Tricking out my VZ

[Stevo]

Now that sounds more in line with what I was thinking.  Guess I'll drop him a line.  As far as tabbing the carrier, how can you tell if it's tabbed or not? Sorry for the newb question.

Pics found via Google, not mine.

Not tabbed:



Tabbed:

[osageorange]

Davemon,
The tabbing situation is best described by Obiwanbonjovi in this thread:

http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=38703.0

All CzechPoint rifles and Century VZ2008?s come with tabbed carriers. Of course, somebody could always switch carriers. Your carrier is likely tabbed unless it was built from a kit by an individual builder, as some have been.

You can run a non-tabbed carrier forever and never have a problem, but the tab ensures 100% reliability. Some people get the problems right away.

The problem it causes is also referred to as the ?gremlin? by many Canadian shooters. To read a good specific gremlim sticky thread, go to canadiangunnutz.com and join the forum. You will have to create a user name and password, but it is free. The Canuck?s experience with the VZ58 goes way beyond most people in the US and you can learn a lot on their forum. VZ58?s are under the heading of ?red rifles? there.

CzechPoint also sells regular tabbed carriers, but are out of stock now. Or you can get one from Obiwan.

http://www.czechpoint-usa.com/products/spare-parts-and-accessories/vz-58-parts-and-accessories/bolt-carrier/

[Davemon]

OK, I just now opened her up, and the carrier is tabbed (whew!).  While I was poking around in the guts, I was amazed at how clean it is after my range session yesterday.  About 250 rounds of assorted Wolf, Herters, and Ulyanovsk.  It's a little dusty, but not really that bad.  Anyone ever done a torture test on one of these, see how long it runs without cleaning before it just gives up?

[Rowe-75]

Not my torture test but it's in my bookmarks   Well... kind of a torture test... with sand.... didn't go too well...

VZ58 Torture Test Sand

And a 1K round test

VZ58 1K Round Test

[Stevo]

Some things to know about that vid:

- the rifle was a brand new Czech Small Arms (formerly D-Technik) 11.75" VZ 58 Sporter.
- it was oiled, not greased. The importer wanted it that way. 
- roughly 1k was fired continuously over about 20 minutes, 5 rounds at a time.
- at about 600 rounds the front of the plastic handguard melted through and it fell off.
- it was about -20 C out.
- it had numerous feed issues due to mags not fully locking in place. I had the same problem with my CSA til I modded a spare extended mag release.
- I'm the guy in the blue and red snowmobile suit.

It was a ridiculous test, not representative of any sort of reasonable use, even for a FA military gun.

[rocinante]

While I was poking around in the guts, I was amazed at how clean it is after my range session yesterday.  About 250 rounds of assorted Wolf, Herters, and Ulyanovsk.  It's a little dusty, but not really that bad. 

I was too after firing a couple hundred rounds. One new thing I noticed while cleaning was the hole on the bottom right of the gas block. Between that hole and the short stroke piston not much gets into the firing works. Really crud doesn't even get into the fore grip area. PLUS the gun is so bleep easy to strip and clean.  I LIKE IT

[Davemon]

Agreed.  I too was very surprised at the simplicity of the rifle upon stripping it for the first time.  I love the gas piston design.  Super super easy to clean.  I found my support hand did get a little dirty (I suppose from the gasses escaping through the forend, a Fab Defense one), but then again that may have been the .44 mag I was shooting right before

[Rowe-75]

It was a ridiculous test, not representative of any sort of reasonable use, even for a FA military gun.

None the less Stevo... It sounds like a good time to me!

- it was oiled, not greased. The importer wanted it that way. 

Do you think grease would have attracted less dirt and grime?

[Stevo]

Oh, it was a good time. Burning someone else's ammo always is! The gun got so hot everything forward of the middle of the receiver was too hot to hold, even with gloves on. I'm surprised it didn't cook off. Burned the paint off for a couple inches on either side of the gas block, too.

My preference for grease has more to do with it staying where you put it and, in my experience, not disappearing as much as oil when you get a rifle good and hot. In that test, the gun really wasn't that dirty before it got buried in the mud we made. But that's not shown in the video.

[Rowe-75]

You guys buried it before you put 1k rounds through it?    Maybe that has something to do with the stoppages   

[Stevo]

No, after the 1k, then shook the muck off and shot it some more.

The stoppages were mostly magazine related, as I said earlier. Once we figured out which ones wouldn't seat correctly, we took them out of the rotation. I'd attribute a few of the stoppages to a brand-new, under-lubed rifle, but not many.

[Davemon]

What's the prevailing opinion on Crusader brakes?  Worth the cost and effort?  I hedge mostly because I don't trust any of the gunsmiths in this area to not screw it up.  And the cost to send it out seems prohibitive, at least to me.  Your thoughts?

[Davemon]

And here's one more question for you all:  Has anyone mounted an ACE skeleton stock on their VZ, using a Stormwerks adapter and folding mechanism?  I was looking in to this, mostly wasn't sure of the LOP needed (the factory folder is about 1.5" too short for me), and if I'd want to go with factory angle, or straight (I'm hoping for a co-witness with my sights and red dot, using my new Troy forend, with a good cheek weld).

[Rowe-75]

What's the prevailing opinion on Crusader brakes?  Worth the cost and effort?  I hedge mostly because I don't trust any of the gunsmiths in this area to not screw it up.  And the cost to send it out seems prohibitive, at least to me.  Your thoughts?

I LOVE my Crusader break! Muzzle climb is non-existent along with recoil... not that there was a whole lot of recoil to begin with. I lucked out and got a good Century built VZ2008 so installation was as easy as thread off, thread on. I would highly recommend it over the slant break that came installed on the Century build. It also increases concussion to those standing next to you X10 

Definitely worth the cost of the break... I'm assuming you have a CzechPoint build so now you have to ask yourself, is it going to be worth the cost and time of having a gunsmith install one...

I don't like spending money, I was worried when I ordered it because it was so expensive. Knowing what I know now about the Crusader, I would absolutely buy another... but first I need to buy another VZ!