ZB vz. 26
ZB vz. 26 | |
---|---|
Type | Light machine gun |
Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
Service history | |
In service | 1926–present |
Used by | See Users |
Wars | Second Sino-Japanese War Constitutionalist Revolution Chaco War Spanish Civil War Second Italo-Ethiopian War Dersim rebellion World War II Ecuadorian–Peruvian War[1] Chinese Civil War Korean War Indochina War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Biafran war Insurgency in Aceh[2] South African Border War Soviet–Afghan War Yugoslav Wars[3] |
Production history | |
Designer | Václav Holek |
Designed | 1924 |
Manufacturer | Zbrojovka Brno, Zastava Arms[4] |
Produced | 1924–1953 |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | 9.65 kg (21.27 lb)[5] |
Length | 1,161 mm (45.7 in)[5] |
Barrel length | 672 mm (26.5 in)[5] |
Cartridge | 7.92×57mm Mauser |
Action | Gas-operated, tilting breechblock |
Rate of fire | 500 rounds/min[5] |
Muzzle velocity | 764 m/s (2,507 ft/s)[5] |
Effective firing range | 1,000 m (1,100 yd) |
Feed system | 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine[5] |
Sights | Front blade, rear leaf sight |
The ZB vz. 26 was a Czechoslovak light machine gun developed in the 1920s, which went on to enter service with several countries. It saw its major use during World War II, and spawned the related ZB vz. 27, vz. 30, and vz. 33. The ZB vz. 26 influenced many other light machine gun designs including the British Bren light machine gun and the Japanese Type 97 heavy tank machine gun. The ZB-26 is famous for its reliability, simple components, quick-change barrel and ease of manufacturing. This light machine gun in the Czechoslovak army was marked as the LK vz. 26 ("LK" means lehký kulomet, light machine gun; "vz." stands for vzor, Model in Czech). ZB vz. 26 is incorrect nomenclature because "ZB-26" is a factory designation (Československá zbrojovka v Brně), while "vzor 26" or "vz. 26" is an army designation.
Development
In around 1921 the military of the young Czechoslovakian state embarked on a quest for a light machine gun of their own. Early trials included foreign designs such as
Development of the ZB-26 began in 1923 after the Czechoslovak Brno arms factory was built. Since CZ-Praha was a relatively small factory with limited industrial capabilities, it was decided to transfer the production of the new automatic weapon to the more advanced Zbrojovka Brno, or ZB in short. This transfer resulted in a long series of court trials over royalties, between the owners of the design (CZ-Praha) and the manufacturer (ZB). Designer Václav Holek was charged by the Czechoslovak army with producing a new light machine gun. He was assisted by his brother Emmanuel, as well as two Austrian and Polish engineers, respectively named Marek and Podrabsky.[6] Holek quickly began work on the prototype of the Praha II and within a year the quartet had created an automatic light machine gun that was later known as the ZB.
Before long, the Holek brothers abandoned the belt feed in favor of a top-feeding box magazine and the resulting weapon, known as the Praha I-23, was selected. Despite the past legal troubles, manufacture of the new weapon had commenced at the ZB factory by late 1926, and it became the standard light machine gun of the Czechoslovak Army by 1928.
Design
The ZB-26 is a gas-operated, air-cooled, selective-fire
Its charging handle is located at the right side of receiver and does not reciprocate when the gun is fired. The ammunition feed is from a top-mounted
The rear sight is attached to the left side of receiver, and has a range adjustment mechanism controlled by a knurled rotating knob. Standard furniture consists of an integral folding bipod, which is attached to the gas cylinder tube, and a wooden butt with a spring-buffered buttplate and a folding shoulder rest plate. Although the ZB-26 was intended for the light machine gun role, it was also offered with a sustained-fire tripod, and provided with a sufficient supply of full magazines and spare barrels it could serve (to some extent) as a medium machine gun. The same tripod was also adaptable for the anti-aircraft role.
Deployment and service
The ZB-26 saw service with the Czechoslovak infantry from 1928, as well as being the primary or secondary armament on many later model
The
Variants
- ZB vz. 24: the weapon's predecessor.[7]
- ZB vz. 27: later variant, proposed to Portugal and United Kingdom.[14]
- ZB vz. 30 and ZB 30J: later variants.
- ZGB 30: final modifications to the vz. 30 for British trials.
- ZGB 33: in its final form was virtually identical to the British Bren light machine gun.
- ZB 39: commercial variant similar to the Bren, chambered in various different rounds and having different sights, among other minor changes.[15]
- ZB vz. 52 : post-war derivative of the ZB vz. 26.
- The Japanese Type 97 heavy tank machine gun was a license built copy of the ZB-26 and intended for use in Japanese tanks. It was not normally issued as an infantry light machine gun. Other than the cocking handle being moved from the right side of the receiver to the left it is essentially a duplicate of the Czech gun in operation.
- The Spanish Fusil ametrallador Oviedo was a post-war clone of the ZB vz.26/30.
More designations appear depending on the adopting army, though generally the gun retains its 'ZB 26' initials in one form or another.
Users
- Afghanistan[16][17]
- Bolivia[18]
- Brazil: 1,080 in 7mm Mauser received in 1930[19] for the Polícia Militar de Minas Gerais (Military Police of the state of Minas Gerais)[citation needed]. Adopted by the São Paulo Public Force[20]
- Bulgaria: 100 of an order of 3,000 ZB-39s delivered, chambered in 8×56mmR[15]
- Biafra[21]
- Chile: 11 in 7mm received in 1928[19]
- People's Republic of China[22][23]
- Republic of China: 30,249 received between 1927 and 1939.[19] Produced under license.[24] Clones made in Taku Naval Dockyard in 1927, later produced in Gongxian Arsenal, the 21st/51st Arsenals.[25]
- Independent State of Croatia[citation needed]
- Czechoslovakia: Adopted by the Czechoslovak Army as the ZB LK VZ 26.[25][26]
- Ecuador:[27] 200 supplied in 1930-1932[19]
- Egypt: 1,060 7.7mm ZGB-33 bought in 1937-1939[19]
- Ethiopia: Used against the Italians[18]
- Nazi Germany
- Indonesia: Free Aceh Movement[2]
- Kingdom of Iraq: 850 7.7mm ZGB-33 received in 1936-1937[19]
- Imperial State of Iran: ZB vz. 30 produced under license[28] 6,000 ZB-26 received in 1934[19]
- Empire of Japan: Used captured Chinese guns[29] 2,200 others were received in 1938-1939[19]
- North Korea[30]
- Latvia: 600 7.7mm ZGB-33 ordered in 1940[19]
- Lithuania[7] 3,138 VZ 26 machine guns between 1928 and 1937[19] (7,92 mm kulkosvaidis Brno 26 m.)
- Manchukuo[31]
- Namibia: used by the People's Liberation Army of Namibia.[32]
- Paraguay: Captured from Bolivian Army during Chaco War, some still in use for training.[citation needed]
- Peru[1]
- Romania: ZB vz. 30 produced under license[28]
- Siam: bought some in the early 1930s[19]
- Slovak Republic[33]
- South Korea
- Spain[5][34]
- Sweden: Used as the Kulspruta m/39[35] Kulspruta m/39 - Wikipedia
- Turkey[18][36]
- United Kingdom: 85 – 7.7mm ZB-33 bought from 1935 to 1938[19]
- North Vietnam[37][38]
- Yugoslavia:[7][39] 1,500 delivered[19]
- Kingdom of Hungary: After the annexation of Czechoslovakia, Hungary received a lot of Czech weaponry and uniforms, including the ZB vz 26.
See also
- Weapons of Czechoslovakia interwar period
- Bren Gun- British .303 design
- FM-24/29 light machine gun
- Lahti-Saloranta M/26
- Madsen machine gun
- Mendoza RM2
- Type 96 light machine gun - influenced by ZB vz. 26 design
- 7.7x58mm Arisakaammunition
- Type 99 light machine gun - follow on to the Type 96
References
- ^ ISBN 9781472826282.
- ^ ISBN 9781134193318.
- better source needed]
- ^ "1919-1941 | Zastava-arms". Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Fusils-mitrailleurs Lehky Kulomet ZB vz.26 and vz.30". Encyclopédie des armes : Les forces armées du monde (in French). Vol. II. Atlas. 1984. p. 262.
- ISBN 9780811715669.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Lehký kulomet ZB 26" [Light machine gun ZB 26]. vhu.cz (in Czech). Vojenský historický ústav Praha .
- ]
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II by Chris Bishop, page 237.
- S2CID 154648623. Archived from the original(PDF) on 3 March 2017.
- ^ Jowett 2004, pp. 46, 71.
- ^ Jowett 2004, pp. 51, 56.
- ISBN 9781472828910.
- ^ "Čs. lehký kulomet ZB vz. 27" [Czech light machine gun ZB vz. 27]. vhu.cz (in Czech). Vojenský historický ústav Praha .
- ^ a b "ZB 39". iwm.org.uk. Imperial War Museum.
- ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0.
- ^ "WWII gear in Afghan use: Part I – Firearms". wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Grant 2013, p. 65.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Fencl, Jiří (1991). "Nejprodávanější československá zbraň" (in Czech). Militaria, Elka Press. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "O Museu de Polícia Militar de São Paulo". Armas On-Line (in Brazilian Portuguese). 25 June 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ISBN 978-1472816092.
- ISBN 1-84176-904-5.
- ^ "Indigenous Machine Guns of China – Small Arms Defense Journal".
- ^ Smith 1969, pp. 295–296.
- ^ a b "China's Favorite Machine Gun". chinaww2.com. 27 September 2014.
- ^ Gun Digest Book of Cz Firearms by Robb Manning, page 22.
- ^ "Zarumilla War 1941: Ecuadorian-Peruvian War of 1941". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b Smith 1969, p. 320.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 498.
- ^ "North Korean Small Arms (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)". Small Arms Review. Vol. 16, no. 2. June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Jowett, Philip S. (2004). Rays of the Rising Sun: Armed Forces of Japan's Asian Allies 1931-45: Volume 1: China and Manchukuo. Helion & Company Limited. p. 32.
- ^ "Their Blood Waters our Freedom". Youtube.com. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ISBN 9781848322653. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 547.
- ^ Janson, O. (23 October 2017). "The Light Machine Guns of Sweden". gotavapen.se. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 570.
- ISBN 1853105392.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 719.
- ISBN 978-1-84176-675-1.
External links