Sa vz. 23

CZ Model 25
Type	Submachine gun
Place of origin	Czechoslovakia
Service history
In service	1948–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam War Portuguese Colonial War Bay of Pigs Invasion Chinese-Vietnamese War Invasion of Grenada Syrian Civil War
Production history
Manufacturer	Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod
Produced	1948–1968
Specifications
Weight	3.27 kg empty (folding stock models Sa 25, Sa 26); 3.5 kg empty (fixed wood stock models Sa 23, Sa 24)
Length	445 mm folding stock model folded (Sa 25, Sa 26); 686 mm fixed stock and unfolded folding stock
Barrel length	284 mm
Cartridge	7.62×25mm Tokarev 9×19mm Parabellum
Feed system	24 or 40 round (9mm Sa 23, Sa 25); 32 round (7.62mm Sa 24, Sa 26)
Sights	Iron sights

The CZ Model 25 (properly, Sa 25 or Sa vz. 48b/samopal vz. 48b – samopal vzor 48 výsadkový, "submachine gun model year 1948 para") was perhaps the best known of a series of Czechoslovak designed submachine guns introduced in 1948. There were four generally very similar submachine guns in this series: the Sa 23, Sa 24, Sa 25, and Sa 26. The primary designer was Jaroslav Holeček (1923–1977), chief engineer of the Česká zbrojovka Strakonice arms factory.

The Sa 23 series utilize a straightforward blowback action, with no locked breech, and fire from the open bolt position. They also use a progressive trigger for selecting between semi-automatic fire and fully automatic fire. Lightly pulling on the trigger will fire a single shot. Pulling the trigger farther to the rear in a continuous motion will fire fully automatically, until the trigger is released or the magazine is empty.

The Sa 23 series were the first production-model submachine guns with a telescoping bolt, in which the forward part of the moving bolt extends forwards past the back end of the barrel, wrapping around that barrel. This feature reduces the required length of the submachine gun significantly and allows for better balance and handling. Handling was further improved by using a single vertical handgrip housing the magazine and trigger mechanism, roughly centered along the gun's length. The gun's receiver was machined from a single circular steel tube.

The design of the Sa 23 series submachine guns is most notable in the West for having inspired the open-bolt, blowback-operated design of the slightly later Uzi submachine gun.

The Sa 24 and Sa 26 were introduced after Czechoslovakia joined the Warsaw Pact, and were redesigned to fire 7.62×25mm Tokarev standard Soviet type pistol ammunition.

The Sa 25 and 26 models were used by Cuba during the during the 1960s and 70s, and some can be seen in photos of the Bay of pigs invasion.

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