VZ-61 Skorpion PDW - Full Auto

Czechoslovak Vzor 61

The VZ-61 Skorpion is a selective-fire Czech Army submachine gun built as a PDW, or personal defense weapon: a compact automatic arm for soldiers whose main job is not frontline infantry fighting. Czechoslovakia issued it to vehicle crews, low-ranking staff and special forces units, and the Ministry of Interior's security forces before them. It fires 7.65x17mm (.32 ACP) in full auto at a cyclic rate of about 850 rounds per minute, from a gun that weighs under 3 lb. It suits qualified collectors of Cold War small arms who want an original Czech service piece.

Features

• Full Auto Fire — The Skorpion fires continuously while the trigger is held, at a cyclic rate of roughly 850 rounds per minute.
• 7.65x17mm (.32 ACP) Chambering — The light pistol cartridge keeps recoil manageable in a gun this small and this fast.
• Straight Blowback Action — The bolt's mass and spring hold the action closed with no separate locking mechanism, which keeps the design simple.
• Closed Bolt Operation — The bolt rests forward on a chambered round before the shot, so nothing heavy slams home as the trigger breaks.
• Folding Wire Stock — The steel stock folds over the top of the receiver for carry and swings back to the shoulder for aimed fire, taking overall length from 10.6 in to 20.4 in (270 mm to 517 mm).
• 4.5 in (115 mm) Barrel — The short barrel keeps the gun at pistol size with the stock folded.
• Detachable Box Magazine — The standard curved magazine holds 20 rounds, and 10-round magazines were also made for the type.
• Wood Pistol Grip — A fluted wooden grip sits under the black steel receiver, the classic Skorpion pairing seen in the photographs.
• Under 3 lb Unloaded — At about 1.28 kg without a magazine, it carries on a belt or in a vehicle like a large handgun.

Service And Origin

Miroslav Rybář designed the Skorpion in 1959 as a thesis project at the Czech Military Technical Academy, and Czechoslovak forces adopted it in 1961 as the Samopal Vzor 61, submachine gun model 1961. Česká zbrojovka built it at Uherský Brod from 1963 to 1979, and more than 207,000 were made across the type's production life. This is Czech Army issue, a genuine service weapon with its original military provenance. Full-auto firearms are regulated under federal and state law, and every transfer must meet those requirements.