And now, for something a bit different.

The Czechoslovakian CZ-82 service pistol. This splendid handgun ran me a scant $160. Considered the pinnacle of the Soviet Makarov pistol platform, this weapon is a joy to shoot, is incredibly simple to clean and disassemble, and is small enough to make it a good personal defense weapon. Developed in 1982, it was meant to replace the old CZ-52 pistol, per the USSR's request (the 52 shot the old 7.62 Tokarev pistol cartridge, while everyone else in the Soviet Union had long since adopted the 9x18 makarov cartridge). And so, the Czechs produced the CZ-82, which fired the makarov round and featured alot of interesting features. First, the barrel is fixed directly to the gun, instead of the detachable top slide. This results in better barrel stability. Most notably, it has polygonal grooving. As opposed to the standard rifling you see, this is much more shallow and smooth, giving the CZ-82 the appearance that it's a smoothbore. Make no mistake though, this uncommon grooving leads to better accuracy and a much easier cleaning experience. So, add the fixed barrel and the polygonal grooving, and you have a pistol that is incredibly accurate for its size. Knowing that they had a good export product on their hands, Czechoslovakia made a civilian export version called the CZ-83, which featured a traditional rifled barrel. But I don't settle for civilian or export versions of guns, hence why I opted for the officially issued '82. My only complaint is the plastic black grips. As anyone on the GUFU IRC can tell you, I hate synthetics when it comes to gun furniture. For me, it's wood or nothing. Unfortunately, the Czechs didn't make any wood grips for the CZ-82, so I've arranged for a guy in Budapest, Hungary to make me a set in wattle wood with a red shellac finish. I should get them in the mail in about a month.

When you factor in the CZ-82's accuracy, simplicity, pleasant aesthetics and solid shooting characteristics, it is an absolute steal at $159.99. I'd go so far to say that it's the second best firearm deal on the planet, with the $69.99 Mosin nagant rifle coming in first. Get your's today!