Prototype vz.80: Improved Czech vz.50/70

The vz.50 pistol was a compact .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) double action pocket pistol used by police forces. It was given a face lift and redesigned the vz.70, and there were plans at one point to further modernize it. The new design would have been the vz.80, but only a few prototypes were made – one of which we are looking at today from the CZ reference library. The would-be vz.80 has a barrel about 1cm shorter than the vz.50/70, and a revised mechanism for removing the slide. And other than a few cosmetic changes to parts like the safety, that’s it…

4 Comments

  1. The vertically moving disassembly lock is to a degree like that of the vz 52 pistol. Although, because the vz 52 is recoil operated, slide and barrel come off as a single unit after a short forward (not backward) movement. The hard thing is to lift the vz 52 barrel out of the slide against the powerful recoil spring.
    I am glad the (at the time unique) automatic firing pin safety introduced with the vz 50 was kept.

  2. Serial Number 3250…. as in 32ACP-vz50.

    Not too enigmatic. I don’t think a lot of thought went into it since it was a manually done serial number in the first place.

  3. improving the takedown button is a great start, now the real trick would be relocating the mag release.

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