I and a friend I've recently gotten into guns both want a CZ-52 as our first handgun. They're cheap, reliable, and the performance of the 7.62x25mm round is impressive in my book. Here are some questions we've become concerned with:

1) How does recoil compare to 9mm and .45ACP? I know they have impressive muzzle flash and sound like hand cannons, but is the recoil punishing or comparable to more common pistol rounds?

2) What ammo works best for different uses? We want a tamer load for plinking and target practice and a hotter (but safe to use) load for defense/hunting. I currently carry .357 Magnum as a sidearm when hunting or camping and recently killed a feral boar with a round to the head. I need something that works on people and tough animals reliably.

3) I understand that the decocker on some pistols gets worn and can fire the gun when used. How do I prevent this and how do I find out whether or not my pistol is likely to do this prior to having an AD?

4) What is a good source for spare magazines? Every CZ-52 I've seen for sale comes with two 8-rnd magazines and the leather holster (some come with the barrel removal tool as well). Frankly, two magazines isn't enough for ANY gun.

5) Are there any other issues, quirks, or problems with the pistol that we need to be aware of prior to purchasing and firing a CZ-52?

Quoted: I and a friend I've recently gotten into guns both want a CZ-52 as our first handgun. They're cheap, reliable, and the performance of the 7.62x25mm round is impressive in my book. Here are some questions we've become concerned with: 1) How does recoil compare to 9mm and .45ACP? I know they have impressive muzzle flash and sound like hand cannons, but is the recoil punishing or comparable to more common pistol rounds? 2) What ammo works best for different uses? We want a tamer load for plinking and target practice and a hotter (but safe to use) load for defense/hunting. I currently carry .357 Magnum as a sidearm when hunting or camping and recently killed a feral boar with a round to the head. I need something that works on people and tough animals reliably. 3) I understand that the decocker on some pistols gets worn and can fire the gun when used. How do I prevent this and how do I find out whether or not my pistol is likely to do this prior to having an AD? 4) What is a good source for spare magazines? Every CZ-52 I've seen for sale comes with two 8-rnd magazines and the leather holster (some come with the barrel removal tool as well). Frankly, two magazines isn't enough for ANY gun. 5) Are there any other issues, quirks, or problems with the pistol that we need to be aware of prior to purchasing and firing a CZ-52?

I love my CZ-52.  With that said, I will answer your questions....

1)recoil is similar to a .357 mag, not bad at all considering the velocity

2)I don't think they are many varying loads out there.  It is not the most common round, so buy it when you find it.  Unfortunately, we cannot be picky with this caliber.

3)Use the decock and your thumb at the same time to slowly decock.

4)Mags use to be plentiful, but are getting hard to come by.  Expect to pay about $20, and keep your eye on the gunboards

5) Do not dryfire as the firing pins are known to be brittle.  However, makarov.com has aftermarket pins for about $10 that are much stronger.

IN my opinion, they are one of the best milsurp values on the market.

Here is a pic of mine.......

Quoted: Quoted: I and a friend I've recently gotten into guns both want a CZ-52 as our first handgun. They're cheap, reliable, and the performance of the 7.62x25mm round is impressive in my book. Here are some questions we've become concerned with: 1) How does recoil compare to 9mm and .45ACP? I know they have impressive muzzle flash and sound like hand cannons, but is the recoil punishing or comparable to more common pistol rounds? 2) What ammo works best for different uses? We want a tamer load for plinking and target practice and a hotter (but safe to use) load for defense/hunting. I currently carry .357 Magnum as a sidearm when hunting or camping and recently killed a feral boar with a round to the head. I need something that works on people and tough animals reliably. 3) I understand that the decocker on some pistols gets worn and can fire the gun when used. How do I prevent this and how do I find out whether or not my pistol is likely to do this prior to having an AD? 4) What is a good source for spare magazines? Every CZ-52 I've seen for sale comes with two 8-rnd magazines and the leather holster (some come with the barrel removal tool as well). Frankly, two magazines isn't enough for ANY gun. 5) Are there any other issues, quirks, or problems with the pistol that we need to be aware of prior to purchasing and firing a CZ-52? I love my CZ-52.  With that said, I will answer your questions.... 1)recoil is similar to a .357 mag, not bad at all considering the velocity Okay, so it's not a hand cannon. It just looks and sounds like one to observers. 2)I don't think they are many varying loads out there.  It is not the most common round, so buy it when you find it.  Unfortunately, we cannot be picky with this caliber. Okay, not much variety. Are there any particular brands to avoid though? 3)Use the decock and your thumb at the same time to slowly decock. I've never trusted a decocker on any gun, so I don't think this will be a problem. 4)Mags use to be plentiful, but are getting hard to come by.  Expect to pay about $20, and keep your eye on the gunboards I might have found a place that sells factory magazines for a decent price. 5) Do not dryfire as the firing pins are known to be brittle.  However, makarov.com has aftermarket pins for about $10 that are much stronger. I knew about the frangibile firing pin already. I plan on replacing it and using a snap cap if I want to do a lot of dry-firing. IN my opinion, they are one of the best milsurp values on the market. Here is a pic of mine....... home.earthlink.net/~ksbhjohnson/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/czodclose.jpg

Ick. I never liked those green bakelite grips. The black bakelite or the mahogany grips look good though.

they are very nice pistols, and extremely accurate..........and are a great bargain. I bought one for like 119 bucks at a gun show, and it is brand spankin’ new, it wasn't imported by CENTURY but by TG out of knox ky......the import mark is at the bottom of the frame near the front, font is small and very inconspicuous.....unlike the ones imported by CENTURY that is like a billboard on the slide ...........the only negative I will say about them is the mags tend to be a bit pricy.

Quoted: Sellier&Bellot and FNM are the main source of new factory ammo. Fuzzy memory says Coles may have FNM SP too. Ditto the importer stamp comment. They steer from the rear rollers, so wear there affects accuracy like the front collar slop on a .45. Decocking seems to require a factory pin, which is brittle on dry fires. Other pins can be abused more, but I would not trust their decocker. Put a pencil in the gun and see if it moves when you decock... Watch out for Tokarev mags sold as CZ52 mags; note holes vs slots on the mag side as a prime clue. Accept tiny sights; I painted my front post to help. Oddly, the same 'choke up and steer a bit with the thumb' grip for a tiny Keltec also works for my 52 accuracy. Comparing parts $ to guns...go out of your way to get as new as you can find.

I'm not worried about tiny sights. The only handgun I've ever carried has crappy fixed sights that shoot six inches low at thirty yards, so I've trained myself to ignore the sights and just point and shoot. Doing that, I can at least hit what I aim for.

Now, I understand a CZ-52 isn't easy to point-and-shoot the way a 1911 would be (I need a 1911 too), but I've been told that they are extremely accurate when fired from a two-handed position, which is how I normally shoot anyway.

As for parts... The CZ-52 is cheap enough that I'll probably just stockpile half a dozen and a few thousand rounds of ammo for them. If one breaks, wears out, or otherwise malfunctions, I'll take it to a smith to get it repaired. If it's TEOTWAWKI and the gun gets busted, well, I've got plenty of spares, now don't I.

I was looking at buying one of these guns from SOG: www.southernohiogun.com/surplushandguns.html. Do you think this is the best place to get one? I like the price and the power of the ammo. I notice that cheaper than dirt has the ammo for about $8.99 a box. Anybody know any other suppiers?

Quoted: I and a friend I've recently gotten into guns both want a CZ-52 as our first handgun. They're cheap, reliable, and the performance of the 7.62x25mm round is impressive in my book. Here are some questions we've become concerned with: 1) How does recoil compare to 9mm and .45ACP? I know they have impressive muzzle flash and sound like hand cannons, but is the recoil punishing or comparable to more common pistol rounds?9mm like 2) What ammo works best for different uses? We want a tamer load for plinking and target practice and a hotter (but safe to use) load for defense/hunting. I currently carry .357 Magnum as a sidearm when hunting or camping and recently killed a feral boar with a round to the head. I need something that works on people and tough animals reliably.look for Czech ammo it is hottest.  There are better defense platforms 3) I understand that the decocker on some pistols gets worn and can fire the gun when used. How do I prevent this and how do I find out whether or not my pistol is likely to do this prior to having an AD? has not happened to me 4) What is a good source for spare magazines? Every CZ-52 I've seen for sale comes with two 8-rnd magazines and the leather holster (some come with the barrel removal tool as well). Frankly, two magazines isn't enough for ANY gun.  tool maybe worth a couple extra bucks barrel is a pain to extract and put back 5) Are there any other issues, quirks, or problems with the pistol that we need to be aware of prior to purchasing and firing a CZ-52?

it is boxy it 90'degree edges and good grips are pricy