Sa vz. 58 Comparison to AK-47 Type Rifle with Stamped Receiver
- All vz. 58 rifles possess a milled receiver; the vast majority of AK-47s are stamped.
- Even with the milled receiver it is almost one pound lighter than a stamped AK-47.
- CNC machining on a vz. 58 receiver takes 2 1/2 hours; a stamped AK-47 receiver takes seconds to produce.
- The bolt of the vz. 58 stays open after the last round in the magazine has been fired.
- The vz. 58 can be reloaded with stripper clips while the magazine is inserted in the rifle.
- The vz. 58 has a more natural point of aim and is faster handling.
- The safety is more ergonomic making a faster first shot possible with the vz. 58.
- The ejection port is HUGE. There is no chance of an empty case getting stuck in the action of the vz. 58.
- The vz. 58 gas piston can be removed or exchanged without tools.
- The alloy magazine of the vz. 58 is half the weight of the steel AK-47 magazine. (.42 lb. vs. .84 lb.)
- The vz. 58 is striker fired unlike the hammer fired AK-47. This reduces the number of parts and possible points of failure.
By the end of the 1950s, the Sa vz. 58 military issued assault rifle had obtained the impressive combination of weight and length (6.42 lbs and 33.30 inches for fixed stock) to make this rifle the elite among military issued assault rifles of its class.
It remains the only assault rifle of its size that has achieved an empty weight of under 3 kilos.