The former Czechoslovakia (today existing through the Czech Republic and Slovakia) had a long and storied history of locally designing, developing, and producing firearms for local forces, its national military services, and many global operators. In the 1980s, Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ) introduced its "CZ82", a 9mm-chambered semi-automatic pistol which was adopted the Czech Army. The weapon was used to succeed the aging line of Soviet Tokarev vz.52 pistols in same role, though these guns were chambered for the old 7.62x25mm pistol cartridge. Design of the CZ82 is attributed to Augustin Necas.
By and large, the CZ82 was a conventional 9mm pistol: the slide took up the length of the frame, the ejection port was set to the right side of the frame, the grip handle was checker-patterned, and the slim trigger was protected by an equally slim trigger guard. The hammer was exposed at the rear of the frame and a tang hung over the operator's primary shooting hand to support the aim. Iron sights were fitted front and rear over the slide in the usual way. The internal action amounted to the tried-and-true blowback system of operation whilst the trigger was of Double-Action (DA) function. Both the safety lever and magazine release were made ambidextrous to benefit all shooters. Overall length became 172mm with a chrome-plated, extended-life, polygonal-rifled barrel assembly measuring 97mm long. Weight was a handy 0.8 kilograms.
The base model of the CZ82 was chambered around the 9x18mm Makarov pistol cartridge which was favored by the East - the cartridge being a direct counter to the 9x19mm Parabellum largely favored by Western powers of the Cold War period (1947-1991). In time, there arose two other chamberings supporting the .32 ACP and the .380 ACP cartridge families. These varied in their ammunition counts with the .32 ACP form carrying 15 rounds and the .380 ACP form typically carrying 12-rounds. The basic 9mm CZ82 was able to fit a full complement of 12-rounds in its magazine.
Performance included a muzzle velocity of 1,000 feet-per-second with a range out to 55 yards.
Beyond the Czech Republic, which continues use of this pistol line with reservist units, the gun went on to see varying levels of procurement with the nations of Indonesia (special local units), Israel (police), Georgia, Kazakhstan (internal security), North Korea, Slovakia, and Vietnam (Army and security forces).
The civilian market form of the CZ82 became the CZ83.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Pistol / Sidearm
Compact design for close-quarters work or general self-defense.
Overall Length
172 mm 6.77 in
Barrel Length
97 mm 3.82 in
Empty Wgt
1.76 lb 0.80 kg
Sights
Iron Front and Rear.
Action
Blowback; Double-Action (DA); Semi-Automatic
Semi-Automatic
One shot per trigger pull; self-loading or auto-loading action aided by internal mechanism; trigger management (and initial cocking) typically required by the operator; subsequent shots are aided by the unlocked / moved bolt.
Blowback Operation
Gas pressure from the rearward movement of the ignited cartridge case provides the needed bolt movement, ejecting the spent case and stripping a fresh case from the magazine.
(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)
Caliber(s)*
9x18mm Makarov; .380 ACP; .32 ACP
Rounds / Feed
12-, 13-, or 15-round detachable box magazine (model dependent).
*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources. **Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.
Max Eff.Range
165 ft (50 m | 55 yd)
Rate-of-Fire
24 rds/min
Muzzle Velocity
1,000 ft/sec (305 m/sec)
CZ82 - Base Series Deisgnation
CZ82 32 - Chambered for .32 ACP; 15-round magazine.
CZ82 380 - Chambered for .380 ACP; 12-round magazine.
CZ82 Makarov - Chambered for 9x18mm Makarov; 12-round magazine.
CZ83 - Base Civilian Market form.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.
Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org, the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft, and SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane.
Czechoslovakia (former); Czech Republic; Indonesia; Israel; Georgia; Kazakhstan; North Korea; Slovakia; Vietnam
