In the early part of the 20th century Czechoslovakia had a ton of pistols for their military is what could be called worthless calibers. The Czechs, as well as many European police/military groups used the 32 ACP caliber for their sidearms. In 1938, the Czechs adopted a new weapon in the more powerful 380 Auto cartridge.
41,000 VZ38 pistols were made, in total. It's primary design requirement was that it be reliable and simple. The pistol was basically idiot-proof. To disassemble the gun, a catch on the left side of the gun is pulled back and the slide and barrel come up, on a hinge near the muzzle. From this point the slide can be removed from the barrel and the weapon can be cleaned.
The VZ38, according to Ian Hogg, "Is not a good pistol; it is clumsy to hold and point, and the trigger mechanism is a self cocking system demanding a heavy pull, so accurate shooting is out of the question." The disassembly catch could be pulled by accident or be caught on an article of gear and disassemble the gun at a bad time. In spite of this condemnation, the pistol was said to be well made and reliable. Very few guns were delivered prior to Germany conquering Czechoslovakia in 1939. Almost all Vz38 pistols were accepted into Germany's military as the Pistolen 39 and issued to local security forces.
The VZ38 prior Czech models were in use until 1952, when the CZ52 pistol replaced them in front line duty. For many years, though, the VZ38 was still used by secondary forces.
