Fnh Pistole Modell 27 Kal 7.65 Serial Numbers
CZ’sModel 27 7.65mm Pistolsby R.K. Campbellphotography by R.K. CampbellDecember 26th, 2006Oneof the more interesting and complicated pursuits for a collector is studying the many pistolsmanufactured by Bohemian Arms Factory or Ceska Zbrojovka. This company is part of a giant concernthat has manufactured practically every military implement imaginable.
Theoriginal Bren gun was a product of CZ. The modern CZ 75 scarcelyneeds introduction.Apistol which I find interesting is the CZ Model 1927. The CZ 27is basically a refined or simplified CZ (19)24.The CZ 24 was inturn an outgrowth of the Model 1922.
The CZ 24 was a compact,locked breech.380 ACP caliber pistol, About 190,000 were made,and a few sales were made to foreign military services, notablyPoland. The CZ 24 was deemed too complicated for the cartridge.The CZ 27 reverted to simple blowback construction and the lesspowerful 7.65 mm (.32 ACP ) cartridge.
Frankly, we have firedeach extensively and there is little to choose from betweenthese minor calibers. A number of experienced shooters feel the.32 acp may bemore feed-reliable, even more accurate than the larger round.
Personal experience with the CZ pistols and the J PSauer and Sohn 38H has shown the.32 ACP can be asurprisingly accurate round. Neither is as powerful as a common.38 Special by any means, so the argument is a moot pointin terms of power.Moreabout the cartridge later.TheCZ 27 was made for police, security guards and commercial sales. Commercial guns often exhibit a deep, lustrous bluefinish and straw colored hammer and trigger.
The pistol illustrated is an early commercial model. These pistols are marked on the top rib. The inscription is BOHMISCHE WAFFENFABRIK A.G. Pistole Modell 27 Kal. 7.65 is markedon the left side of the frame.Laterpistols omitted the rib inscription in favor of a simpler markon the left side of the frame. Wartime pistols were less well-finished but we have seenfew rough examples. The CZ 24 was not produced after 1939, but severalvariations of the CZ 27 were produced apparently until 1951.Theearly production variants are more desirable for collectors butall are good shooters.
Total production reached about 700,000 pistols. While a sizable number, the CZ 27 was not produced on ascale with the Luger, Walther P-38, BrowningHi Power, or Colt 1911.TheCZ 24 is a standard single action exposed hammer autopistol. The safety is unusual in that it uses a button typerelease. When the pistol is cocked, the safety lever is presseddown if desired.
Fnh Pistole Modell 27 Kal 7.65 Serial Numbers For Sale
Next, to release the lever, the button just below thelever is pressed. It is important to press this lever dead on as lateralpressure will not release the safety. For practical purposes, this safety may be ignored as Iwould be loathe to carry the CZ 24 cocked and locked. This is old steel and a design not comparable to thecocked and locked Colt in safety.Thereis a magazine safety that prevents the pistol from firing if themagazine is removed from the gun. This is a common European safety device.Thesingle column magazine holds eight rounds of.32 ACP ammunition. The heel type magazine release does not lend itself wellto fast reloading.
This is another European device that is not withoutmerit. Heel type magazine releases are less prone to dumping inthe holster. They require the shooter to save the magazine rather thaneject it in the field. The idea was that a soldier with other types of magazinereleases might be prone to waste magazines and find himself witha single shot pistol after the battle.Luckily,two magazines were available for this pistol. Both appeared original. After a thorough mechanical check, we were ready to firethe CZ 27.
Examination showed all parts and surfaces appeared asnew.Theload used for the majority of the firing test was Fiocchi’sball ammunition. A load of proven quality, the full metal casebullet offers feed reliability. Despite the mechanical check, the first few rounds werefired with head turned and the pistol was fired into the ground.Withthe safety check out of the way we proceeded to accuracy tests. The CZ 27 sets well in the hand, with a solid feel.
The rear hump of the grip frame is not elongated by anymeans but hammer bite, as often experienced with the Walther Pseries pistols, is not possible.Thesights are not bad at all, a pronounced rear V mated with afront post. They are well regulated to 15 yards. Many small pistols have vestigial sights and roughtrigger actions, making practical accuracy difficult.Notso the CZ. Trigger compression was about four pounds, with no dragand little overtravel. Combined with the pistol’s fixed barrel and good sightsexcellent accuracy potential exists. At a long fifty feet, we were able to secure several 2inch groups. Thisis adequate for the intended mission.Thepistol exhibits little recoil, simply hanging on the target.
It is easy to understand why some shooters appreciate the.32 for defense use. It is easy to fire and fire well. The cartridge’s construction is far more resistant tooil, water and solvent than any rimfire.
The.32 ACP case is dated by a semi-rim but offers goodfeed reliability. No.32, even the.32-20, is a powerhouse but the.32 acpbreaks 1,000 fps with it’s standard 71 grain.308 inch bullet.
In comparison the 98 grain.32 Smith and Wesson Longrevolver cartridge loading clocks 638 fps from a like barrellength.Ithas been said these little bullets will do the job if you putthem in the right place. This may be true, but if they have no chance ofpenetrating to the right place they cannot take effect. Leather jackets and bones stop most.32 caliber bulletsshort. I have observed.32 caliber bullets bouncing back whenfired at a tree or fence post! Modern research using ballistic gelatin confirmsthe.32’s don’t get it as defense weapons, which we haveknown all along.Frankly,this bothers me not at all. I find the CZ 27 an enjoyable pistol in a battery thatincludes the High Power 9mm and Colt 1911.45 acp.
It is that most enjoyable of pistols, a recreationalplinker with a bit of historical significance. My CZ is not a defense gun or a competition pistol, it issimply a nice gun and an artifact to enjoy.Myyoung son enjoys firing this pistol.
It is quite accurate at short ranges and light enough foreasy manipulation. The CZ 27 is a fine pistol for breaking young shooters inon centerfire pistols. This type of quality would be very expensive in a modernpistol, which makes any CZ found at a reasonable price anexcellent investment.Ifyou must put a CZ to work it would not be a bad field pistol,more than capable of taking certain types of small game and pests at moderateranges. All types of possible shots at long range may be takenwith this pistol, and sometimes we connect with dead limbs andthe like at unspeakable ranges.Perhapsa collector may not approve of shooting this pistol, but it isnot completely new, just in very nice condition.
The same type of debate exists among those who fly oldaircraft. As the supply of Merlin and Allison engineswanes, many question the wisdom of flying the older aircraft. As for me, I’ll be firing any old gun that is safe touse as long as I am able!Atpresent, these pistols seem to bringing in the two hundreddollar range, although an exceptionally nice pistol my bring apremium of up to three hundred dollars.TheCZ pistols are all interesting and well made. If you have a chance to purchase a Model 27, don’thesitate. Just enjoy it for its own merits and don’t try and putit to work!R.K.CampbellGot something to say about this article?
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Want to agree (ordisagree) with it? Click the following link to go to the.Click pictures for a larger version.TheCZ 27.Noterib marking.Fitand finish of these handguns is excellent.
Barrel to sliderelationship is tight, which is part of the reason for thepistol’s fine accuracy.TheCZ 27 proved compatible with modern hollow point loads fromSpeer, Incorporated.Aten yards, triple tap-control is excellent with this pistol.