The CZ-531 was developed as a replacement for the vz.52 pistol in 1953. Even as the vz.52 was being adopted, the Czech military knew that it wasn’t a great gun, and they wanted a long-term replacement based on the TT33 Tokarev design. There were two pistols put into development for this; the CZ 531 here and the ZKP-524. This was chambered for 7.62x25mm, and like the Tokarev it has no manual safety. Testing took place in February 1954, and the gun had some issues. After about 2,000 rounds the recoil spring wore out and at 4,500 rounds the frame cracked. At 5,075 rounds a second crack developed in the frame and the testing ended. The other pistol, the ZKP-542 had a number of problems as well. The CZ-531 was the less accurate of the two, but more easily manufactured. Ultimately, the decision was that there wasn’t enough funding to replace the vz.52, and handguns were not important enough to prioritize.
Thanks to the Czech Military History Institute (VHU) for graciously giving me access to this unique prototype to film for you! If you have the opportunity, don’t miss seeing their museums in Prague:
https://www.vhu.cz/en/english-summary/
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