Comprehensive Guide To The CZ Scorpion 3 Plus: A Facelift To A Well-Known PDW

In this CZ Scorpion 3+ guide, we will discuss the facelift that CZ has bestowed upon one of its most famous firearms. 

And one of the OG personal defense weapons. 

Previous CZ Scorpion models have received much love and hate from those who have shot it, and it makes sense. The original Scorpions left a lot of issues on the table that fueled the divide between fans and those who detest the rifle. 

The Scorpion 3+ results from CZ listening to their market and addressing every issue in one package. 

This guide is not to be mistaken for a review but just an insight into how far CZ has come since the original Skorpion from the 1960s compared to today. 

Let’s dive in.

 

Where Does The CZ Scorpion Come From? 

Everyone should know CZ Skorpion, or the VZ-61, at this point. If you don’t, here’s a little backstory:

The CZ Scorpion dates back to the famed Skorpion sub-machine gun that came to the firearms industry in 1961 and was designed by a Czechoslovakian feller named Miroslav Rybar. 

The Skorpion is chambered in .32 ACP and 9mm. 

It gained a lot of love from both good and bad guys alike. Similar to the AK-47. 

Designers worked tirelessly to improve the Skorpion, but eventually, they left it at that. 

In the 1990s, after the Czech Republic was established, they figured that it might be a good idea to give their military a sub-machine gun chambered in 9mm. 

So they brought out the Skorpion from the 60s and completely bombed it at first. The design was too expensive and wasn’t cost-effective. We know how much the military loves to save money. 

So, one day, a man by the name of Jan Lucansky had become fascinated with the idea and started tinkering with sub-machine guns. Later, he and a few designers came together and brought forward what would eventually be the Evo 3. 

And in 2007, CZ purchased the idea from Lucansky; the rest is history. 

Now that we’ve got introductions out of the way, we will talk about what’s changed and what we wish has changed.

 

The Evo 3 Plus

Take the Skorpion into consideration, as well as Lucansky’s (Laugo Prototype) design. You can consider the Skorpion the first generation, Lucanky’s design is the second generation, and the Evo 3, of course, the third generation. 

But what does the new Skorpion Evo 3 Plus offer that the others didn’t? There are a few cosmetic changes and some changes in the placement of the controls. So let’s talk about that. 

 

It Comes In Three Sizes

CZ understood that consumers wanted options. They don’t just offer it in one size. They deliver it in three dimensions. We’ll go in order of when they were introduced. 

The pistol-sized variant came first to the market and offers shooters a 7.8-inch cold hammer forged barrel and ambidextrous magazine release, bolt catch, and a reversible cocking handle. It comes in at 15.2 inches overall. 

The carbine-sized option has the same ambidextrous features and a 16.3-inch barrel length. It comes in at 32.7-inches overall. It was the second iteration of the firearm to be introduced and offers ambidextrous controls.  

The third variant to come about was the micro. Scorpion 3 Plus micro has a 4.7-inch barrel length and still fe​​atures the ambidextrous controls on both the pistol and carbine variants. 

 

Forward Pistol Grip 

If you look back on the history of the Scorpions, they had an extremely aggressive pistol grip angle that is reminiscent of the Colt M16A1 pistol grips. 

The ergonomics could have been better. Consumers were quick to discuss this, and owners of the previous Scorpion were changing out the pistol grip as soon as they got theirs. 

Word must have eventually gotten back to CZ, and they introduced a more ergonomic and comfortable solution on the newer Scorpion 3+. 

The new pistol grips are more vertical, giving your wrist a more neutral position and helping with the manipulation of the safeties and other ambidextrous features. 

 

Lower Reciever

The Scorpio 3+ brings many changes to the table, but one of the most notable changes is the lower receiver. It’s different. And it doesn’t look like the lower on the Evo 3. 

The lower receiver on the 3+ takes after its bigger brother, the Bren 2. 

While it doesn’t do much in the firearm’s performance, I think we can both say it makes the Scorpion 3+ look pretty cool.

And that’s a pretty important part of being an owner of a firearm. We also like how cool they look. And when a gun looks cool and functions like a champ, we can appreciate it much more. 

 

Controls Have Changed Locations

One of the more noticeable features that have changed with the Scorpion 3+ is the changing of the magazine release and bolt catch. 

The magazine release is similar to what you see on an AR-15 and is ambidextrous. Those who have trained with an Armalite-style rifle will feel right at home with this new setup. 

But, the downside is that the magazines between the Evo and the Scorpion 3+ are different. But, if you put a notch in the older magazine, you should be good to go. 

The bolt catch is in a new location and is also ambidextrous. It’s easier to manipulate and can be accessed from both sides of the gun. 

 

Conclusion

Again, this isn’t a review of the new Scorpion 3+, just a guide on what you can expect from the new addition to the CZ Scorpion line. 

If I were in the market to upgrade from the Scorpion Evo 3 S1 to the 3+, I would strongly consider it. The new features with the reliability that the Scorpion is famed for seem like a good PDW option to me. 

Be safe, and happy hunting.