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Czechoslovakian Model VZ54/91 Sniper Rifles
With the conclusion of heavy fighting during the Second World War, precise aimed gunfire proved to be extremely effective and demoralizing on enemy troops and proved to be of great importance, particularly on the eastern front. After the war, the Czechoslovak Army was interested in several types of scoped rifles and had several different versions to examine and try of both Soviet and German production. A decision was made to develop several sniper rifles based upon the standard caliber of the Czech Arm at the time-the 7.92mm cartridge in an effort to unify the equipment of Czech design and production. A promising trial design was the ZG49 Sn that was built in the 7.92 caliber. The requirements of the army soon changed after Soviet intervention and the caliber of the rifles in development were changed to the Russian 7.62x54rcartridge of the Red Army. Design changes also were undertaken to the stock and sights of the rifle to become the ZG51 Sn. The designator of “sn” apparently indicating a trial rifle that is of a scoped version of the weapon. These developments and trials were undertaken at the production facility located in Brno Zbrojovce in eastern Czechoslovakia.. With the new caliber designation of 54r, a final production model was presented to the army in December of 1953 and would be soon adopted as the Vz 54 sniper rifle. This production project was undertaken and completed again at the arsenal located at Brno and overseen by the designer Otkar Galase.

The Vz54 served in the Czech Army from its adoption in 1954 to the 1970’s where the weapon was finally replaced with the Russian semi automatic snipers rifle, the SVD-63. The Vz54 was then removed to serve in secondary units like the SNB which was the initial name of the National Security Corps. This unit would later be renamed the URN. The Vz54 would serve 14 more years alongside the SVD-63 in such service before an updated design was required. In the early 1990’s some refinements and improvements to the rifle were done to improve its performance and update its abilities. A new wooden stock was designed and fit to the rifle which incorporated an adjustable cheekpiece for a proper sight picture and the addition of a removable adjustable bipod to provide stability in the firing position. The rifle was also reequipped with the scope (4x25) and mount of the SVD-63 rifle. This optical package added a range finding reticule and an illuminated reticule for low light conditions. The optical sight could be safely removed as well without losing its zero. This new rifle was designated the Vz54/91 and would continue to serve in the URN and other provincial police and security agencies until its eventual replacement a few years later by the SSG-3000 rifle.

The rifle now retired from military serve have found their way into the surplus market was they are prized rifles in shooting sport clubs and with military and police competitions. Exact numbers of the Vz54/91 rifles are not known but the rifles command a high price on the Czech sport markets and are highly sought after by shooting enthusiasts. Heavy weighted bullets are preferred to be used in this rifle such as the Czech Tz bullet of 11.75gr.

Have you got yours ordered yet????

Rad

beyond my pay grade