the vz. 58 was constructed by ing. Cermak under the code name "koště" (broom) in Konstrukta Brno. My grandfather was the leader of the design team in these days :-)

The VZ is SO light, Mags too. I do like how nearly all the carbon mess is dumped between the gas block and forearm. Makes for a clean chamber. A little too many moving parts for the VZ, but a simple set up none the less. I started with an AK and will stick with it, but right now for any guy getting into 7.62x39 platforms the VZ has the best deal. $400 for a rifle, sling, bayonet, mag pouch, cleaning kit and 5 mags.. Cant beat that deal. :)

Personally, although I LOVE the AK design, I believe the vZ.58 is better. If you don't agree, that's perfectly find; to each their own :) Both are thoroughly great and thoroughly proven firearms.

I own both, and have to give it to the VZ, by far. Not taking away from the AK though. The VZ is just more "Handy" feeling. Lighter, (You notice the difference), a bit smaller, and to me, the recoil feels lighter....easy to get back on target. Both are fine firearms, but the VZ is really a sweetheart.

Měl jsem obě zbraně, ale v trezoru mi zůstala jenom VZ 58...

Teaching by a hands on method is always more enlightening. Superb. I had no experience with the VZ 58 and learned a lot.

VZ 58 is very good,but in this video is the oldest version of VZ 58 !

@JAndersonIV, Yeah, I looked at the video, and with my "stream of consciousness" ( or maybe "stream of UNconsciousness") blabber, it sounds a little like I'm saying it uses the same round as the M1, whereas I'm actually reminding viewers who might not know that it DOES share the same round with the AK47 if I had not mentioned it yet.

@tinslatee The cartridge is more than capable. The 7.63x39 has the power of a 30-30 and many hunters around the country use it for taking deer and other game. There are a number of good loads available for the 7.62x39 as well. The legalities of using the Vz.58 for hunting would vary from state to state, you would have to check your local laws.

I own both, and in my opinion, the VZ58 is vastly superior!

Great video, it's good to see you doing more military arm reviews/videos.

@BSmithCharles, No comments are ever deleted, as per my radio show explanation; they've just not been officially approved yet. :-) I have no idea about your comments; I sometimes just delete a whole string of comments if there's some crazy argument with insane language and such. I'm sure some sensible comments end up "not getting approved" in that process. :-)

VZ 58. Czechoslovakian classic. Light, smart, perfetct for all situations. I have one at home:-)

"Hold your nose right." You and my dad must be of the same cloth. Nice video. I spent two years as a Mormon missionary in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and got to know the folks there pretty well. It makes sense to me completely why they wouldn't just adopt the AK. They wanted to make a better (subjective) design, but I think they also wanted to just piss in the Russians' morning coffee.

I realize this is dated 2011, but it is this style of video that "hickok45" does so well... he knows a bit of history and really likes the weapon and we can tell. I always feel the enthusiasm come through the video.

Your videos are some of the most informative firearm videos on the net. Most people just shot off shooting their guns but you take the time to get right down to the nitty gritty and do things like this that no one else does so Kudos to you Mr. Hickok45.

There definetely are some muzzle brakes and flash suppressors for the VZ58 ;-) Theses rifles have a threaded barrel.

@BigSlimmyD It's hard to measure reliability scientifically. With that being said, the Vz.58 is known for being a reliable rifle. Is it more reliable than the AK? Hard to say. There are so many variables. But if you own a Vz.58 that's properly made (Czech made) you'll find it to be a very reliable rifle.

great video. i love breaking down my guns and learning how they operate. it's the best way to get to know your guns and it brings a greater appreciation for the design. thanks for another quality video.

The Czech Republic, beautiful country and people. Their Weapons are phenomenal. And their military & security forces are amazing. Greetings from Arkansas, USA. 🇨🇿🎗🇺🇸

@jabagryz, Sorry, guess if I played video games more often, I'd know what guns I have. It's an AK-47

Again Czech[oslovakia] gun. Again THX for video as Czech citizen, appreciate.

@skyhop, There IS an optic rail mount available for them. In the first video, I think I talked about how it had a red dot sight on it that I took off. It was on a rail that replaces the upper part of the forearm, the gas piston cover. Latches on quite nicely.

Amen on not being afraid to field strip your rifle! First thing I did when I bought my AK was field strip and re-assemble it multiple times to familiarize myself with the rifle.

:( sad day in Canada last week... the semi-auto CZ858's as they're called here became reclassified as a prohibited weapon (same class as full autos) and need to be handed in with no compensation for destruction because our gov't is idiotic. they can't cite a single crime where any of these firearms were used to commit. the swiss arms PE90 also got reclassified into the same category, so over 10,000 law abiding gun owners became criminals overnight! The Tavor is probably next, time to stand up any canucks reading this ;)

... rifle CZ vz. 58 is Czech hammer... It s the best gun in the world !

That's a part of what makes you one of the more respected members of the youtube community. In spite of being so knowledgeable, having seen so much in your time, having so much blatant skill as well as experience, yet you're still modest and openly enjoy learning. Not ashamed to admit mistakes either. Life is truly a learning experience from beginning to end. A man who admits he knows nothing is closer to knowing everything than the man who boasts that he knows all. You have my respect. Cheers!!

"The neighbors are over there shooting,sounds like a muzzle-loader.Isn't that terrible?Should I call the police and complain about the noise?" Hickock, I love your sense of humor!

czechnology tried and true...

Pán zapoměl ukázat,jak se páskuje zásobník bez vyjmutí ze zbraně.

Hi, i have no experience with AK, but eight months with vz 58 (SA 58) in the mountains , from spring to winter, rain, snow, sun, heat or cold, daily few miles with this gun, without cleaning. But still fully working. Version in video we called "paddle" , we used lighter version with side folding buttstock. It was a good gun.

I actually laughed when he dryly asked if he should call the police about the neighbors noise.

Chec weapons- the best in the world.

VZ58 looks like an updated SKS!!!!

As an Australian with a weapons license this is so fascinating to me as unless our laws this may be some of the best most in depth firearms breakdown knowledge i may come across.

The mag is shaped like that because the "bump" that runs along is a "finger" on the follower, and that pushes up on the bolt holdback when it is out of ammo. Ive fired both a chinese ak and a long barreled vz. (cz858) and the cz comes out on top.

Got a VZ-58 from Czech Small Arms a few days ago, very well made rifle but I have to admit I'm not a fan of the M4 style stock, will probably buy some original bakelite furniture some day.

Vz = Vzor eng Vzor = Type or model Ok

Another fine explanation of how these things work so well, and why. Thanks for sharing!

Man, I remember when serving in Czech Army in 1994-1995, how terrible it was to press and pull this pin in winter with frozen fingers... And polishing that aluminum bolt ... man, neverending story... There were also time limits to put it all together and dismantling - like 20 secs to put it all together and 5 secs to dismantle... So you have a lot to practice, Hickok45! ;-)

I wonder who those 55 guys might be?

Am i the only one who sees striking similarities inbetween the Vz-58 and an SKS? the internals are quite simmilar

Very interesting design comparison. All the times I couldn't remember how to reassemble a particular firearm I'd just gather up the whole mess and bring it to a local gunsmith who would show me exactly how I should hold my mouth right and the pieces would suddenly fit together like magic.

Many including me have modified an AK74 style compensator for the larger diameter 7.62 round. The AK74 compensator works very very well, today I shot about 60 rounds from prone position and the push was directly backwards towards my shoulder, no barrel rise at all. When shooting quick doubles sidestep was more of a problem than barrel rise, I once took a battery-driven drill with small drill bits with me and adjusted the holes until that was eliminated too.

Something about history of these weapons. Both are made from Sturmgewehr 44 (Stg-44), german ww2 assault rifle, first in the world in that time. Russians took this weapon and made their AK-47, czechs did the same and made their own weapon from it.. Many people think, that Vz. 58 is made from AK. But it's not true. They look similar, but that's all. So yes both are "sons" of Stg-44.

thats not an ak-47 that an ak-74

Ever stop to think about the mind that envisioned such peculiar shaped pieces fitting together so perfectly in order to function the way they do?

2:04 Boys: I HAVE SLEDGEHAMMER I AM THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD! Man: Got my small sledgehammer, to use it if I need to.

Внешность украдена у АК!

Amazing that they look so much alike and yet operate so differently.

Czech weapons are known for their quality, that's for sure. On the other hand Soviet ones are known for working in extreme conditions. It would be extremely interesting to run a crash-test on both those and see which one would break first ))

@jordub, Mine is an Arsenal. In general, I think AKs are less than ARs, but if you go with a higher grade of AK, such as the Arsenal, it's really about the same, I suppose, depending on which AR you're looking at.

To the mags: Vz.58 has different mag because of the bolt hold open function. The standard AK mag doesn't allow it. Also, the mag release lever on Vz.58 is meant to be operated by the thumb of the hand which is changing the mags.

Thanks. You or somebody wrote me about that awhile back. I recalled that but the next time I took the rifle apart, I took a look at the carrier and could not see what part to use. I'll give it another look. :-)

You by far do the best gun reviews over anybody. Thanks for the time you put in to educate your viewers.

Hickok45, the only person on KZfaq who can talk more than he shoots and still be interesting and not lose everyone's attention...

That Vz 58 is a technological work of art.

This video bring some memories... I served with the V version (folding stock) and 58 is the year this entered service. "Vz." stands for "Mk."

A a gun newbie, I'd LOVE for you to take apart more things and show them to us!

@hickok45 never disappoints! I love learning about all different kinds of guns that i have never had the opportunity to touch or shoot. It's so cool seeing them being taken apart and put back together and kind of seeing how they work! Thanks and happy holidays Hickok!!

to shed some light on the protrusion on the back of the vz58 mags, here's a little lesson: 1. whether an AK holds the bolt open when out of ammo depends on whether you have a magazine with the bolt catch. 2. all vz 58's hold the bolt open when empty because ALL VZ58 (AND CLONES) HAVE A BOLT CATCH IN THE BACK OF THE MAGAZINE. REALLY THE GUN ITSELF HAS A BOLT CATCH, THE MAGS (ALL OF THEM) JUST PUSH THE INTEGRATED BOLT CATCH.

I agree both of these are great rifles, but let's not forget the grand daddy of both of them, so to speak - the SKS. I've felt for a long time that if the US had ever tried to downsize the Garand to handle an 8mm Kurz type round, the result might have been very much like the SKS. SKS, AK and Vz are an awesome trio.

The vz58 is a sweet gun it's milled and smooth and striker fired and nice trigger cause of that awesome gun I love it thanks Hickok

Lol "I'll probably use that If I need to on this borrowed gun... I wouldn't wanna use it on my own gun." HAHA! Hickok's the best.

Hey Hickok, I have a vz58 with a 7.5" barrel up here in Canada ... I absolutely love it! Wanted to let you know that a better technique for removing the mag is to grab high on the mag with your left hand and use your left hand thumb to hit the mag release, you can rip the mag one handed that way

Wow, it's not every day you see Hickok45 do a whole video without firing a single shot :-)

Noticed you used a hammer to turn that gas tube cover retainer. I was instructed that in case it can't be moved with fingers, you should use the cleaning rod. You just slide the hole of it over the retainer and you have a nice long lever to operate ^^

absolutely! it does have an "Achilles heel" though. notice the penned ejector. mine broke and the ejector sits freely now, of course the firearm functions perfectly. the ejector is prone to slide out and get lost if a magazine isn't attached.

Most of semi auto VZ-58 rifles for civilian market are modified VZ-58 army rifles. Some are said to be build from original, never used parts. Based on modification factory, rifle is branded as CZ (or VZ) - 858 (those are originals from Czech small arms factory in Uhersky Brod), Gazella-58 (manufactured in Poland i believe), Hermex, etc.. For US market, some has been fitted with diferent barell (to comply with local laws). Although it is definitly rifle firing 7.62x39 cartridge, its original name is "Samopal vzor 58" - that means Submachine gun mark 58. Rifle is externaly close to AK as the AK is close to Stg44. Internal mechanisms are quite different, as seen in this vid. Notice wide ejection port that allows also filling empty magazine from ammo strip (cartridges are inserted on the strip, empty mag into rifle and then is strip inserted from top to opened ejection port and ammo is pushed down to the magazine - fast and simple. There are also shorter mags (10rnds, 20rnds), standard is 30rnds and extended 40rnd. There also were 40rnd single use plastig magazines used by some Czechoslovac forces - those magazine were shipped to the unit already filled. There is also 75 rounds drum magazine avaliable. Many 3rd party modifications including polymer stock, folding polymer stock, polymer handgrip, RIS front guard are avaliable (by FAB Defense company for example). Also rear cover (with springs) can be replaced with different styles including one with RIS on top. Scope mounted on this RIS is too far rear by my oppinion, but I have seen it to. Rifle is extremly accurate (for 7.62x39). I had opportunity to shoot full auto version and it was also fairly accurate in bursts. VZ-58 was succeded by CZ 805 Bren in Czech army - modern modular rifle for .223Rem, 7.62x39mm or 6.8Rem ammo. It is also avaliable in civilian semi auto version but prices are way different :(

Lovely Vz.58...When I was serving the Army duties,I had my lovely one,but with metal bending clutch,not wooden bar...and I serioulsy was able to shoot 400m machine gun nest...Very easy to clean...nice memories though..;-)

Even better southpaw safety than the AK/AKM. Top-notch video as well, of course. Thanks, Hickok!

I wish all Hickok45's videos all had a take-down/cleaning segment.

I love the layout and look of the AK- would love to own a VZ as well!

SA vz.58 Czech made assult rifle is the world's most reliable gun that fires the 7.62x39 cartrige. Extremely easy to take appart and maintain. The reason why the AK47 is more popular, is because during the Soviet era the Czechs were not allowed to export guns that surpassed the soviet rifles in every way. These guns don't jam even if extremely dirty, and are far more accurate then AK's. Great video Hickock :)

As far as I can tell, this is an amazing gun for a left handed person. The mag release is on the right (read: correct) side, the charging handle is on the right side, the safety is AR-like, and on the right side. It's perfect.

Yes vz. 58 has been used in combat and actually is still in use. Czech Army using vz. 58 in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, very often tuned with compensators, rail systems and red dots mounted. Previously it was used by Vietcong in 1960' for example. It's very handy lighweight rifle, I would go for it over AK anytime. But I'm personally using SKS 45 :-) Greetings from Brno, Czech Republic.

The Vz58 uncovered bolt can lead to massive dirt intrusion when firing in certain conditions. Some parts worn out quicker than on the AK. Magazine (aluminium) is just not as strong as the steel or plastic/steel magazine of the AK, and can be damaged more easily. AKM can accomodate a GP-25/30 greande launcher in 1 second with no modification. It can accomodate a PBS-1 silencer in less than 10 seconds. AKM handguard (laminated wood) is very tough and heats up not as easily than the VZ one.

Hahaha. My grandpa had such great difficulty putting his Ruger Mark III back together that he needed to go to a local gun shop to do it. Those things are a pain to put together without help - my peace-loving (well, relatively speaking) dad is the only person I know who can assemble them without help.

Im really proud to our army industry.... Greetings from Czech Republic!

You are correct in a way. The vz's is almost a short stroke gas system, but not really. It's like they married the piston and the operating rod into one.

Hickok45, you are Bob Ross with firearms. That is pretty awesome.

hikock45: The ramp in the back of the mag is for the LSBHO tab on the follower. I find the vz58 mags to be easier than the AK mags to change, provided you either get the extended/ambidextrous mag drop(aftermarket, steel) and/or get the 'early' trigger guard (doesnt have that annoying curley-que in the way of the mag drop). With these mods, you can drop the mag with your trigger finger. They also make an aftermarket bolt drop lever operated by trigger finger... make it as fast as an AR.

hickok, to make it easier to remove the gas tube on your ak, all you got to do it turn the locking peice up, like your going to remove the tube, the bend it away from the gun so it wont be putting so much pressure on the sight block. i did it to mine. It also works on the safety if its to stiff.

The ak's he was shooting are chambered in the 7.62x39 cartridge. x39 refers to the casing length, and 7.62 is bullet diameter. There are various 7.62 cartridges in different bullet casing lengths so its just easier to say x39 when refering to the standerd AK round.

I laughed at the neighbor comment. hickok is a sharp dude.

Thanks Hickok45 all of your videos are very well done and informative.

Man iv wanted an ak for years now and if i cant get my hands on one the vz looks like a good alternative.... And another great vid hickok, been subscribed since you started and you never fail

You should never choose between 2 guns. You should buy both. They all need a home, do your part.

great vid as always thanks hickok. i was watching another video and they were shooting a vz and had no idea what the differences were so thanks for doin the vid

At least the neighbor fired a shot! ;-) You can't have a Hickok video without someone shooting something.

You have fully vindicated yourself Hickok! Thanks! What an excellent video showing us just how different they really are (internally) As always, you're the man!!

that VZ is put together rather well. looks like a good design. cool vid

Thanks for another great video. As a North Alabama Old Fogie, I really enjoy watching firearms videos produced by someone with common sense. I am sooo tired of the rantings of tactical mall ninjas! You, sir, are a class act. Keep up the good work.

Hickok is a great teacher, thats for sure. I'd love to see more videos like this!

Well, the G36 while it doesn't need special tools for field trip, it's not as easy to take apart as other rifles like the AR-15, the AK and the VZ-58. It does have more parts indeed. On the good side: Folding stock, ambidextrous, reciprocating charging handle, so no need for a forward assist, bolt catch on the last round, magazines can fall free when released despite the euro-style mag release/catch lever, and since the receiver is made of polymer, you can clean it with water.

Your voice is super relaxing

I forgot almost everything they taught me during military service but one thing I still remember: The length of the Sa58 (AKA Vz58) with bayonette on is EXACTLY 1.000 mm LOL

The AK and the FAL had a baby!

No problem man, I don't mind. The short answer is no, basically most variants of the AK family of arms are on the prohibited list, though the Valmet M78 is non-restricted but pretty pricey. I've seen numerous types of drum magazines for sale up here though all were pinned to 5rds creating a massive waste of money.

Wow! After being an avid ak fan for so long, I am highly impressed after seeing this. I've handled them a lot and had a high respect for them, loved the balance, feel, sights, and general battery of arms with them... But this gives a whole new respect for how nice they are. I wish magazines were more common, and there was an AK optic mount rail on them though. If there was, it'd be perfect.