History of the vz 61 Skorpion

May 12

The vz 61 is a PDW from Czechoslovakia designed in 1959 and completed in 1961. It was designed for security forces but was also used by the Czechoslovkian military as a sidearm for special forces and vehicle drivers.

It is a closed bolt, straight blowback machine pistol capable of select fire. It’s known for its upward cartridge ejection and compact size made possible by the telescoping bolt assembly. Because it’s chambered in .32 ACP, the Skorpion has low recoil—even if fired in full-auto at 850 rounds per minute. With low recoil and concealability, the vz 61 was the perfect personal defense weapon.

The original Skorpion was produced in CZ’s factory located in Uhersky Brod, Czechoslovakia from 1963 to 1979.

This was CZ’s first factory, founded in 1936 and responsible for manufacturing small arms in Czechoslovakia after World War II. It was the first to produce submachine guns with telescoping bolts.

Italian Red Brigades

Because the vz 61 is concealable and fully automatic, it was a popular weapon choice among many terrorist groups. Most famously, it was used by the Italian Red Brigades (BR) in the kidnapping and assassination of a former politician.

Captive Moro
By a member of the Red Brigades - http://www.fabioruini.eu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/morob.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56760

The BR was a far-left group with the goal of freeing Italy from NATO and creating a new state through an armed revolution. With backing from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Secret Police of Czechoslovakia, the BR received training and logistics support. Additionally, they received shipments of smuggled arms—including vz 61s—from Czechoslovakia and the Eastern Bloc.

The BR gained press coverage throughout the 1970s from their terrorist attacks and bank robberies. But in 1978, they made world headlines when they used Skorpion vz 61s to ambush former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro and his bodyguards.

Moro was targeted because he had been the key negotiator in the parliamentary compromise between the Christian Democrats and the Italian Communist Party. The BR offered the safe release of Moro in exchange for the release of their prisoners, but the Italian government refused to negotiate. After almost two months, they realized a deal wasn’t in the cards and they killed him.

Skorpion Today

Though many terrorist organizations and security forces have upgraded to newer PDWs, the vz 61 Skorpion still has its place in infamy.

Ultimately, it was a successful personal defense weapon—filling a gap in the market between pistols and submachine guns—with more than 200,000 produced. Today, it still makes appearances in movies and video games. Though the gun was designed decades ago, this custom Cerakote paint job makes the vz 61 look futuristic.