much he butchered the Arabic pronunciation in his iraqi ak video
@@aliabdallah102 Arabic is one of the hardest languages for an English speaker to learn. Ian probably gave it his best shot without actually hearing it spoken aloud.
@@aliabdallah102 Believe me, Czech is VERY hard for foreigners. It contains sounds like "ř", which no other language has. Sometimes it's even hard for us native speakers lol.
@@CoffeeFurret yeah but i'm neither an arabic nor an english speaker. (born that is)
ever sense i was born I've heard both spoken. my first words were in english. Do I even exist?
Do you?
@@aliabdallah102 Hehehe, thats what we come for! existential crisis!
The 68 is adorable with a wood stock larger than the gun itself. It sorta looks like some primordial amphibian just crawling out of the mud.
😆
If that's a picture of you with the writing on ur forehead I have to say you bear a resemblance to The Iceman Richard Kuklinski.
@Hack 1966 This comment is just gorgeous
It's a larva. After consuming enough ammunition, it goes into a cocoon state and emerges as a fully-grown VZ58.
Now you've wrote it, I cannot un-see it!
"There's a really cool picture", doesn't show the picture :(
Gigachad Ian:
States the existence of a really cool picture
Refuses to elaborate any further
Leaves.
Ian is a credible man.. If he says it, then it's true.. Just gonna have to imagine that picture until he shows..😅
Picture……it in your head 😂
It is saved for tomorrow's episode when he takes both guns to the range
Skorpion a SMG Compact
0:36 - I love how Ian sneakily pulls out the hidden 3rd vz
Skin: Yan Gangster unlocked
I like to think he has a very large pocket that contains an inch-pattern wood-stocked FN FAL, a HK21, and a VZ Skorpion (for self-defence).
@@AshleyPomeroy also theres gotta be a some kind of french gun in some strange niche caliber.
@@tom74769 you almost forget about trench cub :P always ready!
I love the selector markings. "Fire one! Fire none! Empty the whole magazine!"
I'd love to see an update to the actual markings reflecting this truth; "1", "0", "V" (vyprázdnit).
"How many holes you trying to punch?"
Three round burst? Nah, mag dump.
@@sejwok2628 Yes.
That Skorpion with all the attachments looks like a gun you'd build in Metal Gear Solid V.
Like what Cipher's XOF would use.
CoD Warzone gunsmith version.
A real life, intentional, cursed gun.
Clearly you never played Tarkov.
@@builder396 I have 460 hours on my account and much more on the singleplayer mod. Try again.
@@audixas1 Clearly you never played Tetriz.
I never thought I'd want a Skorpion with a fixed wood stock.
For 9mm in this tiny of a pdw, heck yeah, and it looks sexy too 😉 😍
mp5 fanboy *shruggs*
It makes it look a lot like a military Tommy gun. I like it
@@Never_heart the Czech 🇨🇿 Tommy energy is STRONK
@@gingergorilla695 You can get one cheap. Well not a VZ, but you can get a clone. I know of two companies that made clones of these, Armitage made them, and Leinad/Cobray also made them. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure that both companies just took MAC 11 A1 uppers, modded them slightly, and made a clone of the 9mm VZ out of it. Lots of people claim the Armitage and Leinad clones are horrible, but you hear that a lot with semi automatic SMG pistols, and the problem is not really the gun, it is the ammo. Most of the 9mm SMG semi automatic style pistols only like certain types of ammo, and you sometimes just have to figure it out yourself. For example, the TEC9 is known for jamming, but if people actually took time to read the owners manual they would know that even the manual tells you that unless you use FMJ ball ammo it will jam. Those new MAC clones also tell you to use FMJ ball ammo, and the recommend steel ammo for that reason, because almost all 9m steel ammo is ball ammo. Nonetheless I see the 9mm VZ clones for sale every now and then online. So if you look around you could probably find one for sale. Just look for Armitage Skorpion and Leinad Skorpion.
the full auto setting label simply being the size of the magazine seems to imply they know that "panic mag dump" is how a rear-issued PDW would get used in full auto in any real scenario
I'm so jealous of Ian visiting CZ in Czechia -- closest Ive been is their assembly plant in Kansas City. I would thank all the workers there for making ALL of my favorite handguns I personally own. Once you shoot a CZ for the first time, you'll know too.
Please don't call my country that, I live in the Czech republic.
I was born and bred in Prague, CZ and I don’t mind Czechia nomenclature :) Feel free to continue using it.
I’m happy you like the products :)
hate the name Czechia it just sounds so wrong....I was never unhappy with Czech Republic I'm sure they had some vague reasons for changing
@@mikepette4422 Its been Czechia since 1540s and since 1790s in English. Get used to.
They should rename themselves "The Immortal Empire of Bohemia-Moravia That Encompasses the Skies And All the Seas and Moons of Jupiter". That would be much more impressive.
I hope Headstamp Publishing gets a book out in the future on Czech firearms. They usually don't get much coverage even though they're made of high quality and very modern for their times.
seems like a number of interesting stories there from the bren to the soviet years to the modern time
Yes please! Ian if you’re looking for ideas for your next book then please consider this one, I’ll preorder mine today!
Czech guns look Russian but act German.
Oh my. Thank you for taking a look at the "Big Škorpións". I still feel a little sad that I didn't get to take a look at the rare and funky guns when I was (briefly) studying in the school attached to the factory. Sadly only after a semester of study we were told that we wouldn't actually learn anything, that the armourer degree would just be few years of pointless mathematics, essentially made up for S&B and CZUB employees to have qualification to be shift supervisors.
CZ arguably have been making some of the best shooting off-the-shelf pistols on the planet. I'll be buried with my CZ-75. Yes, I'm taking it with me.
Pre b?
That would make your CZ75 a ghost gun.
@@baker90338 No, it's a polished stainless steel 75B. I can't miss with it.
Don't be selfish. Pass it down to your children. They're already going to be scammed for thousands of dollars with your funeral. Don't take hundreds more from them for no reason.
My buddy has a CZ hi-power copy and boy it is one of the nicest pistols I've ever shot, super readable sights, very nice trigger, and very manageable recoil because it's a heavy boy. It occasionally double feeds, but that might have been me limp wristing it a bit.
I never thought I'd be interested in any type of scorpion being on steroids, but this, this is an exception.
I think the VZ on steroids would be chambered in 45 ACP
I'd be interested in what steroids developed for mammals would do to an arachnid.
Lol do you want rad scorpion or a RADICALLY COOL scorpion pdw?
Ya easy pick lol
@@agentjohnson3973 10mm
@@agentjohnson3973.40
So for the military, it wasn't EZ having this VZ adopted from CZ.
Puns fired, hits target.. I'm almost disappointed with myself saying this..😅
EZ PZ
Take your stupid up-vote and go!
@@MazeMaker4Life dare I say....Lemon Squeezie
Instructions unclear. E-zed, vee-zed, cee-zed?
I've always been a fan of the original Skorpion. Such a cool looking little gun!
If there is ever a way to show shooting comparison between the two calibers I'd be interested to see that. The originals were designed around the .32 and shoot well (considering the size of it) with the low power cartridge and the rate reducer. I can't help but think that in 9mm it might have lost it's magic, but who knows? That's why I gotta see!
slightly disappointing that cz didn't let ian shoot those. I get that they're very rare, but that number 1 gun already shows wear that looks like a substantial amount of shooting (from the military trial), so I doubt it would make a difference to shoot 50 more rounds. I think I've seen other videos where cz let ian shoot rare guns before. maybe these ones don't work very well, and they figured it would just give a worse impression of the company if they let ian demonstrate that.
Got the .32 now I want the 9X19 Skorpion
Daaaaaaamn SN 0001. . .
That front pic rail is sweet AF !!!
I´m certainly looking forward to the vid on the skorpion evo 3.
12:00 "...that this gun was not going to be feasible for the modern Czech military. And they go so far as to developing something like this..."
*Pulls out a cursed gun from the depths of hell*
Brendan Herrera has entered the chat
My therapist: tacticool skorpion isn't real, it can't hurt you
This video:
The Scorpion looks really good with a straight vertical mag honestly
That, plus with the folded wire stock, chunky rear sight protectors, and pic rail, it just looks handsome.
You guys should check out what they look like with a stubby Magpul foregrip then.
Nah, give me Banana mags any day. Straight mags don't look appealing to me.
As a big fan of the vz61 as an old school PDW design, this was a great video. If we could get machine guns easily I would love sinking a couple grand into a 9x18 or 9x19 skorpion. The rate reducer design across that entire system is just a really smart way to keep that gun so compact.
If we didn't have even the useless SBR laws, I think a VZ61 would make a great PDW type self defense weapon.
Especially for those with strength problems or little training.
But as you've stated, as good as a semi VZ61 is an auto would be even better.
32ACP may not be considered a "Manstopper", but 10 little rounds in 10 seconds is nothing to bawk at.
Imagine something like that loaded with solid fluted fluid displacement rounds like Honey Badgers.
The rate reducer is really smart. I remember wondering if the MAC M10 would have benefited from something like that - but of course the M10 had the magazine in the handgrip, so there wasn't space for a rate reducer. It explains why the vz61 has what was at the time an old-fashioned design, with the magazine forward of the handgrip.
Such an iconic weapon. I remember wayyy back when first person shooters started to take off this gun was in alll of them. I even remember it actually being chambered in .32acp in several games which even today is impressive when a game gets the calibers right.
The first game i remember it in was Goldeneye on the N64 it was called something else in the game though.
@@sleepyrasta14820 I can't actually think of the name of the game Im picturing. It may well have been goldeneye even. I just very specifically remember a level where you're fighting in like a subway station and it seemed like every bad guy dropped one of these. I do believe it was called a skorpion but Im not sure lol. Those are nearly 30 year old memories at this point
@@sleepyrasta14820 KL033 or KLOBB
Hey Ian, the stock of that Scorpion 9x19 is latching to the front sight wings just like normal, it doesn't touch the barrel nut. You can even see the worn spots in finish from sight wings on stock as you take it off them.
This video was produced in a hurry, probably just one batch with other ones, so Ian missed the serial number, the stock, maybe something more. But it's understandable that he cannot spend days and weeks in these foreign countries.
That must have been one heck of an Experience being able to go though the Refrence pieces they have. So much history there.
As an owner of the EVO civilian rifle I would love to see a video on the Evo 3 both the military and civ version! Also this is a great look at the in between designs before the evo 3!
I would love to hear the stories about the development of the CZ 75. The SP-01 Tactical is still one of the best handguns I've ever shoot/owned. And with its incredible popularity I know it would be interesting.
I have D. Pazdera's "CZ 75 - Story of czech legend" from 2020. And I like that book. HP35 played role in the birth of this gun. I don't know if it is available in english, but maybe his older book called: "CZ 75: The Birth of a Legend" maybe be similar and also good.
One of my favorite guns of all time, younger I had heard it had a recoil reducing system in the grip, and pondered endlessly on how it could work, and eventually came up with an idea, false obviously since it is just a cool rate reducing system, which it turns out is pretty much how the .45acp vector mitigates recoil by reorienting it.
I think the Skorpion is truly an engineer's gun and absolutely what I would want by my side with 30rnd mags as a zombie apocalypse sidearm.
I want it. I built a vz61 in 32, bought one in 9mak for an sbr, and I just love them.
These don't normally do it for me but with that actual stock I really like it. Especially cool serial #1. Thanks Ian
Every time I hear "Scorpions" "Big City Nights" jumps into my head. Even when the Scorpion in question is a PDW. Yes, I'm an 80s teen.
That's okay. We're Still Loving You anyway.
Numbering the safety like that is the most sensible thing I have ever seen. :) Great video, very informative.
A saying here goes "Twenty/Thirty to the enemy, none into the ground, and one for yourself". :)
I have always loved the scorpion, and they are really never looked at closely. thank you for this video.
I did really enjoy watching this video.. Thank you for sharing Ian..👍❤️👍
I was thumbs up/like number 341..
👍❤️👍
I had heard about a 9mm version from the Wikipedia page, but I didn't realize it was this cool and with an epic WOOD stock XOXO
Thank you , Ian .
🐺
CZ really makes beautiful guns
For a PDW, I'd like to see that Skorpion 9 in .30 Super Carry.
Very nice showcase !
One thing I notice is that that grip looks almost exactly like the reptilla brand AR grips..
Also because of the recoil impulse being low, lie the original in .32ACP, it would be really interesting to see a scorpion in 5.7mm chambering...🤤
I have to say, I do like the Vz.68 with the wood stock on it, much like the Uzi with the wooden stocks on them.
The Czech firearms history is so damn interesting, just like the cz 75. And so as the Germans, funny how Ian is a French nut and I’m a German nut lol. But I do love Czech military firearms, when I saw the scorpion evo 3 original one I fell in love with it it’s so unique interesting and fairly modern compared to others that I have seen or most people have seen
Just watched this and the range shoot video. These look like fun!.Ian had such a grin after shooting it.
I have one of the 32 caliber semi auto skorpions. What a beautifully made gun, even the mags are built like a tank.
ah, this takes me back to the olden days of GoldenEye 007, running around with dual Klobbs....
Story time again with Ian! I love it!
A whole generation of us can only think of it as the "Klobb".
In the manual for Goldeneye 007 (N64) it does actually mention the Scorpion. I guess when they decided to switch to copyright-safe names, they missed that one entry.
It's Klobb-erin' time!!
Shoutouts to Swagmaster and his buddy.
I loved that game when i was a kid
Hearing people mention the N64 as something from their childhood makes me fell ancient...
@@blahorgaslisk7763 My childhood was Atari 2600 and NES, young'un.
@@blahorgaslisk7763 I know how you feel. It came out a quarter-century ago. People born that year are old enough to have kids, a spouse and a mortgage that is looking less appealing every month.
I was not ready for that surprise reveal of the tacticool Skorpion.
A salutory lesson that what's considered practical to manufacture for one economy is not the same as for another
I love that the autofire marking says 20. 'Magdump, or you're doing it wrong'.
Ian again making me smile!!
The plastic, wood and metal composition of this gun makes it very interesting looking.
This one is interesting. It has a few unusual or non standard springs, which can make some repairs frustrating. The design is rather basic once you break it down. It is a solid, strong firearm. Breakage and failure are mainly limited to poor material choices (yes, I know they had to work with what was available) more than a lack in design. I place this with the Steyr 95 straight pull, which suffers from extractor failures that are completely eliminated by upgrading the steel of the extractor.
The absolute most broken pocket sniper/laser beam in CoD4, playing with that thing on hardcore S&D was a blast
That was a different gun. This is Vz68, not Vz61.
@@MPC_2117 Essentially the same firearm
Thanks
So what you're telling me is the vz68 is impractical as a mass production gun, but would make an excellent Star Wars prop. ;P
It looks rather bizarre with a wooden stock. The folding stock looks more natural (I suppose in describing it) on the Skorpion.
I agree. I have similar feelings with a fixed wood stock on an Uzi.
Wood stocks are ugly.
@@Anino_Makata The wood stock is superior when firing the weapon, the collapsible stocks are superior for mobility. Obv collapsible looks cooler.
It's an alternate option. The standard is with the folding stock that's why it feels different. Would be like putting a fixed m16 stock on an M4. It's doable and people have used it before, but it's not common place so it feels weird when you see it
CZ remains the single finest gun company in the world. My 75 is the best handgun I've owned and I'd love a Skorpion.
The vz61 parts sets occasionally pop up for sale, really should pick one up for a future build.
Czechpoint USA sells them complete
Ian, if you ever get to lay your hands on one of these again, you'll probably find the spine on the back of the magazine fits the indents on the front of the barrel nut/compensator to unscrew it.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the new CZ Scorpion’s wire stock DOES LOCK onto the front sight. You can see the tabs for it and you can also notice the wear marks in the finish of the wire stock. Sorry Ian 😞
Great stuff Ian mccollem cool bit of kit
There are some collectors as well as curators clawing at their monitors watching these dead-end yet perfectly working Skorpions.
Ian + weapons from my country is amazing experience
I would honestly kill to have a VZ-61 or a VZ-9x19 in my personal collection; beautiful PDW.
Whoa! Really cool to see these all together. Only read about these.
Great presentation.... as usual!
Thank you Ian.
God bless all here.
As a Czech I really enjoy this sries :-)
Cool to see the Evo 2! Always wondered how we got to 3.
12:07 Ian begins playing with the Escape From Tarkov gun customizations
There’s just something about the super over complex initial SMG designs that is one of the coolest aspects of firearms history
aaaaayy Ian is visiting our country.
hope you like it here!
For those of us who know will always know this gun as the Klobb, it's named after Ken Lobb, who was a critical member of the Nintendo team who helped bring GoldenEye to life. As of July 2022 he now works for Xbox Game Studios, which is a natural progression given Rare's acquisition by Microsoft.
This gun was my primary weapon in RE5, with the Dragonov as my secondary.
That super scorpion at the end with the vertical grip and suppressor is awesome. Not a great gun but super cool.
The Klobb 🙌🏻😊🙌🏻
I’ve got the Skorpion EVO 3, can confirm it’s epicness
CSA (Czech small arms) is building and selling these from parts kits...there are 9x18 .380 and a .22lr models....i would love to have one with a fixed wood buttstock like Ian had in the video though.
I don't think CZ still makes these or has the tooling but it they can still make them they should as a modernised version of this particularly the folding stock and if a straight pull collapsing stock or brace would be even better,
A railed version of this with either a folding of straight pull collapsing brace with some modernised features like a better bolt hold open and release plus a mag well would be an incredible looking and selling gun and would be a great edition to the scorpion line,
Vintage with modern features is always popular when the original item is a good looking and looked at as being very cool.
I shot the Evo 3 on a visit to Czechia in 2018. Looking forward to the video on that one :)
Love the wire stock version. Nice gun.
Ahh, the Skorpion. The littlest SMG that could.
Correction the littlest pdw that could.
@@Aliyah_666 "Pushes up glasses"
AR versions using similar upper dimensionally in size with spectre casket magazines would be awesome, 9mm, 9major, 30 super carry, 45acp, 10mm, 762x25 Tokarev. Paired with an aftermarket trigger and pistol. brace.
It makes me sad that the original developer never had the chance to try out making a 7.62x25mm (Tokarev TT-33 round) chambered Skorpion. I feel like with the other rounds it was developed in, that had he lived a longer life it would've been almost inevitable that he tried out the 7.62 Tokarev rounds. Granted, it probably wouldn't have been very good, cause even in 9mm Parabellum it's a little rough compared to the .32 ACP, but i mean _c'mon_ who _wouldn't_ want to check out a 7.62 Skorpion?
I've never seen a Skorpion with a wood stock before, it's beautiful, and great choice of wood.
A video of what i find to be the most interesting gun.
Love It!
I have one in 32 wish I had one in 9mm. One of my favorite guns to shoot complements my zpap out on the range.
I like the background- the same model as my rifle :) CZ 452 ZKM, good bolt action rifle.
13:20 would be interesting to see a story about how one of them found it's way to that Romanian Village in Resident Evil 8.
12:09 that thing kinda reminds me of modernized Chinese type 79’s (which are still in use by police forces)
Favorite PDW of all time. I would love to have one.
I would love it if Czechpoint made the 9x19 version.
Keep in mind that as Ian said, it would also probably cost like 50% more than an EVO 3 as well.
@@frajecz Yeah but the EVO's are ugly as shit lol.
I've never known how many pieces in this gun that bounced around. it's super cool.
Great video! Love the information that you provide to your audience. Thanks!
Love me some CZ goodness! I've owned three cz52s, a cz50, and just got a cz75 retro...come to think of it if you haven't done a video on the 52 you definitely should, it's got a really interesting roller locking system.
I would love to get a skorpion in 9x19, even a reproduction. I mean, I want a skorpion, regardless, but I would definitely spend money for a 9x19 version.
I don't know why, but there's something about the skorpions I really love.
Looking forward to more videos about Czech firearms. Very interesting!
Thank you.
How many times has Ian visited CZ's compound by now? They must really love him there!
Thanks for the video.
Great video Ian, really interesting! I’m intrigued as to why the Evo 3 ended up with such an extremely sloping grip angle compared to those 2 guns in your review. I have to say that rate reducer feature in the older firearm is really interesting, so be never seen anything like it…I guess for obvious reasons!
I hardly ever comment on your vids, which i apologize for. But that one with the wood stock looks like a barrel of fun😁. Keep up the good work 👍