This one is gonna be long
Axis
Allies
Pasta boys
Baguette
Lets start
Mauser G-35
The first of Mauser’s postwar (post WW1) SLRs was the G35, designed as a result of the success of the Czech ZH-29 SLR (designed by Vladimir Holek; hundreds were sold, including at least 500 sold to Manchuria). The G35 was a short-barrel recoil weapon and was out of favor compared with the gas-operated systems appearing elsewhere, which were more conventional in barrel length
Beltfed Madsen MG
First produced in 1902, the Madsen was one of the first practical light machine guns, and it remained in production for nearly 5 decades. The Madsen system is a rather unusual recoil-operated mechanism with a tilting bolt and a remarkably short receiver. The most unusual variation on the system was the belt-fed, high rate-of-fire pattern developed for aircraft use. This program was initiated by the Danish Air Force in the mid 1920s, and several different patterns were built by the time World War Two erupted.
The model here was actually a pattern that was under production for Hungary when German forces occupied Denmark. Taking over the factory, they continued the production and the guns went to the Luftwaffe for airfield defensive use.
In order to use disintegrating links instead of box magazines, some very odd modifications had to be made to the Madsen. One set of feed packs are actually built into the belt bo itself, and the cannot function without the box attached. The only feasible path for empty link ejection is directly upwards, and so a horseshoe-shaped link chute was attached to the top cover, guiding link up over 7th gun and dropping them out the right side of the receiver. Very weird!
While several thousand of these were made under German occupation, very few survive today
Roth Haenel Model 1899
While Karel Krnka and Georg Roth were in the process of developing the M1907 pistol, they diverted slightly to apply their patents to a fancy sporting semiauto rifle – the Model 1899. Produced and marketed by Haenel, the 1899 was a long recoil, rotating bolt design chambered for the German 8x45mm cartridge (approximately a 150 grain bullet at 1800 fps). The rifle was very expensive, selling for $150 around 1900-1905, ad this was probably the largest single reason why it failed to be commercial successful. At the same time, a very nice bolt action sporting rifle could be bought for $40-$50, and a brand new Winchester 1897 shotgun for $27.
ZK-403 (MP SS 42)
The SS wanted an alternative to the MP40 which gave problems at the eastern front.
But since running changes to the MP40 were already planned and the MP SS 42 would use the same magazines, a source of many issues, there was not a lot of need to replace the MP40.
The main requirements of the SS were:
9x19 cartridge use.
Single shot and auto fire modes.
A wooden stock to prevent the stock from freezing to the soldier’s face.
Improved safety feature for cocked and uncocked state.
During a meeting on the 28th of August, 1942, the SS was advised to rethink the idea and await the planned StG.(600 RPM / 30 and drum mag seems to be 64 not sure might be 96 as these were developed of VZ.38 smg which had 96 drum mag)
Praga I-23 machine gun
the machine gun with a locked breech by a folding bolt and the gas pressure from the barrel to the piston was still far from a mature design, but on 6 June 1923, the MNO ordered a total of 40 new machine guns with the Praga I-23 designation from Zbrojovka Praga for further testing, although at that time the factory had only one example. The great advantage of the new design was the interchangeable barrel, but the system of feeding cartridges in a belt, stored in a drum cartridge box, was a rather complicated solution.
In mid-March 1924, the MNO announced another round of machine gun competition in Milovice, where Zbrojovka Praga supplied two machine guns. By February 1924, the factory had fired more than 35,000 rounds from one of them, numbered 27, during trials. In view of the fact that the advantages of the Browning machine gun with a box magazine were becoming more and more apparent in the tests, Václav Holek redesigned his design using the same magazine principle, except that the magazine was inserted into the gun from above. The surprisingly reliable function of the new weapon effectively ended the history of the Praga I-23 machine gun.
The Praga I-23 machine gun with serial number 27 was acquired by the museum in 1966 by transfer from VÚ 5723 in Olomouc.
Calibre: 7.92 mm Mauser
Overall length: 1029 mm
Barrel length: 616 mm (incl. flame arrestor: 689 mm)
Intentional length: 668 mm
Weight (without cartridge belt box): 11.48 kg
VZ-30
The key idea of a single aviation machine gun with an exchangeable feeding device was born in Strakonice in 1927, when the Czech Armoury designers adapted the feeding mechanism of the disc magazine for the Vickers system machine gun. Its connection to the gun housing by two bolts allowed easy conversion to belt feeding. The design of the Vickers machine gun allowed for a higher cadence, which was closely related to the synchronised firing of the propeller circuit using a synchroniser.
The versatility of the design was also enhanced by the patent-protected belt-feeder design, which allowed the direction of belt feed to be changed to the left or right side by simply moving the arms in the feeder to the other side and turning the feed throat. No Maxim or Vickers machine gun at the time had a similar solution.
The loading device of the machine gun had undergone a number of improvements, the most important of which was the possibility of unloading the machine gun by means of the loading lever after a pause in firing without the shooter having to manipulate the cartridge belt or remove the magazine. The list of all modifications and improvements of the weapon would be very extensive, as the Czech Armoury designers were continuously improving the machine gun until 1938. Among the technical officials who were involved in the development of the air armament, let us mention especially ing. Sikyta, František Brejcha, Václav Zíbar, ing. Jaroslav Malina, Karel Ženíšek, Adolf Sýkora, Jaroslav Koska, ing. Šula, Rudolf Lacina and František Myška.
The first MNO order for 629 complete Model 30 aerial machine guns, including 63 sets of spare parts and other equipment, was received by the factory in May 1932 and its fulfilment kept it busy until April 1934. Before the armoury was able to fulfil it, the MNO Aviation Department ordered another 126 units including accessories in 1933 and at the end of March 1934 the factory received an order for 137 machine guns and 16 sets of spare parts.
Calibre: 7,92 mm Mauser
Overall length: 1027 mm
Barrel length: 665 mm
Theoretical cadence: 900 rounds/min.
Praga II A (water-cooled)
Yes there is a Air cooled version,too. So the story goes like this Czechs and Slovaks need MGs but MG08/15 are not something they desire so they make a competition and ask for MGs.
One of those MGs is Zbrojovka Praga’s model II A . Anyhow army asks Mr. Praga to make water cooled version of it.(Praga doesn’t win the completion Holeks ZB.26 does) (I might have butchered somthing so imma leave the Czech description under maybe Adamnpee can look at it and tell us more)
Czech
V průběhu prvních let existence republiky získala čs. branná moc poměrně pestrou kolekci zbraní, jejíž skladba a celkové množství nesplňovaly představy moderně a především v rámci možností jednotně vyzbrojené armády. Z těžkých kulometů figurovaly v evidenci především rakouské Schwarzlose M.7/12 (4773 ks) a původně pro letecké účely upravené kulomety M. 16 A (600 ks). Vodou chlazené německé kulomety MG 08 a MG 08/15 do výzbrojní koncepce nezapadaly, takže je později odprodalo do zahraničí. Francouzské vzduchem chlazené těžké kulomety Hotchkiss Mle. 1914 měly již své také za sebou, nelze se divit, že již koncem roku 1921 schválilo MNO odprodej všech 960 kusů. Zbraně rakouské provenience početně převyšovaly jiné typy, za dané situace s nimi musela armáda, byť s výhradami, do budoucna počítat. Se zavedením německého náboje 7,92 mm Mauser se kulomety Schwarzlose dočkaly v průběhu dvacátých let adaptace, s ní však MNO nepovažovalo otázku těžkých kulometů za vyřešenou.
Palčivým problémem v souvislosti s převzatou francouzskou výcvikovou doktrínou, kladoucí důraz na sestavování pohyblivých bojových skupin s jádrem tvořeným právě lehkou automatickou zbraní, nikoliv tedy těžkým, převážně stacionárně využívaným kulometem, byla absence vhodného lehkého kulometu. Proto dělostřelecký a zbrojní odbor MNO zahájil na jaře 1923 zkoušky lehkých kulometů a automatických pušek, k nimž vyzval nejen zahraniční výrobce, ale také poskytl příležitost domácím konstrukcím. K faktickému zahájení zkoušek v Milovicích došlo až 15. března 1923, kdy se v soutěži lehkých kulometů utkaly dánský kulomet Madsen, francouzské kulomety Darne, Vickers-Berthier a Hotchkiss, belgický Browning M1919 a čs. kulomet Praga II A konstruktéra Václava Holka z vršovické Zbrojovky Praga. Do kategorie samostřílů přihlásila Česká zbrojovka ve Strakonicích zbraně systému Netsch, francouzská firma Vickers-Berthier automatickou pušku a Zbrojovka Praga přijela do Milovic se samostřílem Krnka.
Koncem února zahájila svoji činnost zkušební komise v Milovicích, jež postupně přebírala a nastřelovala dovezené zbraně. Zbrojovka Praga přivezla do soutěže čtyři kulomety Praga II A s výrobními čísly 10, 13, 15 a 14 lišící se délkou hlavně. Dva kusy měly délku hlavně 740 mm, u dalších dvou byla hlaveň dlouhá 650 mm. Holkův kulomet fungoval na principu uzamčeného závěru s odběrem tlaku plynů na píst s pásovým podáváním nábojů. Závěrový systém se sklopným závorníkem doplňovalo sáňkové podávací zařízení, jež zajišťovalo vytažení náboje z pásu a při pohybu závěru vpřed jeho navedení do nábojové komory hlavně. Nábojový pás na 30 nábojů byl svinut v bubnové schránce, zavěšené ve spodní části pouzdra zbraně. Spoušťový a bicí mechanismus tvořený kladívkem umožňoval střelbu pouze v nepřetržitém režimu. Píst, uložený v plynové trubici pod ochranným pláštěm hlavně přecházel v zadní části v řídicí kulisu sáňkového podavače, spojenou s nosičem závorníku. Na vnější straně kulisy vyčnívala válcová napínací rukojeť. Vratnou pružinu, uloženou v pístnici, držela v zadní části opěrka, zajišťující paralelně spojenou plynovou trubici s ochranným pláštěm hlavně. Hlaveň byla v přední části opatřena třemi kanálky, jimiž proudily do expanzního pouzdra přepouštěné plyny a působily na čelo pístu.
Přestože zkušební komise v Milovicích měla především za úkol vyhodnotit optimální typ lehkého kulometu, jímž by byla do budoucna čs. armáda vyzbrojena, vyšla vstříc požadavku 16. oddělení (oddělení pěchoty) a akceptovala nabídku Zbrojovky Praga na vyzkoušení varianty kulometu s vodním chlazením. Otázka definitivního vzoru těžkého kulometu nebyla v té době uspokojivě a definitivně vyřešena, takže vyzkoušení domácího kulometu ve vodou chlazeném provedení, nebylo od věci.
Zbrojovka Praga dodala 10. dubna 1923 do Milovic jeden exemplář se záložní hlavní, upravený z původně vzduchem chlazeného kulometu II A s číslem 13. Vzhledem k časové tísni použila standardní rakouský podstavec M. 7/12 a vzhledem k vnějšímu průměru chladiče rezignovala na konstrukci mířidel; zbraň měla ostatně sloužit pouze k funkčním zkouškám.
V průběhu následujícího dne vystřílela zkušební komise z kulometu 3168 nábojů s teoretickou rychlostí střelby 375 ran za minutu. Závady při extrakci nábojnic přičítala komise opotřebení mechanismu zbraně, jelikož, jak vedení továrny sdělovalo, k výrobě exempláře použila zbrojovka starší zbraň se silně opotřebovanými součástkami.
Již 17. dubna 1923 vypracoval předseda zkušebního oddělení pplk. Mrákota posudek, v němž shrnul výsledky střeleb s těžkým kulometem Praga. V průběhu čtyř dnů absolvovala zbraň 10 687 ran, během nichž se vyskytlo deset různých poruch mechanismu. Na jedné straně pplk. Mrákota připouštěl, že lehký kulomet Praga je možné poměrně snadno adaptovat na těžký, ovšem s patřičnou dimenzací součástí, zejména hlavně. Zkušební oddělení se v konečném verdiktu ale postavilo proti vodnímu chlazení zbraně již z toho důvodu, že spalovací teplota náboje 7,92 mm Mauser je vyšší než u rakouských nábojů M.93, což vyvolává rychlé odpařování vody a vznik demaskující páry již po 250 výstřelech. S tímto problémem se také potýkala Zbrojovka Ing. F. Janeček při rekonstrukci rakouský kulometů na zavedený náboj, nakonec našla řešení v prodloužení hlavně a zvětšení chladícího objemu.
Vodou chlazený kulomet Praga II A sice další vývoj nepoznamenal, je avšak ukázkou, jakými cestami se hledání optimální lehké automatické zbraně pro čs. armádu ubíralo. Zbrojovka Praga sice o rok později připravila další typ těžkého kulometu, ovšem se vzduchem chlazenou hlavní.
Exemplář s číslem 13 získalo muzeum v roce 1995 převodem z Prototypy a. s. Brno.
Anyhow this is belt fed also like normal Praga II A
(Normal Praga IIA)
Caliber: 7.92 mm Mauser
Overall length: 1032 mm (with extended shoulder rest: 1200 mm)
Barrel length: 692 mm
Sight length: – (without sights)
Weight without magazine: 13,980 g
side note: there is also Praga I
Seems to be belt-fed and based on everything it should use 8mm mauser but the feed system seems to be small and seems to be blessed by Emperor himself(May the light of terra guide you soldier)
Belt fed ZB-30
Well its a belt fed ZB-30 (550-600rpm)(8mm mauser)
But it doesn’t end there it can accept German belt holders for MG42/MG34
ZK 423 light machine gun
So RD-44 was first squad Mg that was chambered with intermediate carriage? Let them think that I introduce you to ZK423
On the initiative of the Waffen Akademie SS, the design bureau of Zbrojovka Brno, under the direction of Josef Koucký, developed a small automatic weapon designated ZK 423-II, chambered for 7.92 x 33 mm cartridges. Like the German types, it was called Maschinenkarabiner (= machine carbine), but in reality it was a small type of light machine gun, fed from the left side by a 50-round belt. It operated on the principle of a locked breech with the barrel taking the gas pressure from the barrel and the breech locked by a rotating bolt head. Like many machine guns, the gun fired from an open bolt, so that the bolt remained locked in the rear position before firing. A latch on the left side of the receiver was used to quickly change the barrel, but the barrel did not have a transport handle to prevent contact with a hot surface during removal. The theoretical cadence of the machine gun was 650 rounds per minute. The weapon’s concept was quite unusual in its time, in conjunction with the “medium” cartridge, a solution not yet applied.
The Waffen Akademie SS apparently ordered six prototypes from the armoury in late 1942, which were completed in September 1943, but functional tests necessitated a series of reconstructive modifications that extended into December 1943. It is more than likely that in the following period interest from the contracting authority waned due to other, more pressing tasks. The samples produced did reach the factory at the end of the war, but they did not survive it. In the whirlwind of revolutionary events, they disappeared from the factory, and even a search for their fate yielded no information.(50 round/8mm kurz/650RPM)
The Genar PM-470
The Giandoso (or Genar) PM-470 was a simple blowback-operated SMG produced in the last months of the war in Italy. It was developed as a cheaper alternative to the expensive but reliable Beretta Model 38. The Genar SMG was unsophisticated, with little extravagance and operating on a basic straight-blowback action in the 9mm caliber. However, it did have some unusual features, notably a push safety mechanism on the pistol grip - it was probably the very first SMG to employ this feature. The barrel at first glance appears to be finned, but was actually coiled by a large spring, which served no real purpose. Standard 20, 30, or 40-round Beretta magazines were used.
Only about 250 PM-470 submachine guns were turned out and issued to fascist troops before the factory that manufactured it was captured by Italian partisans. After the war, however, there were attempts to revive the design in several variations for export sale, to little success.(600 RPM)(20/30/40 Mag)
Snabb conversion of 1893 Mauser rifle(C.1938)(Sweden)
The Snabb was well balanced, simple and rugged design that was intended as a low cost alternative to replacing large stocks of bolt action rifles with new semi-automatics. Though mechanically successful, the higher than anticipated price, coupled with the outbreak of the Second World War, ruined the Snabb’s chances. A long gas trap is fitted to the muzzle, which runs to a gas tube driving an operating rod. The original bolt has been altered to accept this rod, with the handle shortened, a safety screw installed into the firing pin hole, and a dust cover installed on the rear of the receiver, which encloses the bolt and the new mechanisms. An extension has also been installed on the magazine, a safety switch on the right side of the cover, and the trigger mechanism has been fitted with an extended trigger bar and a disconnecting sear for semi-automatic fire.
Seems to be 5 round mag none-detachable and Snabb converted Springfield and Enfield 1917 which I’m gonna include in next allied topic
Kiraly 1935 Experimental LMG
An experimental light machine gun that looks very similar to a Swiss ke-7. The internal components of the Kiraly lmg is much more complicated than that of the ke-7. Likely designed in 1935 or earlier, not much else it known.
Gollat MX 1935
The Gollat is a curious and very rare submachine gun that was produced in Spain just prior to the Civil War. Luis Pamolo Puyol designed it and was probably produced by the Antonio Errasti company in Eibar. It can clearly be seen that this gun was derived from the Bergmann, although it is considerably longer in length, at almost 40 inches overall. The chambering was in 9x23mm Largo, as was standard in Spain. Very few examples of this submachine gun are known to have been produced, although it is likely that those that did exist were used to some small extent in the Civil War.(Derived from Bergmann design)(32 round)(800RPM)
Maybe an event weapon with blue division squad?
Netsch automatic carbine of 1919 (9x23mm)
In 1919, Slovakian gunsmiths Josef and Frantisek Netsch (father & son) submitted a pistol-caliber automatic carbine to the Czechoslovak Army for testing. This gun was essentially a copy of the Beretta Mod.1918 carbine which the Italian Army adopted at the tail end of World War I. It operated on a delayed blowback action very similar to that of the Beretta (and by extension, the Villar Perosa) in which the forward part of the bolt guide formed a 45° incline, which forced the bolt into a rotation when it was in the forward position. This was essentially a measure to ensure that the bolt was fully closed before the firing pin struck, and offered no real appreciable delay in the action.
Sources disagree as to whether the Netsch carbine was a semi-automatic self-loading weapon like the Beretta it was based on (yes, the Beretta wasn’t an SMG) or whether it fired automatically like a submachine gun. In any case, it does not seem to have incorporated a fire selector. Unlike the Beretta, it fed from small drum magazines that fed into the underside of the receiver.
The Netsch carbine was briefly trialed from 1919 - 1920, in various patterns, but was not accepted into service. Only a handful of prototypes, probably made in Netsch’s workshop, were ever produced.
Netsch also designed an MG and automatic rifle but I couldn’t find any info so just gonna leave pics
(MG)
(Automatic rifle)
Maefassi gas-operated conversion of the Mannlicher M.95(8x56mmR)
An Italian officer, Carlos Maefassi, designed this gas-operated, self-loading conversion of the Mannlicher M.95 rifle, while he was stationed in Ethiopia in the late 1930s. The conversion operates on a basic underbarreled gas piston with a long rack to allow the straight-pull bolt to reciprocate. A pistol grip was added to the stock. The Maefassi conversion was tested in about 1940 but never advanced beyond a prototype.
Think that’s enough anyway hope you enjoyed if you did let me know and thx for reading
