I have a CZ38 and don't find it ugly at all, but quite good looking in a European sort of way. It shoots nicely, is very slim in width and beautifully, precisely machined like all CZ pistols of that era. The design is clever and so simple to take down. At 41,000 made it's rare yet affordable. What's not to like?
That it hadnt gone through the typical refinement processes that firearms generaly go through when the pre-productions models go out, get tested and sent back with the observation memo detailing the changes that the military wants done to them?
Call me crazy but... I actually don't mind the way it looks at all, the overall shape isn't actually that bad and I like the simple, heavy color scheme.
@Caffeinated Wizard I'm not a fan of Highpoint but from what I can see they are pretty accurate and reliable. Personally, I can't get over how ugly they are and that pot metal slide. If you can't afford anything else, I guess it beats a rock or a sharp stick lol.
Not the most beautiful pistol I’ve ever seen. But it looks well-designed, reasonably easy to maintain, not over engineered, and perfectly suitable for sidearm use.
I am from Czech rep and I live close to the city of Strakonice, where the gun was assembled and I have to say you have very good pronounciation of czech words! Thanks for videos!
I really like my Vz-38! It’s a pleasure to shoot. It’s very well made. And it’s quite accurate. It will continue to shoot a hundred years from now due to the extra heavy quality steel it is made from.
Five springs, could have been 4 if they had adopted a coil hammer spring and used it for the mag release. Release catch sprung from the recoil spring, the little wire coil foot set in the transfer bar to provide trigger reset AND transfer bar tension, the leaf hammer spring, and then a small spring for each the hammer catch (that little tooth that catches in the safety notch when the slide cycles after the trigger is pulled) and the mag release. Dead frickin' simple.
Thank you so much for this post! I have several CZ's, including a couple cold war ones. Have a 70, 52, and today picked up a 27. I thought I was done for a while picking up these early CZ's, but now I just might have to search for one to these! I like how different it is from some other early CZ's, maybe not that much different in some ways, but I have a great interest in early CZ's, my gf is Czech, born there in 1946, she was there when a lot of these early CZ's were produced!! Edit 01-13-19: Well, I just recently added a CZ 38 to my collection, I really love it! Ugly? Not in my mind! I love the smoothness of it, very clean and uncluttered, and the trigger is buttery smooth, no sign of grit at all! If you're interested, here is the link to my (literaly) unboxing of it as I received it! ruclips.net/video/r-sTXKOOUBg/видео.html Also, I previously picked up a CZ 82 to add to my collection, why not???!!!
Wow -- it reminds me a little of the new Walther Creed with the double-action only bobbed hammer. And in a time when machining was still by hand and soldiers could still be hastily-trained conscripts without shooting experience, the simplicity of the system seems well-suited to the era -- it looks like there's just very little that could go awry either in manufacture or in service (I mean, you can't even lose the barrel if you're doing a field strip). In some respects, it's almost a proto-self defense pistol (hyper-simple controls, DA only, easy disassembly, etc.).
Ian: I own a VZ38 Serial # 280042 which though it does NOT have a knurled hammer it DOES work Single/Double Action. All markings on it are correct. DO I have a unicorn, something weird or just a later made variant not usually seen?
Of all the guns that I’ve seen Ian review, this is perhaps the only one that actually piques my interest. I hope I find one of these for myself someday.
Once again you have provided the answer to a question that I have had arise on a few occasions when I would run up on a black and white still photo which portrayed a German soldier holding what to me was a mystery pistol. Of course those photos were used in context with whatever WWII history book I happened to be reading at the time and no reference was made as to the origin of the pistol shown. Since the pistol looked kind of "funky" compared to a Luger, Browning, or just about any other pistol that I KNEW the Germans issued on anything approaching a large scale I just assumed the "funky" pistol was a late war production of something cheap that could be stuck together quickly and issued to the troops.
Ian, if you ever get a chance, look at a Grand Power K100. It's a little-known modern pistol with an interesting design and action. It's machining is very high quality and it shoots very smoothly. The gun is also ambidextrous.
my father used one for sport shooting here in germany. In the 90s, i think. He alwas described it as a raw block of steel, totally underpowered. He selled it for DM 350...
For what it is, it looks pretty simple and effective. Easy to strip and clean. We have to remember that most militaries (other than US) did not consider pistols important until modern times. They were primarily a sign of rank for officers and senior NCO's. So for these purposes a .380 was fine, and in some armies even a .32 or the equivalent (Japan). The US ans Britain were about the only ones who emphasized stopping power, by adhering to big-bore cartridges. And even the Brits went to the .38 by WW2, putting forward the fiction that it was just as effective as the .455 (on what planet in which alternative universe??!!). Anyway, the Czechs have been making robust, serviceable guns for many decades. Great video as always. Thank you
Actually, members of operations Anthropoid, Silver A and B and Out Distance during their last stand in the church in Prague were armed with CZ38s and Colt 1903s against 750 SS troups
Looking under the skin and I think a lot of great engineering went into that little pistol. Actually I don't find it ugly either, although I have seen guns that I felt were things of beauty, the Luger comes to mind, and even the old M1911A1 is, in fact a thing of beauty in itself, this gun is not all that bad. The way they made it work though, that is the true beauty of the pistol, I just find it enduring, and something a fellow could knock out in the back yard workshop if he had a few old machine tools.
Thanks! The gun has really some beautiful design ideas. Unfortunately, you did not say about the purpose of the part located behind the long rod. I think that this is a very important detail, this is a guard against accidental hammering of the trigger, i.e. a random shot when a pistol falls to the ground 2. Tell us about the effort on the trigger and the effect of its length on the ease of shooting.
There is something to be said for beauty in simplicity, it's not elegant like a 1911 or a 75 but there are a few guns out there that people think are Marilyn Monroe, that remind me of Phyllis Diller.
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, and Yugoslavia all adopted .380 Auto as their standard military sidearm caliber before the start of the series of conflicts we now call "World War Two". Germany used it extensively as a substitute standard, and the Soviets adopted a slightly enhanced version of the caliber (9x18mm Makarov) after the war, replacing the more powerful 7.62x25mm TT33. Ironically, the Czechs under Soviet rule adopted the 7.62x25 CZ52 instead. .380 is totally adequate.
Soldiers actually liked them more than CZ vz.24. Cavalry even positively rated the DAO trigger, being less possible to be accidentally discharged during riding than SA of vz.24... Also this gun led to development of CZ-75.
I was at my local gun range when a woman brought one of these out to shoot. I didn't have the slightest clue what the hell it was, besides the name stamped on the gun. She wanted me to show her how to use it, but since I was unfamiliar with the gun, I declined. She also brought an H&R 32 S&W and was looking for ammo for it. I laughed when the gun store own told her that he had one box that had been sitting on the shelf for literally over 20 years. She was the first person to actually ask for that caliber.
“Liberated but not Free”:The handgun Overall not a bad looking handgun little to no groves or texture definitely a design of the time considering being a “prewar” gun. I’m not a gun expert or collector by any means but I’d definitely have one just for a conversation piece and for the purposes of preserving Czech firearms history.
The ones ended in Bulgaria had safety on the left side of the frame. Around 2 000 units from 39 to 41 for the police force of Sofia, the capital of the country. Known as CZ39 Bulgarian.
Why did so many gun makers start their serial numbers really high? Were they trying to pretend they were making many more guns than they actually were? If so why?
I wouldn't call it idiot proof as that side plate can be lost, it has a screw which can be lost, the grip can be lost. If it had to be idiot proof, you'd need to make everything stick to the gun.
Looks like it would be easy to make. Maybe Cz should bring it back at a cheap price in common cartridges. Give Hipoint competition in the cheapy department.
Ooh come on, it's got a good personality.
nice
@@jackfenrir4975 real nice
Got to have a personality of mother Theresa before I use the ugly m...
I have a CZ38 and don't find it ugly at all, but quite good looking in a European sort of way. It shoots nicely, is very slim in width and beautifully, precisely machined like all CZ pistols of that era. The design is clever and so simple to take down. At 41,000 made it's rare yet affordable. What's not to like?
Old Dirtbiker definitely has that Euro feel.
That it hadnt gone through the typical refinement processes that firearms generaly go through when the pre-productions models go out, get tested and sent back with the observation memo detailing the changes that the military wants done to them?
Yeah I really like mine too. it's got a ton of ingenuity in it.
Call me crazy but...
I actually don't mind the way it looks at all, the overall shape isn't actually that bad and I like the simple, heavy color scheme.
I'm fine with the way it looks also. Looks like a litte bit fatter Roth Steyr with detachable magazines.
@Caffeinated Wizard I'm not a fan of Highpoint but from what I can see they are pretty accurate and reliable. Personally, I can't get over how ugly they are and that pot metal slide. If you can't afford anything else, I guess it beats a rock or a sharp stick lol.
Better than combat tupperware if you ask me
Kinda looks like a Czech 1909 Hammerless to me.
yeah
I love how simple this weapon is, no over complication and no waste.
On the Rock Island website for the lot, they got it wrong, and put the wrong video for this gun: they added the Jet Li video instead of this one... =P
There is CZ 38 in that Jet Li video
Idiots
So how much did it sell for?
Looks like something designed to be used in winter with gloves on.
that's probably why the Finns used them
Or Astronaut Gloves...
Not the most beautiful pistol I’ve ever seen. But it looks well-designed, reasonably easy to maintain, not over engineered, and perfectly suitable for sidearm use.
My thoughts exactly. I wouldn't complain too much if I was issued with one instead of a Luger.
Not a nice looking gun but not that ugly...
Agreed
You aren't wrong, but it is ugly "for a Czech gun." It's a higher standard to meet.
Kinda reminds me of a styer hann just in profile
There's definitely something to be said about the utility and simplicity of it; almost as if it excuses its appearance.
klaasvaak0413 looks beter then a highpoint c9 but its so simple it like the old ugly duckling 944 Porsche not the prettiest thing just works
I love the simplicity of the design and it's obvious they put a decent amount of thought into making the manufacturing process as simple as possible.
I am from Czech rep and I live close to the city of Strakonice, where the gun was assembled and I have to say you have very good pronounciation of czech words! Thanks for videos!
Simplicity in operation at it's best.
I really like my Vz-38! It’s a pleasure to shoot. It’s very well made. And it’s quite accurate. It will continue to shoot a hundred years from now due to the extra heavy quality steel it is made from.
I really like how simple it’s designed, it’s small slide, it’s large trigger guard, this looks like a really reliable pistol and easy to clean.
That has got to be the most simple action for a pistol I've ever seen
Am I the only one who finds the design super intriguing and aesthetically pleasing in a way?
The gun actually looks like a short barrel version of your Forgotten weapons logo
Now THIS looks like a gun you could make in your garage.
Five springs, could have been 4 if they had adopted a coil hammer spring and used it for the mag release. Release catch sprung from the recoil spring, the little wire coil foot set in the transfer bar to provide trigger reset AND transfer bar tension, the leaf hammer spring, and then a small spring for each the hammer catch (that little tooth that catches in the safety notch when the slide cycles after the trigger is pulled) and the mag release.
Dead frickin' simple.
It may not be flashy and elegant, but it looks beautiful in its simplicity and function.
Rock Island Auction Company should be giving you a commission. Seriously your channel is way better than any advertising they could buy.
I'm relatively sure Ian does not do the RIA videos for free. I'm pretty sure a man of his talents is being compensated for his time.
Thank you so much for this post! I have several CZ's, including a couple cold war ones. Have a 70, 52, and today picked up a 27. I thought I was done for a while picking up these early CZ's, but now I just might have to search for one to these! I like how different it is from some other early CZ's, maybe not that much different in some ways, but I have a great interest in early CZ's, my gf is Czech, born there in 1946, she was there when a lot of these early CZ's were produced!!
Edit 01-13-19: Well, I just recently added a CZ 38 to my collection, I really love it! Ugly? Not in my mind! I love the smoothness of it, very clean and uncluttered, and the trigger is buttery smooth, no sign of grit at all! If you're interested, here is the link to my (literaly) unboxing of it as I received it!
ruclips.net/video/r-sTXKOOUBg/видео.html
Also, I previously picked up a CZ 82 to add to my collection, why not???!!!
While the CZ38 may look unappealing, it still has excellent firepower. The CZ75 is my personal favorite out of the CZ family.
Wow -- it reminds me a little of the new Walther Creed with the double-action only bobbed hammer. And in a time when machining was still by hand and soldiers could still be hastily-trained conscripts without shooting experience, the simplicity of the system seems well-suited to the era -- it looks like there's just very little that could go awry either in manufacture or in service (I mean, you can't even lose the barrel if you're doing a field strip). In some respects, it's almost a proto-self defense pistol (hyper-simple controls, DA only, easy disassembly, etc.).
Love your videos. I don't understand how anyone can feel right about disliking any of your uploads.
Thanks Gun Jesus
The disassembly is beautiful, love the FCG. Clean, simple, functional.
Ian: I own a VZ38 Serial # 280042 which though it does NOT have a knurled hammer it DOES work Single/Double Action. All markings on it are correct. DO I have a unicorn, something weird or just a later made variant not usually seen?
I have one of these, it was given to my uncle after the war from a friend then came to me when he passed
Of all the guns that I’ve seen Ian review, this is perhaps the only one that actually piques my interest. I hope I find one of these for myself someday.
I really like the simplistic designs. There's just something quite clever about them.
Once again you have provided the answer to a question that I have had arise on a few occasions when I would run up on a black and white still photo which portrayed a German soldier holding what to me was a mystery pistol. Of course those photos were used in context with whatever WWII history book I happened to be reading at the time and no reference was made as to the origin of the pistol shown. Since the pistol looked kind of "funky" compared to a Luger, Browning, or just about any other pistol that I KNEW the Germans issued on anything approaching a large scale I just assumed the "funky" pistol was a late war production of something cheap that could be stuck together quickly and issued to the troops.
Yeah this is actually beautiful. Would carry as a designer antique self-defense option tbh.
Just bought one. Thank you Ian
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.🥰
Thumbs up Ian for the very accurate pronunciation of the Czech "vzor" .
Its pretty cool they have designed the grips wrapping around the frame.
Gotta love that simplicity.
my father had one for sport shooting here in germany. i believe it was post-war model. very precise and well fitting gun!
So chiggety Czech yourself before you wreck yourself because .38 bullets is bad for ya health!
Damn that is too funny...oh man just the laugh I needed this weekend!
Funny fact, trey eight is a slang term for .38 caliber pistols used in the song Check Yo self.
I think that design of the pistol is so simple It can be called genius.
Ian, if you ever get a chance, look at a Grand Power K100. It's a little-known modern pistol with an interesting design and action. It's machining is very high quality and it shoots very smoothly. The gun is also ambidextrous.
I love disassembly mechanisms like this.
It may be a tad bit ugly, but I love the simplicity, ease of maintenance, and design overall.
CZ75 - true love.
Really enjoyed this one! My grandfather brought one back from his time in the service during WWII
I think it looks cool as hell.
elegantly simple
Simplicity is perfection (see also the Vz.58 which has fewer parts than an AKM).
my father had one of these 15 years ago (9mm kurz) used it for sport shooting and is still sad that he gave it away Great gun really!!! :D
Great !
Looks similar to 1912 Steyr Hahn for some reason
Luscious Luchs afaik Germans used small number of 9mm parabellum versions of Steyr Hahn in WW2, I think CRsenal mentioned that
Well, Steyr Hahn was disigned by Karel Krnka - who was indeed Czech.
my father used one for sport shooting here in germany. In the 90s, i think. He alwas described it as a raw block of steel, totally underpowered. He selled it for DM 350...
It's a pretty slick takedown design. Nice and simple with very few parts that may get lost when doing maintenance in the field.
Oooo a double action only semi-auto! Those are rare, but I always love them. :D
I would love to see a repro of this made in 22lr. It seems like it would be easy to produce for a reasonable price.
When you took slide off I was all where the heck is the recoil spring. Interesting pistol.
Thank you .
besides the wonky grip it looks pretty ideal for a combat pistol. simple rugged looks pretty grunt proof. such a clean design I'm actually amazed
The grip was probably intended to give a firm hold while firing DAO.
A bit like the ergonomic grip on the Enfield No.2 Mk1* revolver.
For what it is, it looks pretty simple and effective. Easy to strip and clean. We have to remember that most militaries (other than US) did not consider pistols important until modern times. They were primarily a sign of rank for officers and senior NCO's. So for these purposes a .380 was fine, and in some armies even a .32 or the equivalent (Japan). The US ans Britain were about the only ones who emphasized stopping power, by adhering to big-bore cartridges. And even the Brits went to the .38 by WW2, putting forward the fiction that it was just as effective as the .455 (on what planet in which alternative universe??!!). Anyway, the Czechs have been making robust, serviceable guns for many decades. Great video as always. Thank you
Actually, members of operations Anthropoid, Silver A and B and Out Distance during their last stand in the church in Prague were armed with CZ38s and Colt 1903s against 750 SS troups
I miss his older videos where he almost detail disassembles the gun all the way
Looking under the skin and I think a lot of great engineering went into that little pistol. Actually I don't find it ugly either, although I have seen guns that I felt were things of beauty, the Luger comes to mind, and even the old M1911A1 is, in fact a thing of beauty in itself, this gun is not all that bad. The way they made it work though, that is the true beauty of the pistol, I just find it enduring, and something a fellow could knock out in the back yard workshop if he had a few old machine tools.
i've realised that in the last few months i've developed an strong liking for old strange and unique firearms. i can't even look at glocks anymore.
This is like the perfect gun.
Think about it!
Tell a person to make a drawing of a gun, and this is what they would end up with.
Thanks! The gun has really some beautiful design ideas. Unfortunately, you did not say about the purpose of the part located behind the long rod. I think that this is a very important detail, this is a guard against accidental hammering of the trigger, i.e. a random shot when a pistol falls to the ground 2. Tell us about the effort on the trigger and the effect of its length on the ease of shooting.
Thanks Ian :)
I love it and I want one. There!
I think it's pretty nice looking...
There is something to be said for beauty in simplicity, it's not elegant like a 1911 or a 75 but there are a few guns out there that people think are Marilyn Monroe, that remind me of Phyllis Diller.
I kinda like the look of it.
Dude, that's so cool. I'm totally going to have to copy aspects of this design. Simply genius in some of it's features.
heh, your footage got shared on belgian national television today, no credits ofc
but i recognise the table and hands any day
Well, still less derpy and more reliable than the Cz.52
Very good sights for a gun of its age.
Too be honest, I love the look.
The Czech republic: beautiful women, ugly guns.
Germany: Beautiful weapons....
It looks like a pistol design straight out of a 1920s Pulp Magazine.
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, and Yugoslavia all adopted .380 Auto as their standard military sidearm caliber before the start of the series of conflicts we now call "World War Two". Germany used it extensively as a substitute standard, and the Soviets adopted a slightly enhanced version of the caliber (9x18mm Makarov) after the war, replacing the more powerful 7.62x25mm TT33. Ironically, the Czechs under Soviet rule adopted the 7.62x25 CZ52 instead. .380 is totally adequate.
Czechoslovakian ammo was 7 grams propelled for 300m/s so it was +p+ fmj ammo.
Soldiers actually liked them more than CZ vz.24. Cavalry even positively rated the DAO trigger, being less possible to be accidentally discharged during riding than SA of vz.24...
Also this gun led to development of CZ-75.
That gun makes a Hi-Point look beautiful
Interesting the Germans allowed the use of the Czech lion normally they pretty much removed all previous links to the pre invasion state.
Reminds me a bit of the Tokarev TT33...
I have one that I inherited, it’s priceless to me but very accurate and flat for its age
This reminds me of that one cursed image of the Luger Glock hybrid for some reason
“There can’t be a gun uglier than thi-“ *Zip 22*
I was at my local gun range when a woman brought one of these out to shoot. I didn't have the slightest clue what the hell it was, besides the name stamped on the gun. She wanted me to show her how to use it, but since I was unfamiliar with the gun, I declined. She also brought an H&R 32 S&W and was looking for ammo for it. I laughed when the gun store own told her that he had one box that had been sitting on the shelf for literally over 20 years. She was the first person to actually ask for that caliber.
“Liberated but not Free”:The handgun
Overall not a bad looking handgun little to no groves or texture definitely a design of the time considering being a “prewar” gun. I’m not a gun expert or collector by any means but I’d definitely have one just for a conversation piece and for the purposes of preserving Czech firearms history.
Very interesting article a surprisingly simple operation.
Ugly, subjective. If it is in working order and dispatches a threat efficiently, its beautiful!!
The ones ended in Bulgaria had safety on the left side of the frame. Around 2 000 units from 39 to 41 for the police force of Sofia, the capital of the country. Known as CZ39 Bulgarian.
Is there any additional value to these with a safety? I have an opportunity to purchase one very soon with a safety.
Why did so many gun makers start their serial numbers really high? Were they trying to pretend they were making many more guns than they actually were? If so why?
I dont think it is an ugly handgun at all and it's simplicity is quite striking!
Very good design
Actually a good gun. Have a friend who has one and it is a nice shooting gun which i can personally attest to.
I want to see more Warsaw pact guns. P-83 Wanad please!
Surprised nobody makes these in their garages. I'd buy a single-action variant...
I wouldn't call it idiot proof as that side plate can be lost, it has a screw which can be lost, the grip can be lost.
If it had to be idiot proof, you'd need to make everything stick to the gun.
Looks like it would be easy to make. Maybe Cz should bring it back at a cheap price in common cartridges. Give Hipoint competition in the cheapy department.
I might be wierd but I love the looks of the gun