The vz. 82 is a compact, semi-automatic pistol made for the Czechoslovak military. The export version is called the CZ-83. "Vz." is an abbreviation for vzor, which translates to model. The vz. 82 is commonly (and erroneously) referred to as the "CZ-82". This is incorrect as the vz. 82 is a military production pistol. However, we are able to sell these to US citizens, and they are legally imported into the USA.

Manufactured by the Czechoslovak firm of Ceska Zbrojovka a.s., the vz. 82 replaced the 7.62x25mm Tokarev vz. 52 pistol in Czechoslovak military service in 1982. It is a compact, double-action, semi-automatic pistol with a conventional blowback action. The blowback action allows the barrel to remain solidly fixed to the frame, resulting in improved accuracy over pistols without fixed barrels. The low bore axis provides for less muzzle rise and quicker follow-up shots. For added convenience, both the frame-mounted thumb safety and the magazine release are ambidextrous. The CZ-82 was the first service pistol to feature both these features. The bore is chrome plated, which gives it three advantages: longer barrel life, resistance to rust from the use of corrosive ammunition, and ease of cleaning. Another feature of this pistol is the use of 'polygonal' rifling in the barrel bore. This replaces the traditional lands and grooves rifling design with a rounded polygonal pattern that has a more "hills and valleys" appearance.

The vz. 82 represents a unique approach to service pistols. American doctrine has traditionally focused on large, complex, and powerful weapons that were also expensive to manufacture. These weapons are typically chambered in calibers 9x19mm Parabellum and 45 ACP. Conversely, European and Russian pistols are usually inexpensive to produce, small, and generally have single-stack, low-capacity magazines. But Czechoslovakia has always strived to create weapons to meet their own needs, bucking trends and pressure from other nations. Their odd combination of a blowback pistol in a less-powerful caliber that was at the same time expensive to produce and had a staggered-column magazine defies convention.

Recently added to the Curio and Relic list of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE), the vz. 82 has become popular with US collectors. Though not as powerful as pistols chambered for the larger 9x19mm Parabellum round, the vz. 82, due to its exceptional reliability, solid construction, relatively small size, and inherent accuracy, has also become a sidearm of choice for many citizens who hold concealed carry licenses.

The vz. 82 was made in 9x18mm only

Service history : In service 1982-1993 (Czechoslovakia, since 1993 Czech Republic, Slovak Republic)