The Vz. 61 Skorpion submachine gun will be remembered for its uniqueness

Gun categories are a bit nebulous at times, and the Vz. 61 Skorpion could fall into many. I’d like to say it’s a submachine gun, but there is certainly some argument that it could be a personal defense weapon, and others might call it a machine pistol.

The Czech developed the weapon in 1959 and called in a submachine gun.

Submachines in that era were plenty common, but the Vz. 61 Skorpion was a bit different. In fact, part of the reason why there is some disagreement about its category has to do with these differences.

SMGs of the era were typically 9mm or .45 ACP, and while they were compact for the time, it wasn’t uncommon for them to weigh anywhere from six to eight pounds and to have roughly the size of a modern carbine.

In stark contrast, the Vz. 61 Skorpion was micro-sized. It weighed only 2.87 pounds and was only 10.6 inches long with the stock folded. Unfolded, the stock measured 20.4 inches.

The stock was another novel touch: It gave the gun the appearance of a scorpion’s tail and so became responsible for its name.

The stock was a simple wire one and very minimalistic. On a lot of other guns, it wouldn’t be a very comfortable or supportive, but it worked for the Skorpion thanks to the weapon’s caliber.

The right caliber for the job

The Vz.61 Skorpion SMG. This example chambers the 7.65mm Browning cartridge and uses the short 10-round magazine. (Photo by Pibwl/Wikimedia Commons)

The Skorpion fired a little round known as the .32 ACP or 7.65 Browning.

The cartridge was widely used during World War I and remained popular as a police cartridge across Europe. It was also the standard service cartridge of the Czechoslovakian security forces. However, it’s not used in modern military firearms due to its low power.

According to CZ-USA, the latest incarnation of the company that originally produced the Skorpion, the .32 ACP round was also easily available in both socialist and capitalist countries. It’s also a cartridge that suppresses quite well.

The gun allowed for select fire, so users could swap between semi- and full-auto settings. A gun as small as the Skorpion would be tough to handle in full auto-fire if using a 9mm cartridge. But the .32 ACP allowed the weapon to remain controllable in full auto.

The Skorpion uses a blowback-operated design and fires from a closed bolt, something that was somewhat new for SMGs in 1959.

To further ensure the Skorpion was controllable in the full-auto setting, an inertial rate reducer was used to lower the rate of fire from 1,000 rounds per minute to 850.

The weapon had short magazines that only held 10 to 20 rounds, so even with the lower fire rate the magazine would be depleted fast. However, the short magazines helped to keep the system compact and small.

Over the weapon’s lifespan, there would be numerous variants produced in various calibers like .380 ACP, 9mm Parabellum, and 9mm Makarov. Yet, none of these later variants would be mass-produced. All of them created more recoil than the .32 ACP and likely made the gun a little tougher to control in full-auto.

Related: The Bren Gun – A tea-sipping LMG by way of the Czechs

A small gun with many purposes

A drawing of the Vz.61 Skorion with unfolded stock. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Skorpion was originally designed for state security forces because it was small, easy to carry (the gun famously had a shoulder holster system), and more capable than a pistol. But soon its capability led to its adoption by the Czechoslovakian army. There, it found a use with vehicle drivers, special operations troops, paratroopers, and as a personal sidearm for officers.

According to CZ, one of the weapon’s engineers was carrying it under a coat in a custom shoulder holster while meeting his superiors. The concealability of the Skorpion impressed the men and that helped the country’s Ministry of Interior get the weapon produced.

Factor in ammo, suppression capability, and its concealable nature, and you get a commando weapon that could be fielded by spies, infiltrators, guerrilla groups, and beyond.

Eventually, the Skorpion found its way into the illicit arms trade – whether this was accidental or not is unclear – and armed forces that tended to side with communist and socialist ideals including the IRA, the Italian Red Brigades, the Viet Cong, and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front.

The weapon was also fielded officially by more than a dozen military and police forces around the world.

North Korea produced a copy that was found amongst North Korean infiltrators. And over 2,000 Skorpions were sent to Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

Although still fielded by several countries, the Vz. 61 Skorpion may be coming to the end of its service life. Submachine guns as a whole are becoming less common around the world in favor of the light carbine. With that said, the little Skorpion fulfills roles that the carbine can’t, and for that reason it will remain well remembered.

Feature Image: Czechoslovakian soldiers using the Vz.61 Skorpion. (CZ)

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