Talyn
SAINT
If you really want to start a fight with a gun culture person, refer to the VZ-58 as the “Czech AK”. To many purists, those are fighting words. As we progress in our consideration of guns of the Cold War, the VZ-58, Czechoslovakia’s answer to the AKM, deserves to be considered on its own.
VZ-58
The VZ-58 project began in 1956 and the chief engineer was Jiří Čermák. Despite the “58” in the name, the rifle was officially accepted and began production in 1959. The basic thought process was similar to the one that went into the AK-47 design; produce a lighter, more compact, magazine-fed battle rifle as a replacement for the large, heavy and low-capacity rifles that were used during WWII and immediately after.
VZ-58
The VZ-58 project began in 1956 and the chief engineer was Jiří Čermák. Despite the “58” in the name, the rifle was officially accepted and began production in 1959. The basic thought process was similar to the one that went into the AK-47 design; produce a lighter, more compact, magazine-fed battle rifle as a replacement for the large, heavy and low-capacity rifles that were used during WWII and immediately after.