Škorpion vz. 61

The '''Škorpion vz. 61' is a Czechoslovakian 7.65 mm submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by Miroslav Rybář (1924-1970) and produced under the official designation Samopal vzor 61'' ("Submachine gun model 1961") by the Česká Zbrojovka arms factory in Uherský Brod. Although it was developed for use with security forces, the submachine gun was also accepted into service with the Czechoslovak Army, as a personal sidearm for lower-ranking army staff, vehicle drivers, armored vehicle personnel and special forces. Currently the weapon is in use with the armed forces of: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Angola, Croatia, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Mozambique and Uganda. Production rights to the submachine gun were also acquired by the Yugoslavian Crvena Zastava factory (currently Zastava Arms), which license-built the weapon in the 1980s as the M84. It features a synthetic pistol grip compared to the original version (a civilian, semi-automatic pistol version was also produced, known as the M84A, also available in 9x17mm Short).

Design details
The Škorpion uses the 7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) pistol cartridge, which was the standard service cartridge of the Czechoslovak security forces. It is a select-fire, straight blowback operated weapon that fires from the closed bolt. The weapon’s compact dimensions were achieved by using a telescopic bolt carrier assembly that wraps around a considerable length of the barrel. The weapon features a spring-loaded casing extractor, installed inside the bolt assembly and a fixed, double ejector, which is a protrusion in the weapon’s frame. Spent casings are ejected upwards through a port in the receiver housing’s top cover.

The weapon has a hammer striker and a trigger mechanism with a fire mode selector, whose lever, mounted on the left side of the receiver, above the pistol grip, has three settings: “0” – weapon safe, “1” – semi-automatic mode and “20” – fully automatic fire. The “safe” setting disables the trigger mechanism and the bolt in the forward position (by sliding the bolt catch lever upwards). The Škorpion uses two types of double-column curved magazines: a 10-round (loaded weight – 0.15 kg) or a long 20-round capacity magazine (loaded weight – 0.25 kg). The bolt remains locked open when the last cartridge from the magazine has been fired and can be snapped forward by pulling the cocking handle knob slightly to the rear. The Škorpion is equipped with an inertial rate reducer device (housed inside the wooden pistol grip) used to lower the weapon's rate of fire, open-type iron sights (mechanically adjustable forward post and flip rear sight with 75 and 150 m range settings) and a folding metal wire shoulder stock, that folds up and over the receiver and is locked on the front sight’s protection capture.

The Škorpion along with a short magazine is carried like a pistol – in a leather holster, and the two spare long magazines are carried in a separate pouch. The weapon comes with: a cleaning kit, front sight adjustment tool, oil bottle and lanyard. The firearm can also be used with a sound suppressor.

Variants
In the 1960s, three other variants of the vz. 61 were developed in Czechoslovakia: the '''vz. 64 (chambered for the 9x18mm Makarov pistol cartridge), vz. 65 (designed for use with the 9x17mm Browning Short cartridge) and the vz. 68''' (in 9x19mm Parabellum), however production of these variants was never undertaken. In the 1990s CZ offered the following submachine guns: the '''vz. 61 E (7.65x17mm Browning SR version with a synthetic plastic pistol grip), vz. 82 (9x18mm Makarov) and vz. 83''' (for the 9x17mm Browning Short cartridge). A semi-automatic only variant known as the CZ-91S was developed for the civilian market, available in the aforementioned calibers. The vz. 82, vz. 83 and CZ-91S pistols chambered in 9 mm, use straight box magazines.