vz. 58 | |
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![]() The vz. 58 P (with stock, pistol grip, and handguards; and sling). | |
Type | Assault rifle |
Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
Service history | |
In service | 1959–present |
Used by | See Users |
Wars |
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Production history | |
Designer | Jiří Čermák |
Designed | 1956–1958 |
Manufacturer | Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod |
Produced | 1959–1984 |
No. built | Approx. 920,000 |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2.91 kg (6.42 lb) |
Length |
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Barrel length | 390 mm (15.4 in) |
Width |
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Height | 255 mm (10.0 in) |
Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
Action | Gas-operated, hinged locking piece assisted breechblock |
Rate of fire | 800 rounds/min |
Muzzle velocity | 705 m/s (2,313 ft/s) Muzzle energy: 1988 J |
Effective firing range | 100–800 m sight adjustments |
Maximum firing range | 2,800 m |
Feed system | Staggered 30-round detachable box magazine, weight 0.19 kg (0.42 lb) unloaded |
Sights | Open-type iron sights with sliding rear tangent and shrouded front post 353 mm (13.9 in) sight radius |
The vz. 58 (or Sa vz. 58) is a 7.62×39mm assault rifle that was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and accepted into service in the late 1950s as the 7,62 mm samopal vzor 58, replacing the vz. 52 self-loading rifle and the 7.62×25mm Tokarev Sa 24 and Sa 26 submachine guns.
While externally the vz. 58 resembles the Soviet AK-47, it is a different design based on a short-stroke gas piston. The only component that it shares with Kalashnikov rifles is the ammunition.