Delta AR Top Gun - an Italian CZ52 in 45acp

lifesizepotato · June 8, 2015, 03:10 PM

I took some high-res photos of one of my most prized handguns this weekend, so I thought I'd post them here to help disseminate them out onto the internet. TFL is always at the top of the search rankings when I'm researching obscure guns.

The Delta AR Top Gun was produced in very limited numbers (I'd estimate fewer than 300, possibly 200) in Italy in the late 90s and early 2000s. While my particular example has a steel frame and is chambered in 45ACP, the gun was also offered in 9x21mm and 40S&W and with aluminum alloy frames. Nickel and duo-tone nickel/blue finishes were also available. Personally, I think steel + the high polish blue are the combo to choose and best fit the gun's luxurious aspirations.

The pistol is essentially a high-end clone of the CZ52, using the same exact roller lock mechanism. Build quality and fit/finish, however, are in a completely different league, comparing favorably with top-shelf 1911s, Korths, Korriphilas, and the like.

The trigger is SAO and completely adjustable. However, there is a firing pin safety that precludes it from being as crisp as I'd like. Nevertheless, accuracy in my hands is stellar. My second or third magazine with the gun were giving me cloverleaves at 13 yards.

I find the unique trigger guard to be particularly beautiful and exotic. It does cramp my support hand a little, but it's not a deal breaker.

Weighing a pleasant 43oz due to its all-steel construction, recoil is on par with most other steel 45s. The roller lock doesn't seem to make it noticeably snappy or soft.

The magazine is double-stack and holds 10 rounds in 45acp. The magwell has a slight flare to it to promote faster reloading. The magazine release functions by being pushed forward, not down or in.

The checkering on the back of the slide gives some clue to the level of workmanship involved in the pistol's manufacture. Working with these detailed photos really impressed upon me the quality of machining and craftsmanship put into this handgun. I have taken similar photos of some nice production guns, and the differences are stark.

On the inside you'll find what is essentially a finely finished CZ52. A spring buffer is found on the frame, and lightening holes are milled into the slide to ensure reliable function. I have enjoyed excellent reliability in my Top Gun.

All of these images link to high-res versions on Imgur, sized around 6000x4000. These are the highest resolution photos of this unicorn on the internet. I hope these might be useful to my fellow firearm cryptid hunters who get tired of relying on grainy thumbnail-sized scans from a 1984 gun rag during their research. I've also uploaded a scan of the manual, which was provided only on an included CD.

Limnophile · June 8, 2015, 06:23 PM

Nice looking gun, but it doesn't look like a CZ 52:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._52_pistol.jpg.

I assume it has a safety rather than a decocker?

WVMountaineer · June 8, 2015, 06:37 PM

It's a look'er. God Bless

Pilot · June 8, 2015, 07:07 PM

That is a beautiful pistol. I have never seen, nor heard of one before.

lifesizepotato · June 8, 2015, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Nice looking gun, but it doesn't look like a CZ 52:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._52_pistol.jpg.

I assume it has a safety rather than a decocker?

The interior is almost identical...

Even the exterior is similar in its general shape. To remove the slide from the frame, you pull down on the two tabs at the side, exactly as with a CZ52. I promise, the gun is genuinely an upscale, refined version of the CZ.

SpareMag · June 8, 2015, 08:11 PM

That is stunning, LSP!

My budget can handle a CZ52, which I love (in the Tok cartridge, as the Powder Gods have decreed) but it admittedly doesn't have the build quality of your AR.

A treat to see!

skizzums · June 8, 2015, 08:25 PM

^^ that dude took the exact word outta my head....STUNNING!!! great piece, thanks for sharing

Limnophile · June 9, 2015, 05:29 AM

Quote:

The interior is almost identical...

Even the exterior is similar in its general shape. To remove the slide from the frame, you pull down on the two tabs at the side, exactly as with a CZ52. I promise, the gun is genuinely an upscale, refined version of the CZ.

I take your word that your Delta AR is patterned after the CZ 52, but I would have never guessed it. Sure, their interiors are almost identical, but the interiors of Beyoncé and Rosie O'Donnell are almost identical, too.

I think it would help to see photos next to each other:

.

I especially like the trigger and trigger guard on your Delta AR.

christian812 · June 9, 2015, 03:58 PM

Beautyfull pistol !

June 8, 2015, 03:10 PM	#1
lifesizepotato Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2011 Posts: 210	Delta AR Top Gun - an Italian CZ52 in 45acp I took some high-res photos of one of my most prized handguns this weekend, so I thought I'd post them here to help disseminate them out onto the internet. TFL is always at the top of the search rankings when I'm researching obscure guns. The Delta AR Top Gun was produced in very limited numbers (I'd estimate fewer than 300, possibly 200) in Italy in the late 90s and early 2000s. While my particular example has a steel frame and is chambered in 45ACP, the gun was also offered in 9x21mm and 40S&W and with aluminum alloy frames. Nickel and duo-tone nickel/blue finishes were also available. Personally, I think steel + the high polish blue are the combo to choose and best fit the gun's luxurious aspirations. The pistol is essentially a high-end clone of the CZ52, using the same exact roller lock mechanism. Build quality and fit/finish, however, are in a completely different league, comparing favorably with top-shelf 1911s, Korths, Korriphilas, and the like. The trigger is SAO and completely adjustable. However, there is a firing pin safety that precludes it from being as crisp as I'd like. Nevertheless, accuracy in my hands is stellar. My second or third magazine with the gun were giving me cloverleaves at 13 yards. I find the unique trigger guard to be particularly beautiful and exotic. It does cramp my support hand a little, but it's not a deal breaker. Weighing a pleasant 43oz due to its all-steel construction, recoil is on par with most other steel 45s. The roller lock doesn't seem to make it noticeably snappy or soft. The magazine is double-stack and holds 10 rounds in 45acp. The magwell has a slight flare to it to promote faster reloading. The magazine release functions by being pushed forward, not down or in. The checkering on the back of the slide gives some clue to the level of workmanship involved in the pistol's manufacture. Working with these detailed photos really impressed upon me the quality of machining and craftsmanship put into this handgun. I have taken similar photos of some nice production guns, and the differences are stark. On the inside you'll find what is essentially a finely finished CZ52. A spring buffer is found on the frame, and lightening holes are milled into the slide to ensure reliable function. I have enjoyed excellent reliability in my Top Gun. All of these images link to high-res versions on Imgur, sized around 6000x4000. These are the highest resolution photos of this unicorn on the internet. I hope these might be useful to my fellow firearm cryptid hunters who get tired of relying on grainy thumbnail-sized scans from a 1984 gun rag during their research. I've also uploaded a scan of the manual, which was provided only on an included CD. Last edited by lifesizepotato; June 8, 2015 at 03:20 PM.

June 8, 2015, 07:07 PM	#4
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 4,193	That is a beautiful pistol. I have never seen, nor heard of one before. __________________ Pilot

June 8, 2015, 08:25 PM	#7
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	^^ that dude took the exact word outta my head....STUNNING!!! great piece, thanks for sharing __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

June 8, 2015, 06:23 PM	#2
Limnophile Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2015 Location: Issaquah, Washington Posts: 1,032	Nice looking gun, but it doesn't look like a CZ 52: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._52_pistol.jpg. I assume it has a safety rather than a decocker?

June 8, 2015, 06:37 PM	#3
WVMountaineer Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2015 Posts: 330	It's a look'er. God Bless

June 8, 2015, 08:11 PM	#6
SpareMag Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2012 Posts: 514	That is stunning, LSP! My budget can handle a CZ52, which I love (in the Tok cartridge, as the Powder Gods have decreed) but it admittedly doesn't have the build quality of your AR. A treat to see!

June 9, 2015, 03:58 PM	#9
christian812 Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2009 Location: Belgium Posts: 113	Beautyfull pistol !