VZ 58/ VZ 2008 Bolt Release mod and trigger guard mod.

[redpitbull44]

I have a Century VZ 2008. Great little rifle, especially for the price (~$375). It is chambered in 7.62x39mm, (same as the AK47 and SKS). I am not going to bore you with a history lesson, but just to clarify, the VZ 58 was designed by the Czechoslovakians for their military. It is not an AK. It is its own design, and isn't compatible with AK parts or accessories.

One of the ways that the VZ differs from the AK is that it has a true, built in, last round bolt hold open.

The last round bolt hold open is actuated by a tab on the follower that rides in a rib on the right hand side of the rear of the magazine. Comparing AK and VZ mags, many of the AK mags have a similar rib that runs along the back of the mag, so they will fit in the same mag pouches.
Tab and rib as viewed from the back... excuse the sand.

From the side...

and from the side, loaded.

The Czechs were kind enough to include an external button as part of the last round bolt hold open, so the shooter could lock the bolt back by hand if need be. You can see there, just forward of the trigger guard (my apologies regarding picture quality).

Here you are viewing the receiver from above, with the right side towards the bottom of the picture. You can see the extractor (the raised part that is dead center), as well as the bolt hold open (circular pin in the hole near the right wall of the receiver). The other pin nearest the extractor is the retaining pin for the pin the BHO and Mag release lever ride on.

Here is the BHO when it is actuated.

 

[redpitbull44]

But they didn't include a bolt release in the original design. This means that after inserting a fresh magazine, one must pull/smack the bolt handle backwards, allowing the BHO (which is under spring tension) to retract downward, thus allowing the bolt to close.

I saw this as an opportunity to make some improvements. The first thing I did was searched online for a pre-made piece. Neit Arms in Canada makes several upgrade parts, including something like I had in mind. They wanted $77 for it, and I could not see spending that, especially considering the metalworking tools I have. So, I came up with this...

Also, the VZ trigger guard had a piece on it that wrapped around the back of the magazine release.

It was getting in the way of my (left handed) trigger finger being able to push the mag release forward, so I chopped it off.

The nice thing about the VZ, especially with the mods I've got done here, I can release the magazine with my trigger finger, remove it with my right hand, drop the mag in a dump pouch, come back up with a fresh mag out of a mag pouch, rock it in, and my right thumb naturally lands on the bolt release. For a right handed shooter, you could use your left thumb on the mag release, and your trigger finger on the bolt release. Helluva lot better than the AK or AR IMHO.