VZ 58 Trivia

[son of a gun]

Went to the local Slovenian Fest and ran into an Captain with the Slovenian  Army. He is stationed at Fort Leavenworth,Kansas for a year while attending  the United States Army Command and General Staff College. I had a chance to ask him about the VZ58 and whether he had used it. 
He stated that they had used it in the past, but now everyone except the Tankers used FN's.  The Tankers still use the VZ58!
He was surprised at how popular the rifle had become in the states and stated that it was a very reliable platform.
So it goes.

[Brasky]

I wonder the reasoning behind the tankers still using it?

[jdubya87]

FN M4's?

[ShortyBP]

FN M4's?

F2000s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Ground_Force

[RSR]

Not trying to be an a-hole, but sure we're talking about Slovenia and not Slovakia?  Or at least some  mixed wires due to confusion?

Slovenia is between Italy, Austria, and Croatia. 

Slovakia is to the northeast of Slovenia.  For Slovakia, Czech Republic and Austria are to the West, Poland to the north, Hungary to the South, and Ukraine to the East.

Didn't click for me right away when I clicked to the Slovenia Army link -- was confused b/c I was expecting to see the Grand Power K100 (Slovakia) for their pistol and it had Beretta (for Slovenia)...

Slovakia military:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Slovakia

A pretty ingenious pistol design in my opinion -- and just released on US Markets by Century (Slovakian built, Century imported) in ~September of this year. 

Personally, I'm much more interested in this K100 than Arsenal's Strike One: http://www.arsenalfirearms.com/products/strike-pistol-system

K100 -- http://www.practicalhandgun.com/the-slovakian-grand-power-k100-9mm-service-pistol.html

The slide is manufactured from chrome-nickel molybdenum steel by Belgian supplier Fabrique Nationale Herstal. The 108mm long barrel is made of 51CrV4 steel manufactured by CZ-UB according to Grand Power?s requirements. The magazines are made inItalyby Mec-Gar, who now manufactures magazines for various firearm companies? pistols.

And there are supposed to be decocker kits coming to the US soon too -- currently, just has a safety (guessing a safety and decocker combo)...

Good review of K100: http://tacticalgunreview.com/staff-review-grand-power-duo-the-k100-mk7-and-the-p1-mk7/

http://www.classicfirearms.com/hgnp1mk7-1 (can find these around $400, just linking here for the torture test description)

Used by the Slovakia military = where there is no shortage of quality locally made sidearms from the former Czechoslovakia - Grand Power pistols were put through, and passed with flying colors, incredible torture tests that other internationally famous brands failed miserably. Such as 100,000 rounds without any changes in critical dimensions. 20,000 consecutive rounds without any feeding failures. And a silicone dust, wind chamber test (think desert sandstorm) that ground the competition to a halt - literally. Attractive, tough, comfortable to use and light weight to carry, Grand Power makes a pistol that you will be proud to own for years to come. Whether it's the full size K100 Mk7, or the compact P1 MK7,Grand Power makes a pistol that's just right for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApXyvCNyw4g

I did some searching for Slovenia and the VZ58, and the only places I can find that is when Slovakia is not mentioned.   So possibly, it's a gun writer screwup contributing to confusion?

OP - Not doubting that Slovenian tankers use the VZ58 if that's what your source actually said -- just haven't seen it listed as a weapon system used by the Slovenian armed forces either present day or historically...
Example: http://www.guns.com/2011/07/20/czech-classic-vz-58-coming-to-the-us-in-556-nato/

Many of these rifles have been made and some are still in use by the Czech military, (as well as the Slovenian military, and smattering of other Com-Bloc militaries) although they?re planning to phase them out and replace them with the also-Czech-made CZ 805, which is considerably sexier but less classic-looking.

The Slovakian Military still uses the VZ58 as their primary small weapons system...

AND if tankers use the VZ58, it's further evidence to support "the VZ58 as the Warsaw Pact's equivalent for the M1 carbine" -- albeit w/ a more powerful cartridge and slightly higher weight w/ full mag...

[muggia59]

I lived in Trieste back in the late 70s, and still have a hard time wrapping my brain around the changes that happened in that part of the world. RSR. At first glance I thought that Arsenal striker gun was a Diamondback.

[nickndfl]

I wonder the reasoning behind the tankers still using it?

So are you saying that after we own a couple of VZs, our next purchase should be a tank?

[JDA70]

I wonder the reasoning behind the tankers still using it?

So are you saying that after we own a couple of VZs, our next purchase should be a tank?

That would be the next logical step.

[son of a gun]

Well the  officer spoke really good English, so i am certain he understood my questions. I noticed that in Wikipedia that it didn't mention any Czech weapons in use by the Slovenian Military, but that is what he told me.  I also know that it was a Slovenian Fest, because my in-laws are Slovenian. Maybe there was a disconnect in the placement of the questions/subject matter.

[RSR]

From your original post, I think the officer was almost certainly telling you their weapons usage accurately.

I was more commenting on my own geographical confusion and how I had seen that type of confusion from others as well...

And then I went off on the pistol tangent that was my aha!.  Sorry for that.