CZ Model 25



The CZ Model 25 (properly, Sa 25 or vz.48b (samopal vzor 48 výsadkový ... submachine gun model year 1948 para)) was perhaps the best known of a series of Czechoslovak designed submachine guns introduced in 1948. There were four generally very similar submachine guns in this series: the Sa 23, Sa 24, Sa 25, and Sa 26. The primary designer was Vaclav Holek (Hogg 1979:157).

The Sa 23 series utilize a straightforwards blowback action, with no locked breech, and fire from the open bolt position. They also use a progressive trigger for selecting between semi-automatic fire and fully automatic fire. Lightly pulling on the trigger will fire a single shot. Pulling the trigger further to the rear in a continuous motion will fire fully automatically, until the trigger is released or the magazine is empty.

The Sa 23 series were the first production-model submachine guns with a telescoping bolt, in which the forwards part of the moving bolt extends forwards past the back end of the barrel, wrapping around that barrel. This feature reduces the required length of the submachine gun significantly and allows for better balance and handling. Handling was further improved by using a single vertical handgrip housing the ammunition magazine and trigger mechanism, roughly centered along the gun's length. The gun's receiver was machined from a single circular steel tube.

The design of the Sa 23 series submachine guns is most notable in the west for having heavily inspired the slightly later Uzi submachine gun (Hogg 1979:157).

Variations
The Sa 24 and Sa 26 were introduced after Czechoslovakia joined the Warsaw Pact, and were redesigned to fire 7.62x25 mm standard Soviet type pistol ammunition.
 * The Sa 23 (vz.48a) was the first variant, using a fixed wood stock and firing standard 9 mm Luger Parabellum (aka 9 mm or 9x19) ammunition. Has a straight vertical pistol grip and ammunition magazine. Magazines were issued with 24 and 40 round capacity.
 * The Sa 25 (vz.48b) was the second and perhaps best known variant, using a folding metal stock, still firing 9x19 ammunition. Other than the folding stock, is identical to the Sa 23 and uses the same 24 and 40 round magazines.
 * The Sa 24 (vz.48/51a) corresponds to the Sa 23, using a fixed wood stock and firing 7.62x25 ammunition. Can be visually distinguished from Sa 23 as it has a slightly forwards-slanted pistol grip and ammunition magazine, though the main receiver and other components are otherwise visibly identical. Was issued with 32 round magazines.
 * The Sa 26 (vz.48/51b) corresponds to the Sa 25, with a folding metal stock but otherwise identical to the Sa 24, using the same 32 round magazines.

Specifications

 * Caliber: 7.62 x 25 mm, 9 x 19 mm
 * Weight: 3.27 kg empty (folding stock models Sa 25, Sa 26); 3.5 kg empty (fixed wood stock models Sa 23, Sa 24)
 * Length: 445 mm folding stock model folded (Sa 25, Sa 26); 686 mm fixed stock and unfolded folding stock
 * Length of barrel: 284 mm
 * Cyclic rate: 650 rpm
 * Magazine capacity: 24 or 40 round (9 mm Sa 23, Sa 25); 32 round (7.62 mm Sa 24, Sa 26)

Recent history
After the Sa 25 was declared obsolete in 1968, many of the 9 mm weapons were sold around the world. The surplus weapons were exported to other communist countries including North Vietnam. A somewhat-modified copy of the 9x19 model was produced in Rhodesia in the early 1970s as the LDP. Manufacture was later transferred to South Africa where it was briefly marketed as the Sanna 77 in semi-automatic fire only, for sale and use by white farmers as protection during the country's difficulties.

Users

 * 🇰🇭 cambodia
 * 🇨🇿 czech republic
 * undefined
 * 🇿🇦 south africa
 * undefined