Czech Pistols 1922-1952


This pistol was originally produced by Mauser and the design was purchased by Czechoslovakia.  Brno was first set up to manufacturer the pistol but production was moved to CZ Strakonice and began in 1923   The design is a locked breech  which is stronger than needed for a 9mm short.

Strakonice later modified the design with help from Skoda Works as the M24, but again it was the locked breech design simplified with some stamped parts to make production easier.  This pistol was kept in production when Germany invaded and 3,385 were purchased by Finland.  The top of the slide is marked Ceska Zbrojovka A.S. Praze.  Pre war pistols and holster shown.  Upper pistol is in the 12xxxx serial number range without Army acceptance markings and lower pistol in the 109412 serial number range with Army J Lion 31 acceptance.  There is also a Romanian Contract version of this pistol with longer grip.



 The Czech government realizing that the locked breech was stronger than necessary started to develop a simple blow back design which uitilized many of the parts of the M24 and this became the M27.  When Germany took over, the name of the arsenal was changed to Bohmische Waffenfabrik A.G. Prag and this is how they were marked until they started using the code assigned to the arsenal which was fnh.  After the war the M27 was continued and marked Ceska Zbrojovka  Narodni Podnik  Strakonice.  !00 of the M27 were sold to Finland in 1940 and bare the SA in a box mark.  Shown with Post war holster.
The CZ M38 was designed by Frantishek Myshka and went into production in 1938, but being a poor design, production was stopped by the Germans soon after invading.  10 or 12,000 pistols were finished and issued to 2nd line German troops, designated the M39(t).  Some found their way to Bulgaria and can be found with the Bulgarian T marking. The Germans sold 3,285 to the Fins in 1940, where they were designated the M39.