CZ 38

About the CZ 38

The CZ 38 is a Czechoslovak blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol chambered in .380 ACP. Designed by František Myška at Česká zbrojovka Strakonice and adopted in 1938 as the vz. 38, it was intended to replace the vz. 24 with a simpler, safer service sidearm. Its double-action-only mechanism allowed quick first-shot readiness but the very heavy trigger pull severely degraded practical accuracy. A hinged bushing at the muzzle let the barrel pivot upward for tool-free field stripping. Only around 10,000 were built before the German occupation halted Czechoslovak deliveries, after which most production was absorbed by Nazi police and security organizations.

The CZ 38 was ordered in large numbers by the Czechoslovak Army on the eve of World War II, but Germany occupied Czechoslovakia before any pistols could be issued to Czech troops. The guns that had been built were diverted into German service as the Pistole 39(t).

CZ 38 specifications

Widely regarded as overly large and heavy for the modest .380 ACP cartridge it fired, with a double-action-only trigger too heavy for accurate shooting. Designated Pistole 39(t) in German service.