The CZ45 and its Florida Clone
Just after World War Two, the CZ works began production of a new and efficient little .25ACP nine-shot pistol that could fit in the palm of your hand. Then, when they were cut off from importation, imitation became the sincerest form of flattery.
Continuing pre-war work on the CZ36 pistol, Czech firearms engineer Jan Kratochvil perfected the design of a small, 15-ounce, five-inch long, blowback pistol chambered in 6.35mm Browning (.25ACP), then a popular defense round in Europe. Kratochivil simplified the CZ36 design and added a John Browning-inspired stirrup-shaped connector to the hammer of the little pistol to increase its reliability. The outcome was a little handgun that was the Ruger LCP of its day– only in a marginally smaller caliber…
Read the rest in my column at CZTalk