Send us your own comments about this object.

Title:	PISTOL, SEMI-AUTOMATIC -  CZECH PISTOL VZ27 (P27(t)) 7.65MM SN# 77548
Maker/Manufacturer:	MYSKA, FRANTISEK
Date of Manufacture:	C 1940
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 873
Measurements:	OL: 16CM 6 3/8" BL: 9.5CM 3 3/4" 1.54 lbs. empty

Object Description:

CZECH PISTOL VZ27 (P27(t)) 7.65MM SN# 77548
Manufactured by Bohmische Waffenfabrik, Prague, Czechoslovakia - Standard Czech semi-automatic pistol with 8-round magazine produced under German supervision for the Wehrmact in WWII. Straight blowback operated with exposed hammer. Single-action only. Blued finish with wrap-around Bakelite grips. Fixed sights. Safety lock button. Weapon weighs approximately 1.54 lbs. empty. Complete with 8-round detachable box magazine and in excellent condition.

Markings:
Barrel: Government proofs. WaA 76/77548.
Frame: WaA 76., 77548.
Slide: BOHMISCHE WAFFENFABRIK A. G. IN PRAG, WaA 76 77548. PISTOLE MODELL 27 KAL. 7.65.
Trigger mechanism cover: 77548.
Grips: CZ logo.

Weapon donated to the Museum from the Hartford, Ct. Police Department on 5 June 1961. At that time weapon was appraised at $75.00.

Exhibit label: "M27(t) 7.65 millimeter - The M27(t) was originally made in Prague by Ceska Abrojovka (sic). When the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia the plant was renamed Bohmische Waffenfabrik A.G. Pistols, such as this example made during the German occupation bear that marking."

Notes: "Designed in 1926 by Fantisek Myska, the Model 27 was based on the Model 24 but was straight blowback rather than recoil-operated with a rotating barrel lock. In 1939, after twelve years of use by the Czechoslovakian police, the German Occupation Army saw its potential and adopted it as a secondary military weapon and for police and Luftwaffe use. Two interesting variants the Germans developed were the .22 L.R.R.F. version for target practice and the long-barreled model modified for silencer. The early German pistols were made to prewar standards, but as the war progressed, quality declined greatly. By 1942 all production went to the Luftwaffe, and the pistols were marked only with the Code fnh and German proofs. At war's end, commercial production resumed, with prewar markings but starting at around serial number 480000. When the Communists took over Czechoslovakia in 1948 the factory was nationalized. It is estimated that over 600,000 of these pistols may have been made." - Balderson

"The Model 27 was made in the largest quantity of all the pre-World War II Czech automatic pistols. It was extensively used by the Germans, who called it Pistol 27 (t) during World War II.
The Model 27 differs the from the Models 22 and 24 in caliber and in being blowback operated. The barrel is not rigidly fixed to the receiver as in many blowback operated pistols, such as the Walther PP, but is removable in a fashion similar to the Colt .32 and .380 pocket automatics.
During the course of the war, various simplifications in manufacture were introduced by the Germans. Pistol that bear the marking 'fnh' were made with the following modifications: Trigger extension bar, safety, safety release, magazine release and firing pin retaining plate are stamped; magazine catch can be used as lanyard loop, and the retaining screw on side plate is eliminated." - Ezell.

References:
Balderson, Robert. COLLECTOR HANDGUNS. 5th Ed. House of Collectibles. N.Y., N.Y. 1996.
Ezell, Edward. SMALL ARMS OF THE WORLD. Barnes & Noble Books. N.Y., N.Y. 1993.
Hogg, Ian & John Weeks. PISTOLS OF THE WORLD. 3rd Ed. DBI Books, Inc. Northbrook, Il. 1992.
Miller, David. THE ILLUSTRATED DIRECTORY OF 20TH CENTURY GUNS. Salamander Books Limited. London, England. 2001.

LABEL ERROR