Sa vz. 25
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 284 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.27 kg
- Introduced
- 1951
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Sa vz. 25 is a Czechoslovak 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun adopted in 1951, designed by Jaroslav Holecek at Ceska Zbrojovka Uhersky Brod. It is the folding-stock version of the fixed-stock Sa vz. 23, replacing the wooden stock with a side-folding metal strut that shortens the weapon for airborne and vehicle crews. Like the rest of the family it uses a telescoping wrap-around bolt that overhangs the barrel, feeds from a magazine housed in the pistol grip, and employs a progressive trigger that fires semi-automatic with a light pull and full-automatic with a deeper pull.
Its telescoping wrap-around bolt, which wraps forward over the barrel to keep the gun compact, predated and helped inspire the same trick later used on the Israeli Uzi.
Fires from an open bolt using 24- or 40-round magazines; other than its folding metal stock it is mechanically identical to the Sa vz. 23. The 7.62x25mm Tokarev counterparts are the fixed-stock Sa vz. 24 and folding-stock Sa vz. 26.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Česká zbrojovka
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Czechia
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1951
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 284 mm
- Overall length
- 686 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.27 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 40
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 381 m/s
- Effective range
- 137 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Open bolt
Select fire
Telescoping wrap around bolt
Magazine in pistol grip
Folding metal stock- Progressive trigger fire selection
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 3.27 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 686 mm | 723 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 284 mm | 213 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 40 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Sa vz. 25
How much does the Sa vz. 25 weigh?
The Sa vz. 25 weighs 3.27 kg (7.21 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Sa vz. 25?
The Sa vz. 25 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Sa vz. 25 hold?
The Sa vz. 25 holds 40 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Sa vz. 25?
The Sa vz. 25 is 686 mm (27.0 in) long overall, with a 284 mm (11.18 in) barrel.
Who makes the Sa vz. 25?
The Sa vz. 25 is made by Česká zbrojovka (Czechia). It was designed by Jaroslav Holecek.
When was the Sa vz. 25 introduced?
The Sa vz. 25 was introduced in 1951.
How does the Sa vz. 25 operate?
The Sa vz. 25 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Czechoslovak People's Army
- 1951
- Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces
- Cuba
Provenance
Confidence in this record
75%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/cz-sa-25' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "cz-sa-25", "name": "Sa vz. 25", "manufacturer": { "id": "cz", "name": "Česká zbrojovka", "countryCode": "CZ", "foundedYear": 1936, "website": "https://www.czfirearms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "Czech firearms manufacturer based in Uherský Brod, established in 1936 as a strategic armaments facility and became the main Czechoslovak producer of small firearms after World War II.", "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "3d31eca95fe86453b3e4ce39da89e68e7772f8583a0d304f8ec5873a2440ab13" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "CZ", "year_introduced": 1951, "barrel_length_mm": 284, "weight_empty_g": 3270, "action_type": "blowback"}