Vz. 50 🇨🇿 Unraveling Its Legacy

Vz. 50 double-action, semi-automatic pistol .32ACP

1.Introduction 00:00
2.Design 01:20

Introduction
The Vz. 50 (also known as the CZ 50) is a Czechoslovakian made double-action, semi-automatic pistol. Vz is an abbreviation of the Czech (as well as Slovak) term "vzor" meaning model.
The small, pocket-sized Vz.50 was developed during late 1940s for police use and it was chambered for the marginally powerful 7.65×17 Browning ammunition. Influenced by the Walther PP in design, the Vz.50 had several differences in safety and disassembly. In the early 1970s the basic design went through minor face-lift, and the “new” design received the designation of Vz.70. Many Vz.50 pistols were refurbished to Vz.70 standard, with different finish, grip panels and a slightly different safety lever. New Vz.70 pistols were also manufactured between 1970 and 1983. After the replacement in service of the older Vz.50 and Vz.70 by more modern 9mm Vz.82 pistol, most were sold as surplus, as Cz-50 and Cz-70, respectively.

Design
The Vz.50 (commercially sold as Cz-50) is a compact pistol of all-steel construction, firing the relatively weak 7.65mm ammunition. It has a simple blowback action with a fixed barrel. The trigger is double-action, with an exposed hammer and a frame-mounted decocking safety lever. The sights are fixed. Magazines are single stack. The magazine release button is located relatively high on the left side of the frame, behind the trigger. Vz.70 (Cz-70) pistols are similar, with minor differences in the finish, shape of the safety lever and grips. Manual safety is a lever at left side of the frame, behind the trigger guard.