Scorpion EVO-3 A1

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New Addition to the Brand

Czech arms industry definitely deserves its place in the hall of fame of weapons manufacturers. One of the most important developments of the “Česká zbrojovka” company was their Scorpion model, an excellent quality submachine gun that uses 9×19 Parabellum rounds.

Old School Standard

Scorpion EVO-3 A1 shares only its name with its predecessor. More powerful ammunition requires a more robust frame and greater weight. The new submachine gun weighs 6.11 pounds with an empty magazine, It is 26 inches long with an extended stock and 18 inches long when the stock is collapsed. The barrel is 7.7 inches long with classical rifling and a twist rate of 10 inches; bullets fired from this weapon have initial speed of 1214 feet per second and its sights radius is 9.45 inches.

“Lego” Accessories

EVO-3 A1 is a very visually striking weapon, it has a distinctive modern feel, as if it popped out of a near-future computer game. Most of the weapon itself is made from polymers. The hull, lower part of the frame, handgrips, stock… it’s all made from matte black plastic. Its ammunition clips are semi-transparent and smoke colored, allowing users to check their remaining ammo with a glance. Top part of the hull has a Picatinny rail with iron sights. These sights are mainly there as backup, since the Picatinny rail is more than capable of supporting high quality optical sights. The Scorpion also sports shorter, accessory rails on both sides and the bottom. For a more comfortable grip, the rails are covered with textured rubber inserts. There are also rubber limiters that prevent the shooter’s hand from slipping. While all of this is useful, it adds to the somewhat clumsy appearance and it can actually make finding the most comfortable grip harder. The way you hold the weapon is different if you’re standing, kneeling, prone or in cover. Your front arm has to be free to move or you will end up in an uncomfortable, cramped position. Fortunately, all those accessories can be easily removed. Also, adjustable stock allows you to find an ideal configuration depending on the thickness of your clothes or protective vest. Adjusting the angle of the pistol grip is also very easy, all you have to do is loosen a single screw that connects it to the hull.

All controls are ambidextrous and located exactly where you would expect them to be. Safety is also the firing selector, allowing you to choose between single, 3-round burst, or fully automatic mode. The new Scorpion uses the free recoil system, but, due to the trigger mechanism with an inertial firing pin and a separate hammer. Firing is performed from a closed position which improves accuracy because movement and striking of the massive hammer are not simultaneous. EVO-3 A1 is a reliable weapon; interruptions appear in the intervals of around 5000 bullets on average, an excellent performance. Main credit for high reliability goes to the small number of parts and simple construction. The main disadvantage of this concept is accuracy, but “Zbrojovka” reps claim this submachine gun has an effective range of 250 yards. Quite an optimistic assessment, even for a compact machine gun.

Undisputed Potential

At the firing range, this weapon performs pretty well. It is comfortable to use, sighting is easy and it is very well balanced, Of course, hitting the target in single fire mode is not a problem, even using the gun single handed provides good results. The 3-round burst is accurate at the tested range of 100 yards. Full auto does require more care. High firing rate of 1.150 rounds per minute will empty the clip in a blink if you pull the trigger just a bit harder.

The weight of this gun is closer to the new generation of rifles that use much more powerful ammunition, with greater effective range and stopping power than a century old pistol bullet.

Despite its potential, its cost reaches almost 2000 USD, well in range of the best submachine guns on the market such as H&K and SIG or even previously mentioned compact assault guns. The best thing this rookie can offer is an old brand name.

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