Makarov owners are often value-minded individuals who share an interest in Soviet Bloc firearms. Another great value in surplus East Bloc pistols is the Czech CZ-52.

Introduction

Brought into service in 1952, the correct name for these large-framed pistols is Ceskoslovenska Zborjovka Vzor 52.   Note that there is also a CZ-52 rifle, and the two should not be confused.

Cartridge

The pistol was originally chambered in the 7.62x25 or 7.62 Tokarev bottle-necked cartridge.  While this cartridge shares the physical dimensions of the Tokarev cartridge, it can be loaded hotter than the standard 7.62 Tokarev (see text on roller lock below).  As such, care should be taken when selecting ammunition to match the pistol. 

Several East Bloc submachine guns, including the PPSh-41 are chambered in 7.62x25.  These fire a yet more potent version of this caliber.  Again, care should be taken to avoid firing these subgun rounds in both the Tokarev and CZ-52.

The CZ-52 pistol can be converted to fire 9x19 simply by changing the barrel.  Some pistols have been retrofitted from the factory with a 9mm barrel, and aftermarket barrels are available.  There are some feeding and extraction issues related to this, which are discussed below.  From a safety standpoint, be sure that you are firing the correct ammunition from the correct barrel.

Cartridge Pictures:

 

Technical Overview

The C-52 is single-action only, meaning that the hammer must be cocked before firing the first round. As with other auto-loading pistols, the recoil forces the slide rearward. This ejects the spent case and forces a new cartridge from the magazine into the chamber.

A magazine follower tab locks the slide open after the last shot has been fired. While not as handy as the Makarov's slide release, the slide may also manually be locked back with the external slide lock bar. (Note: you can get an aftermarket slide release that replaces the hold-open catch and gives you a one-handed slide release operation from the the CZ-52 cart.) 

The magazine holds 8 rounds.  (A 9-round custom carry magazine is available from the the CZ-52 cart.)   The safety is located on the rear of the frame.  Similar to the Makarov, down is fire, up is safe.  The safety also acts as a decocker when pushed up beyond the "safe" position. The pistol can be carried "cocked and locked."  See notes below on the safety issues regarding the decocker!

The slide may be moved while the pistol is on safe, allowing the user to eject a round the chamber. Similarly, the pistol can be made ready to fire by racking the slide, thus inserting and round into the chamber, with the safety on "safe."

Roller Locking Action

Unlike the Makarov, the CZ-52 does not use a straight blowback mechanism. Because of the high power of the cartridge, the CZ-52 has a rather complicated, but strong, roller-locking mechanism.  The roller lock is composed of the barrel, two rollers, and a locking cam.  When at rest, the pressure of the recoil spring compresses the cam which forces the rollers outwards towards the slide. 

During firing, the rearward motion releases the cam and the continued pressure will eventually push the rollers out of the detent and allow the slide to travel relative to the barrel.  Therefore, the strength of the recoil spring determines when the the slide begins to move backwards. 

A version of this locking mechanism is found in some modern Heckler & Koch firearms. 

Curio and Relic Status

The CZ-52 is considered a curio & relic by the BATF and is on the BATF's C&R list for collectors with C&R Federal Firearms License. Note that only the original caliber of 7.62x25 and not the 9mm conversions are considered C&R. Converting your 7.62x25 to 9mm is a gray area as far as its C&R status. However, there's nothing illegal about the conversion.

Pictures/More Information

Check out the CZ-52 owner's manual PDF file (Adobe Acrobat Reader required [free on Adobe's site]) courtesy of Timothy Hoeflich.

Click on links to see pictures or bigger version of the thumbnails.

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• A picture of a nicely polished CZ-52 (courtesy of Adam Bentley)
• A spec sheet from Jane's
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• The rec.guns FAQ has info on the CZ-52.

Here's a link to the rec.guns page regarding CZ-52s.

Problems

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  Firing Pin

  
  - The firing pin of the CZ-52 is a weak steel, which makes them relatively brittle. Dry firing the pistol, that is firing without a cartridge or "snap cap," is not recommended. Here's a  picture of a busted firing pin.
  We have snap caps in 7.62x25.
  

  Picture of broken CZ-52 firing pin courtesy of J. Vickers

  If your pistol does not appear to fire at all, remove the firing pin and check to see that it is still intact.

  To remove the firing pin:

  • Remove magazine from the pistol, and remove any rounds from the chamber.
  • Remove the slide from the frame - pull down on the slide release tabs (see exploded view below) and the slide will release forward.
  • Set aside frame.
  • Optional: Remove barrel from slide. 
    • You will need to compress the recoil spring by pushing on the barrel assembly at the cam.
    • Use a screwdriver (or barrel removal tool available here) to rest in the cam notch and push towards the muzzle end of the slide.
    • Once the rollers have been compressed, lift the breech end of the barrel out of the slide and gently let the recoil spring push it out backwards.  Take care not to launch the barrel across the room!
  • Set aside barrel and recoil spring and hold the slide with the muzzle end up in your weak hand (i.e. left hand for right-handed people).
  • Using a pencil eraser or similar object, press the firing pin plunger gently until the firing pin falls clear of the firing pin channel.  If the firing pin channel is full of crud or especially cosmolene, some light taps or prodding from the breech face firing pin hole may be required.  Note that the plunger spring will not be compressed fully.  You'll have to find the "sweet spot" where the firing pin drops clear.
  • Take note of the firing pin position when it comes out.  It will need to be reinserted in the same radial position.
  • Once the firing pin is out, the firing pin plunger and spring are free to come out of the slide.  Take care not to lose them.  Again, take note of the plunger position.  It will need to go back the same way.
  • Installation is the reverse of disassembly.  Again, the plunger spring should only be compressed partially to make the proper opening for the firing pin.

  The firing pin should be inspected for breakage as shown.  If the tip is gone, it's useless and you'll need a new one.  See the options below for replacing the firing pin with a similar type or an enhanced version.

  The firing pin channel should be inspected for dirt and left-over storage grease (cosmolene).  Clean well and only lubricated very lightly to avoid attracting and trapping more dirt that can cause firing pin sticking and possible slam fires (cartridge is fired with out trigger pull by the closing of the slide with a protruding firing pin).  We carry firing pin channel cleaners for this purpose (5/$1).  See firing pin section of CZ-52 shopping cart page.

  
  

• Machined firing pins are now available at Makarov.com. These just drop the same way the original firing pins do. Some folks have reported over 80 dry firings with no problems. See the CZ-52 shopping cart page.
  

  
  

• Decocker - The CZ-52 safety has 3 "settings": fire (rotated all the way down), safe (horizontal, hammer stays back), and decock (rotate up, returns to "safe"). We already know that dry firing is no good, so it seems logical to use the decocker to drop the hammer. However, one reader found the following:
  

  I had a negligent discharge at the range today, downrange and in the dirt fortunately, that scared the shit out of me, and need feedback from you. When I inspected the gun, I noticed that the upswing motion of the decocker actually raises the firing pin disengage (same action as having the trigger fully to the rear). I probably have a worn intercept notch, and it has enough 'play' to spank the firing pin hard enough to fire.

  Indeed the decocker raises the firing pin disengage and what stops the hammer from falling appears to be an intercept notch.  If this is worn, the firing pin plunger in the slide may or may not stop the firing pin from striking the primer when decocking. Other guns, such as the Makarov have a cam from the safety move directly in the hammer's way. We have yet to rip apart the pistol and determine what causes this. In the mean time please be careful about decocking the pistol with a round in the chamber and do not rely on this mechanism to safely decock the CZ-52! 

  Special note for Harrington CZ52-2 and CZ52-3 users:  The redesigned firing pin plunger does not stop the firing pin from moving forward.  Therefore, if your decocking notch is worn, your pistol will likely fire when decocked.  Please check this function before relying on the decocker.  In fact, do not rely on the decocker anyway!

  Use the basic laws of firearms safety:
  

  • A gun is always loaded. If it's unloaded, go to the previous sentence.
  • Never point the gun at anything you do not wish to destroy
  • Do not put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to engage the target
  • Know your target and what's beyond

Accessories/Replacement Parts

Note that these are only selected items discussed in detail.  For a complete list of CZ-52 items, please see the CZ-52 Shopping Cart Page.

The original magazines have been difficult to find lately, with most places just selling aftermarket magazines that don't feed right. We found a nice stash of original Czech-made magazines in brand new condition. Check them out:

NEW! Ported  Muzzle Brakes
   

This custom-made muzzle brake for the CZ-52 with threaded barrel reduces muzzle flip and hides some of the muzzle plume as well. We will be coming out with our own custom design soon.

Please note: These are intended for 7.62x25 and 9mm threaded barrels only. 

9mm Largo Conversion Barrels

The Federal Arms 9mm Parabellum barrels lend themselves to rechambering to the 9x23 Largo round. We worked with ART Enterprises gunsmithing to do just that. We had a limited production run made in stock length, threaded, and ported configurations. THESE ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

Please note: These are intended for the 9x23 Largo round only, not 9x23 Winchester, not .38 Super, nor any other cartridge.  Since Makarov.com has not control over parts once they leave our facility, your use is at your own risk and Makarov.com will not be liable for damages or injury resulting from such action.

Federal Arms at one time made a nice array of replacement barrels for the CZ-52 in both the original 7.62x25 caliber and 9x19. One problem that people have reported with these is that the rollers included with these are not hard enough and tend to lose their round. Once they start deteriorating, they slide rather than rolling and they begin to abrade the barrel. 

Harrington Products, makers of the competition firing pins and extractors (see below), is now making replacement rollers that are much tougher than not only the Korean steel rollers in the Federal barrels, but also the originals. The rollers are made from high-impact tool steel, hardened to around 42 Rockwell. They are guaranteed for life by Harrington in addition to the Makarov.com no-hassle return or exchange policy.

Not cheap, but low-volume custom work never is: $16 for the pair including shipping.
  Harrington hardened rollers

Consider that if your Korean rollers begin to lose their round, they start to take the barrel with it, but no longer rolling but sliding. Pretty soon, they'll grind into the metal and the first evidence you're likely to see is pieces of disintegrated roller flaking into the frame. By that time, your barrel is on its way out and you're looking at another $79 for a new barrel...plus you're back to substandard rollers.

One way to protect your firing pin during dry firing, whether it's the surplus pin or one of the aftermarket pins, is with properly make "snap caps". Snap caps, otherwise known as dummy rounds, are non-firing facsimiles of cartridges including a specially-designed "primer" that allow you to dry fire because it absorbs the impact of the firing pin rather than having the weak shoulders of the CZ-52 firing pin take that shock.

Harrington Products firing pin  upgrades Now available at Makarov.com!

The Czech CZ-52 is an inherently accurate and well-made pistol. The CZ-52 also fires a powerful cartridge, pushing an 85 grain pill between 1450-1900 fps, and is effective at distances exceeding 100 yards. Both the guns and surplus ammo are relatively inexpensive.

Unfortunately, the accuracy potential of the CZ-52 is difficult to realize in practice due to an extremely heavy military trigger pull. The heavy trigger makes the pistol a chore to shoot, with a box or two of ammo the upper limit of comfort for most users. In addition, many CZ-52 pistols frequently break their firing pins. Replacing surplus firing pins is expensive at roughly $15 apiece, when they are available. This is a ridiculous expense for a $150 pistol. Firing pins on a pistol should not break. When was the last time your Glock, SIG, or 1911 style pistol broke its firing pin?

Harrington Products has come up with a series of products which will help your CZ-52 to achieve its full potential. Harrington has re-engineered the firing pin on the CZ-52 to virtually eliminate breakage. Firing pins break on the CZ-52 as the nose work hardens with repeated dry-firing, leading to tip breakage. The Harrington design does not allow the nose of the firing pin to contact anything but the primer during firing. The firing pin nose is therefore immune to damage from dry-firing. We do recommend, however, that if you intend to dry fire the pistol for thousands of rounds that you remove the firing pin to prevent peening the rear of the pin.

As an additional benefit, the design eliminates the heavy military trigger pull of the CZ-52 pistol. This 'drop-in' trigger job results in a crisp trigger in the neighborhood of 3.5-4.0 lbs. If you would like to see what trigger pull results from our drop-in firing pin / trigger conversion of the CZ-52, simply remove the slide from your pistol and dry fire the lower receiver only. We recommend you install a heavy Wolff recoil spring (16.5 pound or heavier [available at Makarov.com]) to achieve the maximum benefit from our firing pin / trigger conversion.

All Harrington Products firing pins are machined from high impact tool steel, hardened to around 42 Rockwell. We are so confident in the quality of this product that we offer the following guarantee: If the firing pin breaks, return it for a free replacement.

Warning! The Harrington CZ52-2 and CZ52-3 firing pin kits effectively disable the firing pin block safety. Instead they use a spring return to retract the firing pin. If the decocker on your CZ-52 is defective (and many are...do the pencil test - put a pencil into the barrel and activate the decocker - if the pencil moves at all, the decocker is basically a trigger!), installing these firing pin kits may increase the chance of a negligent discharge (this is no such thing as an 'accidental' discharge). If you do not feel comfortable with this idea, please do not install this kit in your pistol.

CZ52-1 Military Style Firing Pin  with Rebound spring -  No Longer Available

Modified military style firing pin and firing pin return spring. Installs in the same manner as the factory firing pin. Preserves original military trigger pull weight, but eliminates firing pin tip breakage.

CZ52-2 Competition Firing Pin and Trigger enhancement

Harrington Products firing pin, firing pin return spring, firing pin detent, and firing pin detent spring. Drastically reduces trigger pull weight and eliminates firing pin tip breakage. Installs in a stock CZ-52 slide in seconds. No modification to factory trigger parts. This product will be the best for most users firing factory ammunition. Installing the #CZ52-2 may require modifying the extractor on some pistols. The factory extractor may be modified with a flat or circular file.

CZ50/70-2 Competition firing pin and trigger enhancement for CZ50/70 pistol
Same as CZ52-2, but shorter to fit the CZ-50/70 pistol, which has a similarly-designed firing pin.

CZ52-3 Heavy Competition firing pin and trigger enhancement

Harrington Products firing pin, firing pin return spring, firing pin detent, and firing pin detent spring. Drastically reduces trigger pull weight and eliminates firing pin tip breakage. Installs in the same manner as #CZ52-2, but has a much heavier firing pin return spring. Again, no modification to factory trigger parts, however Installing #CZ52-3 may require modifying the extractor on some pistols. The factory extractor may be modified with a flat or circular file.

Some pistols with extremely heavy recoil springs over 16.5 lbs., and firing strong hand loaded cartridges, may benefit from a heavy firing pin recoil spring.

 CZ-52 Extended Slide Release  - Early Extended Style no longer available

This is basically an aftermarket hold-open catch with a small tab to act as a slide release and manual hold-open catch found on Makarovs and many other pistols. Very handy!

These are a brand new design made exclusively for Makarov.com! Drop-in replacement for your hold-open catch to have a real working slide release and manual hold-open catch.

 CZ-52 Compact Slide Release
Drop-in replacement for your hold-open catch, but these will not interfere with thicker grips such as the walnut grips.

Please Note:  The above two styles of Slide release are no longer made.  However we now offer an Improved ALL MILLED steel version that works with all grip types.  See our Shop Cart for pricing and details.

Hogue HandAll Slip-On Grip
While nobody that we're aware of makes a rubber grip set for the CZ-52, Hogue makes a comfortable universal slip-on grip that fits the CZ-52 very well. The HandAll adds a soft rubber feel to reduce perceived recoil, slight palm swells, and finger grooves in the front for a better grip. We carry the HandAlls on the CZ-52 shopping cart page.
Here's are some pictures (also note the extended floorplate, which is not available at this time):

Walnut and Exotic Wood Replacement Grip Panels
We found a small shop that makes these gorgeous walnut grip panels specifically for the CZ-52. That means they as simple to install as removing the grip clip, dropping the old grips off, putting the new ones on and replacing the grip clip.

Here are some pictures:

Also we offer several styles of Exotic Wood grips, found on the CZ52 Shopping cart Page.

Due to the strength of the pistol, it is possible to purchase and safely use 9x19 aftermarket barrels with 9x19 ammunition. DO NOT fire 9x19 ammunition with a 7.62x25 barrel or vice versa.

- exploded view

The armorer's kit:
These are not for sale as a whole. For perspective, retail value would be around $250 and they are intended to service 10+ guns.

Magazine extended floorplates MJ Facets, the same people who make the extended floorplates for the Makarov, now have the same investment cast brass floorplates for the CZ-52. Enhances the feel of the pistol and makes it easier to pop out the magazine.  Sorry, these are SOLD OUT!

Falco Custom Molded Holsters

We have a source for high-quality leather shoulder holsters specifically made for the CZ-52. They are available in horizontal and vertical (shown above) configurations. The horizontal configuration can also be used as a belt holster.
See the Makarov.com Falco page for more details and pictures.

9x19 Federal Barrel Feeding Problems - as quoted from the Federal conversion instruction sheet

Some CZ-52 pistols converted to 9mm NATO will show feeding problems. This is primarily casued by the fact that the 9mm NATO round is shorter in length than the 7.62x25 Tokarev round. There are 2 areas of concern: magazine feed lips and the way the extractor pushes the live round into the chamber.

Surprisingly the extractor is the main cause of feeding problems. The lower 1/2 of the front end of the extractor actually contacts the round, pushing it into the chamber. By smoothing and rounding the angled surface on the lower 1/2 only, the extractor hook will not disrupt the movement of the round as it jumps around the rim of the cartridge being chambered. To remove the extractor, use a small punch to drive the pivot pin through the slide. This will release both the extractor and its spring. When you reinstall the extractor and its pin and spring, check the firing pin to see if there is free movement by pushing on the rear end against the spring pressure.

Examine the feed lips of the magazine. Look for jagged or bent edges. The metal at the lips is heat treated, so you may not be able to bend them back without weakening them. It may be necessary to have a welder add metal to the leading edges of the feed lips. Excess metal would be removed by a Dremel tool.

Among the accessories and replacement parts available for the CZ-52 are barrels, replacement firing pins, sears, locker rollers, and ejectors. Please drop by the CZ-52 shopping cart page if you need any of these. We have several of the CZ-52 armorer's kits, so there are lots of parts not on the order form. E-mail us or use the feedback form.

Some samples of accessories available on the CZ-52 parts/accessories shopping cart page:

Customization

Greg Covington has done some work on his CZ-52:

Here are the pics of the CZ52 that I modified. I have added a white dot Novak low-mount rear sight and a dovetailed green fiber optic front. Also, you may note that I've removed a considerable amt. of metal where the trigger guard meets the frontstrap to make the gun sit lower in the hand. I then stippled the frontstrap. I've rounded all the sharp edges and refinished the grips in grey. The exterior finish on the pistol is black teflon.

Ballistics

Here are some sites with chronograph data:

• Ken Shackelford's home page
• rec.guns page about Tokarev pistols

Reloading

Makarov.com 7.62x25 Reloading information

Makarov.com 7.62x25 Load data

Starline Brass carries 7.62x25 Tokarev brass.