Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 30

History

During the interwar period between the First World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945), Czechoslovakia proved to be a very capable weapons developer. The final design of this period became the Vz.26 light machine gun in 1924, which played a role in the Second Great Global Conflict and also inspired the famous British BREN LMG of the war. From this design, vz.

Model 30 from 1930, bringing some improvements to the CZ vz. 26 built-in to create a more robust and generally more reliable system. In addition to the internal modifications, the CZ vz.

30 also received an improved manufacturing process, although it turned out to be no cheaper than the previous vz. 26 products.

In general, to the casual observer, both weapons turned out to be similar in form and function. Due to the demanding machining process, tight tolerances resulted in a very good LMG. It was this quality that convinced the British to adopt this weapon as a BREN via the ZGB-33 prototype (UK caliber .303). vz.

The 30 holds a 7.9mm Mauser rifle cartridge that provides good range penetration and is fed by a 20-round top-mounted detachable magazine. A folding bipod supports the front weight of the unit, and the operator is usually in a prone position behind the sight. The trigger is integrated into the pistol grip, providing good support to the rear of the weapon, which is attached to the stock on the shoulder. A carrying handle is standard, and ribs on the barrel are used for basic cooling.

The gas pipe runs under the barrel in a conventional arrangement. Dimensions include 1,180mm overall length and 9kg weight. The rate of fire is 550 to 650 rounds per minute, and the muzzle velocity is 750 meters per second. All values ??are comparable to the earlier vz. 26 quotes.

Later model, vz. The 30J has an overall length of 1,204mm and an additional weight of 9.58kg. Its rate of fire was reduced to 500-600 rounds per minute.

Like many great powers in Central and Western Europe, Czechoslovakia fell to the militant Germans led by Adolf Hitler during World War II. As a result, its weapons production plant has now also lost to the victor, which includes vz's stockpile. 30 machine guns.

The Germans bolstered their second-line troops with this weapon, which they named the MG30(t), which was equivalent on the battlefield to their existing MG34 machine guns. Production of this weapon continued throughout the war until 1945, and was also produced at local factories in Romania.

According to this, the weapon is also manufactured locally in China, Iran and Spain, the latter belonging to the Armed Forces of Oviedo (FAO). While NATO adopted the 7.62mm cartridge, FAO attempted to develop a belt-type version of the weapon, but this did not prove to be a quantitative success.

vz. The No. 30 went on to serve after World War II and into the Cold War era, where she made her own solid history with the British legend BREN.

Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 30 gauge

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes