VZ24 info?

[DeadDog]

I figure this is the place to put this question. Anyone have any info on the VZ24s in 7x57, twist rate and such? I got one pretty recently and I'm hoping to turn it into a decent-ranged shooter, but there's not really that much information out there on them.

 

[oldscot3]

I think vz 24s were 8mm not 7mm.
edit - MOST VZ 24s were 8mm .
Check your twist with a tightly patched cleaning rod and a yard stick.
Cerosafe castings of the chamber are informative as well.

 

[Mosin-Marauder]

Quite a few VZ24's were in 7x57. Century us selling a good lot of then now as u-fix-ems. They basically got shipped all over the world during and after WWII. Persia, South America, China, they were even contracted to make them for the German army during the war. I don't advocate turning Military Firearms into sporters but it's your rifle.

 

[oldscot3]

I did a little research and came up short on production numbers, however, if you consider that vz 24s didn't go into production until 1924, well after the end of WW1, when the 7mm mauser was already considered "old" and being dropped by nations in favor of 30 caliber"ish" cartridges, it doesn't make sense that a large percentage were made in that caliber.

CZ sold contract mausers from about '24 to '42 to about 20 nations;I'm pretty sure they would have wanted the most up to date weapon for their money and what is a "modern" weapon without modern ammunition to fire from it.

Back to the op... most military 7mm barrels have a quick twist and a long throat to accommodate heavy for caliber, round nose bullets. You can probably expect long bullets to shoot best in that case, although you can't rule out the lighter pills without just trying them.

 

[Mobuck]

If the headspace is good and the bore isn't seriously pitted, they make good shooters(in either 7 or 8x57). I have several rifles built using the VZ24 action and a couple still in 8x57. The 8mm(s) have had the barrel cut and re-crowned due to muzzle wear from cleaning. One has a custom made "tensioned" barrel using an aluminum sleeve while the other has been shortened to 21" but both are fairly accurate using Remington 185 Corelokt or Nosler 180 Ballistic Tip handloads. Rifling twists are fairly fast since most 7mm used 175 grain bullets(I did have some Chilean(?) FMJ with 150 pointed bullets) and much of the 8mm used a 195-200 grain.
I keep telling myself I'll take the 21" deer hunting but haven't got around to that.

 

[emcon5]

Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, El Salvador, Columbia all bought vz24 rifles in 7X57mm.

IIRC the twist rate is fast, designed for the original heavy ~175gr round nose bullets. I believe it was 1:8.5

 

[Scorch]

emcon5 got it right. 7X57 was used by a lot of armies around the world, many in South America. Twist is about 1:8.5, so heavy bullets like 175 gr RN and 168 gr semi-pointed will shoot well.

 

[DeadDog]

Thanks guys, that's really really helpful. I couldn't manage to get the patch to catch on the rifling to measure it that way. I'll make sure to try some of the heavier bullets to see how they shoot, as well as the light ones.

 

[Clark]

I have been sporterizing VZ24s.
The 8mm sometimes have bores worth shooting.
So far I just pull the 7mm barrels, as none are worth shooting.

My 7mm VZ24s have a flat spot on the bolt knob, my 8mm VZ24 knobs are round.