Subgun Perfection: CZ Scorpion Evo

Submachineguns and pistol caliber carbines are once again finding themselves popular among a lot of shooters, both civilian and LE/Military. And not without good reason. With modern ammo development pistol calibers have experienced a renewed vigor for those seeking low recoiling, compact, close-quarters oriented weapons. In that regard there’s several that have hit the market for civilians trickling down from the military and government contracts. Easily one of the best of the new breed is CZ’s next generation Scorpion Evo.

CZ’s modern offerings in the Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) market- the Scorpion Evo and the Bren.

Being chambered in the most common caliber in the world, 9x19mm, the Scorpion is an answer to several of the other 9mm chambered weapons coming from Sig Sauer, HK and Slovakian maker Grand Power, each aimed at military and police markets for units specializing in hostage rescue and other situations calling for close quarters performance where over penetration of rifle rounds might be an issue. In addition, having a lightweight shortbarreled weapon is well suited to working in and out of vehicles which first responders find themselves. And on top of that, they’re just plain fun to shoot. There’s an undeniable cool factor to shooting a submachinegun of any kind. But does it find itself a home in the arsenal of a prepper or prepared citizen for any other justifiable reason?

I think so. 9mm Luger, or 9×19, is the most common round in the world. And while the argument still rages in the gun community on the lethality of the round, its been killing just fine while blowhards have been sitting on their rear talking about how it doesn’t. Simply by its commonplace and inexpense, the 9mm is easy to stock up on and a heck of a lot of fun to train with, while performing quite well when the need arises. Anyone can shoot it, even those who might be recoil sensitive. And its controlability out of a submachine gun keeps all of your rounds on target with minimal training. There’s two principle reasons I own mine. The first one is that I wanted it; having a 9mm subgun is just badass. The second is that its lightweight and low recoiling, so every member of my family can use it.

I was shopping around back when several started hitting the market I had a handful of options. There were lots of 9mm ARs, which while nice, just never have had that ‘it’ factor for me. Sig looked really good, but the price tag was a bit too high for what was primarily a fun to own weapon at the time. CZ had just brought the Scorpion Evo to the civilian market with a very competitive price point- around $820. And the magazines were both cheap and plentiful. And its a CZ. Sounds like a winner.

Controls are exactly where they need to be.

The Scorpion has a longer sight radius than any handgun I own and the controls mimic the AR close enough to have training similarities. In fact the controls are some of the most intuitive I’ve found on any weapon, with the safety and charging handle exactly where they need to be. The magazine release is equally as simple; a lever on the back of the mag well sort of like an AK. I have no problems activating it with my trigger finger as well as my thumb on the support hand during mag change drills. There’s almost no learning curve- everyone who’s shot it ranging from novice shooters to veteran trigger pullers have all taken right to it. There’s a bolt hold open in the familiar place for any AR shooter as well as the charging handle in the familiar HK MP5 location, allowing that cool guy HK slap. It’s easily reversible, so the shooter can place it on either side they feel comfortable. All of the controls, aside from the bolt hold open lever, are fully ambidextrous.

Controls, aside from the bolt hold open, are fully ambidextrous.

Optics mounting is every bit as simple as it is on any modern weapon platform. A standard pictinny top rail runs the full length of the weapon and the stock iron sights are actually well thought out. I found them effective on their own and they cowitness perfectly with a red dot. The Scorpion Evo features two more side rails and a rail underneath the barrel. Due to the short barrel and the placement of the charging handle mounting accessories can be interesting, but if you’re using a magwell grip (as anyone who’s trained on the MP5 will remember) its not a big issue. The retail space is tight. Just keep in mind this is not an AR- its a submachine gun.

50m Reflexive fire, iron sights and with a mag change. No complaints in the Scorpion’s accuracy department.

Accuracy is great for what is intended to be a close quarters battle weapon. With a 7.7in barrel your realistic engagement range is inside 50m, which is perfect for its intended purpose. If you’ve ever shot any older generation subguns, such as the Uzi, Mac-10, or even (gasp) a Tec-9, you’ll know that precision accuracy is not their strong suit. But the Scorpion really shines here and I think its every bit the equal of the MP5 in its intended role, albeit in a lighter and more optics friendly package.

Even after dumping sand in the action the weapon performed flawlessly.

The MP5 has typically been viewed as superior to its predecessors due to the roller locking delayed blowback action, edging out the much lesser known but excellent Walther MPL. The Scorpion is a direct blowback weapon similar to the MPL, utilizing the sheer mass of the bolt and oversized recoil spring to delay the operation of the bolt. The bolt is one of the largest I’ve ever seen on a weapon of this type, reminding me of the Thompson. Due to its mostly polymer composite body, most of the weapon’s 6lbs loaded comes from the bolt. And that’s a good thing. Due to that oversized bolt mass and spring while coupled with an incredibly simple operation, the weapon is on par with Glocks and the Kalashnikov in terms of reliability. I have no malfunctions to report of any kind, from steel case, brass case, hollow point, or even subsonic handloaded ammo. The gun works, period, no matter what environmental conditions present themselves.

A mag dump after the action being buried in sand. No issues.

I do have a couple of minor gripes. The big one is the safety. While placing a premium on being ambidextrous, right handed shooters will immediately get annoyed with the safety running their trigger finger. There’s aftermarket solutions, but really CZ should offer two safeties with the weapon like they do on the P07 & 09 pistols. The other minor gripe is that the weapon, like all “pistols” of this type, is nearly useless without an aftermarket armbrace or SBR registration. If you’re in the market for one go on and shell out the cash for a SB Tactical arm brace. You’ll be happy you did.

So where does the Scorpion Evo fit in a prepared citizen’s arsenal? Is it practical or is it simply a fun range toy? Personally I think its very relevant for a number of reasons- it’s light and compact, concealable, low recoiling and simple to shoot. For those factors alone its a good option for many who might not need a full powered rifle around a retreat, such as mechanics, base radio station guys or those who still need to be armed but might be dealing with injuries or age. As a weapon for a light reconnaissance team it works very well. Its easily superior to simply having a handgun and is still concealable in winter months, and with its relative low cost but incredibly well thought out design it represents the best of its class. I really enjoy shooting it and I think its a very practical weapon for the day things go sideways. And until that time, its a heck of a lot of fun.

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12 Comments

  1. panhandlerancher April 26, 2019 at 09:00

    Better than the venerable MP5-S??
    PR

  2. TechCom April 26, 2019 at 11:45

    Assuming this gun is semi-auto, how does that affects (if at all) the guns usefulness or suitability in certain situations where a true subgun would normally be used?
    With that said, ironically they also have a binary trigger for said gun and I’m curious how said trigger would help “fill in the gaps” of the above possible short comings for us lowly civilians. Granted I’ve heard said triggers can be “jerky” and are still not quite the same thing as the real thing.

    • NC Scout April 26, 2019 at 13:06

      It is semi auto. Honestly, full auto is almost NEVER recommended. Controlled pairs are the rule of thumb.

  3. johnyMac April 26, 2019 at 12:25

    Thanks for reviewing the CZ Scorpion Evo, NC Scout. I have been looking at this “pistol”. \”/

    A few questions and comments in no particular order…

    Would you share with the group, what ammo (Brand, bullet size, etc) were you using? Did you try any subsonic 9mm ammo? With the weight of the bolt, I was wondering how it would cycle.

    Can you add a stock to the weapon? Obviously after you get your NFA Stamp. I would also think about adding a suppressor, again another NFA Stamp. I have shot MP5’a and UZI’s with & without a can and I could only imagine the noise pollution in a CQB situation without one. LOL. OUCH!

    On another dreamy note: Just imagine being in a CQB situation running a suppressor and subsonic ammo on/in, the CZ Scorpion Evo. It would be a pleasure.

    Last, CZ makes some great weapons at very reasonable prices. The price on this pistol at $820- is perfect. If you add in the price for a suppressor, stock, and tax stamps, it still would be cheaper than a MP5.

    • NC Scout April 26, 2019 at 15:19

      Ammo:

      Wolf 115gr FMJ (200rd, Steel Case)
      TulAmmo 115gr FMJ (150rd, brass case)
      Winchester White Box 115gr FMJ (100rd)
      Winchester White Box 147gr JHP (100rd)
      Privi Partizan 147gr JHP (50rds)
      Handload Subsonic 90gr XTP

      I’m running a SB Tactical Arm Brace on mine. It’s not a stock…it’s an ARM BRACE. But they’re very easy to install, just push the small button on the back of the receiver and it slides on. Its quiet with subsonics as is…if you were running it with a can it wouldn’t make much noise at all.

      • Johny Mac April 26, 2019 at 15:58

        Great! So she cycled OK with the subsonic. Cool Beans. Thx NC Scout.

        • NC Scout April 26, 2019 at 16:05

          Cycled like a Singer sewing machine.

    • Hawkeye April 26, 2019 at 17:43

      I had a Scorpion that I absolutely loved. I let to go to get my 9mm Glock mag AR. I do miss it though and will most likely get another one at some point. My experiences mirror NCScout’s as well. It’s a excellent weapon. The availability of the new 35 round PSA and Magpul mags make it even better.

  4. Jim K April 26, 2019 at 22:57

    Not a true sub-gun and they do have a binary trigger for $500. I have the carbine version which I love, I do have a can for it and the 147 gr bullets are very quiet. This thing is built like a tank and damn near bullet proof. I did change out the trigger and safety and put a sling mount on it. It is one of my go to weapons.

  5. Anonymous April 27, 2019 at 22:04

    4.5

  6. […] CZ’s Scorpion Evo is one of the most interesting weapons on the market today. A compact, lightweight 9mm in the vein of a modernized MP5, its a very effective weapon for home defense. Reliable, robust and simple, its a light and handy weapon anyone can pick up and intuitively use, ma…. […]

  7. Anonymous August 14, 2019 at 05:33

    5

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