Spassov M1936/1938 LMG [Valkay´s BP guns]

[Valkay]

Spassov M1936/1938 LMG [Valkay´s BP guns]

Hello bajtársak and fellow forumdwellers,
Spassov was a veteran of the Great War and an officer of the Bulgarian army, he had believed that the key to winning modern battles were light machine guns so he had spent a decade of his life conducting research, experimenting and spent his last coin on creating the ideal LMG for Bulgaria.

It was an excellent design for its time, earning attention on an international scale, the British even offered a very high price for the patent in 1929, but Spassov rejected their offer out of patriotism, however his design was rejected by the Bulgarian army out of jealousy as many higher ranking generals in the Bulgarian army were quite envious of the offer, the British offered to Spassov.
The submitted machine gun and the paper work was mysteriously “lost”. After having accepted that his own homeland would not take advantage of the talents of his work, he decided to send his machine gun to the Soviet Union in 1938 with his personal comment:“I give it to your fatherland because mine does not want to take advantage of it”.

There are two surviving guns today, one in the Artillery Museum in the city of Saint Petersburg and the other in National Museum of Military History, Bulgaria.

Exact characteristics of the weapon are largely unknown, for faithful implementation one of the museums would need to be contacted.

Ammunition: 8x56mmR
Muzzle velocity: 730 m/s (estimated with 8x56 mmR)
magazine: 30 rounds (estimated)
Weight: unknown
Length: unknown
Barrel length: unknown
Rate of fire: 500-600 rounds per second (estimated)

The final formalities:
It should be BR2, a Battle Pass reward, obviously a machine gun and the Soviet should get it because they are the only country to take any advantage of the design.

Spassov M1936/1938 LMG

• Yes
• No

I have objection against it

• being BR2
• being added as a Battle Pass gun
• getting added to Soviets

I know this suggestion was unusually short from me, but this design is so obscure that there is nothing more I could really say.

sources:

Second Lieutenant Hristo Nikolov Spasov - invents a Bulgarian machine gun - 1939
Болгарский пулемёт - Кто знает? : История оружия

Bonus:

A video of all the guns designed by Spassov, displayed in the Bulgarian National Museum of Military History.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5bkLWjMQzw

[CapitalLen]

The gun itself seems interesting, appearing to be some sort of bullpup LMG, though if I’m honest the story behind it sounds highly embellished and of questionable truth.

[Valkay]

The design was patent in multiple countries, in Germany, France and Britain.
This is the British patent registration:

[CapitalLen]

I think you misunderstood what I meant, a no point did I ever question this thing’s existence.

[Valkay]

Take it or leave it, I dont have anything to back the story behind the gun.
Its not like there is a point of arguing about it anyway.

[warfare_master]

Sounds like Spassov was really screwed by his own

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

It is quite interesting that a single specimen existed.
The link between Spasov’s machine gun and the USSR is direct and highly dramatic. A committed republican and anti-fascist, the designer personally handed over his machine gun to the Soviet Union in the late 1930s.

[Emperor_Yoshiro]

@SWED_MARKSE_KZK

It is quite interesting that a single specimen existed.

I think there is a second one later model 1944/45 with changed magazine at bottom and ZB magazine however after the war was modified with AK magazine.

Many where modified after the war for soviet ammo:

The second one also was Spasov work later redesigned model. However I don’t remember well.

I must check again which where his works but I think this one was also same LMG redesigned multiple times every time returned after evaluation and there must be one in Russia.

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

If you look at the photo, you can see weapons dating from after 1946.

[Emperor_Yoshiro]

Well that’s the same weapon simply this is how it ended 1958 but in the past got trough many redesigns and every time they returned him first they didn’t liked that is side mag so he made it bottom mag later they told him to chamber it for a different cartridge and this is the final design I think is 1958 or something.

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

As far as I’m concerned, the only logical addition here—assuming it was actually transferred to the USSR—is a machine gun. I’m not interested in the submachine gun aspect the most that could be done is creating a Bulgarian event squad.

[Emperor_Yoshiro]

Well they have it in Russia also:

Другого решения не было… болгарский пулемет Николова | Пикабу

From what I read its in Saints Petersburg

[SWED_MARKSE_KZK]

The photo caption states that he developed this machine gun, the USSR conducted its trials, and he is entitled to a payment of 1.5 million leva.

[Emperor_Yoshiro]

They having it to this day in Saints Petersburg (Leningrad) so for sure was transferred since to this day one example is there.