Vz. 54
| vz. 54 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Bolt-action rifle |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Czech Republic |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Sergei Ivanovich Mosin, Léon Nagant, Otakar Galeš / Považské strojírny |
| Designed | 1891/1949 |
| Manufacturer | Soviet Union/Czechoslovakia |
| Produced | 1951 |
| No. built | 1970/1991 |
| Variants | vz. 54/91 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.63 kg (empty), 4.38 kg (fully equipped) |
| Length | 1148 mm |
vz. 54 (Czech: Odstřelovací puška vz. 54) is a Czechoslovak bolt-action sniper rifle chambered in 7.62×54mmR.
Development
[edit]The sniper rifle was developed in Czechoslovakia between 1949 and 1951. Initially, the ZG 49 sn variant chambered in 7.92×64 mm was tested, but the final decision favored the 7.62×54mmR cartridge.[1] The second prototype was based on the Soviet Mosin-Nagant , from which the action was adopted. Selected bolt parts were optimized and the best barrels were chosen. The stock design incorporated features from pre-war vz. 24 rifle production.[2]
Design
[edit]The stock with pistol grip was newly designed; the fore-end is relatively short, exposing the front half of the barrel. It has only one barrel band. The bent bolt handle was purpose-made, unlike the simply cranked ones found on Soviet Mosin sniper rifles. As a result, the stock has a cutout to accommodate the bolt handle.
The primary sight is a fixed Czech Meopta 2.5×6 telescopic sight with only 2.5× magnification (compared to 4× or 3.5× magnification in Soviet PE and PU scopes). The backup iron sights consist of a sliding rear notch adjustable from 50 to 1200 meters, paired with a front post.
vz. 54/91
[edit]In the 1990s, existing police vz. 54 rifles were modernized. They were fitted with new stocks featuring adjustable cheek rests and bipods. The original scopes were replaced with PSO-1 scopes (4× magnification) as used on the SVD.
External links
[edit]
- "Czechoslovakian VZ54 Sniper". thinlineweapons.com. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- "Galas's Rifle". mosin-nagant.de. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- Ian McCollum. "Czechoslovakia Recycles Mosins: The vz.54 Sniper". Forgotten Weapons. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
References
[edit]- ^ "Odstřelovací puška vz.54". military-portal.cz. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- ^ "Rifles Of The Red Star". mosinnagant.net. Archived from the original on 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2018-02-04.