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Zastava CZ99

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(Redirected from CZ 999)
Not to be confused with CZ series of pistols produced by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod.
Zastava CZ99
Zastava CZ99 pistol presented to General Sir Mike Jackson when commanding British troops in the ex-Yugoslavian theatre in the late 1990s. On display at the Parachute Regiment exhibition of the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.
TypeSemi-automatic pistol
Place of originYugoslavia
Service history
WarsSecond Liberian Civil War[1]
Kosovo War[2]
Bosnian War[3]
2001 insurgency in Macedonia
Production history
DesignerBožidar Blagojević [4]
Designed1989
ManufacturerZastava Arms
Produced1990–present
Specifications
Mass970 grams
Length190mm
Barrel length108mm
Height140mm
Cartridge9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W
ActionRecoil operated (DA/SA or DAO)
Effective firing range50m
Feed system10- or 15-round magazine

The Zastava CZ99 is a semi-automatic pistol produced by Zastava Arms.[5] It was developed in 1989 to replace the M57 in the Yugoslav military and police. The CZ99 is primarily chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum with a 15-round magazine, although .40 Smith & Wesson variants also exist, with ten-round magazines.

Design

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The pistol was designed in 1989 by Božidar Blagojević. The CZ99 should not be confused with the Czech firearm manufacturer Česká Zbrojovka, because the CZ in the CZ99's name stands for "Crvena Zastava". The CZ99 replaced the outdated Zastava M57 in Yugoslavian military service because of its many new features, such as a fully chromed barrel, tritium night sights, an indicator for the last three rounds remaining in the magazine and a loaded chamber indicator. The CZ99 is still used in military and police service throughout the Balkans. The CZ99 is no longer produced, however, smaller variants with some modern improvements, the CZ999 and the EZ9, are still being produced. The CZ999 and the EZ9 are almost identical to the CZ99, however they are redesigned to be more ergonomic. Most parts will interchange between the newer and older designs, but some parts, like the grip panels, will not.

Visually, the pistol resembles a SIG-Sauer P226 and, as such, it is often compared to the SIG.[6][7] However, the overall design of the pistol took far more inspiration from the Walther P88 than the P226. Some of the P88 features that were used on the CZ99 include similar slide serrations, magazine, magazine release, and, of course, the ambidextrous combined safety-decocker. Also unlike the P226, the CZ99 also has a machined steel slide. The P226 (at the time of this pistol's design) had a stamped and welded sheet steel slide. The external appearance of the gun and lack of an external extractor were design ideas taken from the P226.

Variants

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CZ999 Skorpion with custom made grips
  • CZ999 Scorpion (ЦЗ999): An updated variant of the CZ99 with some improvements, such as a slimmer grip and redesigned grip panels, wider slide serrations, a serrated backstrap, standard 3-dot sights, a curved trigger, a square trigger guard and a longer hammer spur. While initially intended for the 9×19mm, there is a variant of the CZ99 chambered in .40 S&W, primarily for foreign importers, with many of these handguns imported by the US in 1990. Over time though, newer versions of this firearm have been developed: The Zastava CZ999, with DAO and DA/SA selector, as well as the CZ999 Scorpion without this selector. Also features a loaded chamber indicator. Comes in compact model as well.[8]
  • Zastava EZ is the fourth generation CZ99. It is exactly the same as the CZ999, however it has an under-barrel picatinny rail for mounting lights and accessories and a larger ring hammer. Service- and personal defence gun, single/double action, ambidextrous. The CZ999 and EZ9 do accept standard CZ99 magazines, but they will not accept all CZ99 parts, such as grip panels. Also like the CZ999, the EZ9 exists in two calibers.[9] There are compact versions of both calibers.[10]
  • KSN Golan is an Israeli clone of the CZ99, with rights being purchased after Zastava halted production. Though the Golan lacks the CZ99's loaded chamber indicator and has a shorter slide and barrel, different grips, and other minor cosmetic variations from the CZ99, it is virtually identical in internal design, and some parts are interchangeable between the two.[11]
  • Tressitu TZ99 is a South African clone of the CZ99. In the early 1990s South African company Tressitu entered into a licensing agreement with Crvena Zastava to produce a licensed copy named the TZ99, offered in both 9×19mm and .40 S&W. It was only produced for a short period before the company went out of business in the mid-1990s. A number of TZ99s stored from the dissolution were imported to the US in the mid-2000s.[12]

Users

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Map with Zastava CZ99 users in blue

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b United Nations Security Council (25 October 2002). Report of the Panel of Experts concerning Liberia (S/2002/1115) (PDF). p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Structure of the Serbian forces involved in Kosovo in 1999". Prosecutor v. Vlastimir Đorđević: public judgement with confidential annex (Report). Vol. 1. International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991. 23 February 2011. p. 22. IT-05-87/1-T. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022.
  3. ^ Bosnian Soldier holding his CZ99 during the Bosnian War, 1993 https://web.archive.org/web/20190417205432/https://forum.klix.ba/stari-grad-u-periodu-1992-1995-p12327778.html#p12327778
  4. ^ "Unofficial Zastava CZ 99, CZ 999, EZ and PPZ site - CZ99.org". Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  5. ^ "Pistol CZ99". Zastava Arms. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Serbian SIG for under $400: CZ999 Scorpion (VIDEO)". Guns.com. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Zastava Yugoslav CZ-99 Review - The Armed Lutheran". The Armed Lutheran. 19 September 2015. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Pistol CZ999 Compact". Zastava Arms. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Pistol EZ9/EZ40". Zastava Arms. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Pistol EZ9 Compact/EZ40 Compact". Zastava Arms. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  11. ^ "GOLAN DOUBLE-ACTION PISTOL" (PDF). American Rifleman. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Firearm Review, July 2001: Tressitu TZ99 9x19mm Pistol". Cruffler.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Brigadno takmičenje u disciplini "Pištolj"". mod.gov.ba (in Bosnian). Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 5 April 2010. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019.
  14. ^ "First arms shipment bound for Iraq". B92. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008.
  15. ^ "Israeli Pistols". Archived from the original on 16 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Annual Report on The Transfers of Controlled Goods in 2008". Republic of Serbia Ministry of Economy and Regional Development. p. 54. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  17. ^ Republic of Serbia: Ministry of Economy and of Regional Development. "Annual Report on the Transfers of Controlled Goods in 2008". p. 37. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014 – via Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
  18. ^ "Children and weapons in Montenegro - A review of data and research" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2022.
  19. ^ Davison, Phil (17 May 1999). "Kosovars suffer new ethnic hatred". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022.
  20. ^ "This Week in Pictures: May 10 - May 16th, 2014". Archived from the original on 4 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Пешадијско наоружање - Пиштољ 9 mm ЦЗ99" [Infantry weapons - 9 mm pistol CZ99]. Serbian Army (in Serbian). Retrieved 5 December 2014.
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