ZB vz. 30

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ZB-30
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Yugoslav-made ZB vz. 30
Type Light machine gun
Place of origin Czechoslovakia
Romania (license)
Yugoslavia (license)
Service history
In service1930–2009 [1]
Used bySee Users
Wars Chaco War [2]
Second Italo-Ethiopian War [3]
Spanish Civil War [4]
World War II
First Indochina War
Algerian War
Biafran war
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) [1]
Production history
Designed1930
Manufacturer Zbrojovka Brno, Cugir Arms Factory, Military Technical Institute Kragujevac [5]
Specifications
Mass9.10 kg (20.06 lb)
Length1,180 mm (46.5 in)

Cartridge 7.92×57mm Mauser
Action Gas-operated, tilting breechblock
Rate of fire 550-650 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity 750 m/s (2,461 ft/s)
Effective firing range1,000 m (1,100 yd)
Feed system20-round detachable box magazine
SightsFront blade, rear leaf sight

The ZB-30 and ZB-30J were Czechoslovakian light machine guns that saw extensive use during World War II.

Contents

History

The Zb 30 and Zb 30J were the later versions of the famous Czechoslovak machine gun, the ZB-26. However, the ZB-30 had some design differences, making it similar to the later ZGB-33, which was an early prototype of the Bren gun. [6] Like the ZB-26, the Wehrmacht adopted the ZB-30 after the occupation of Czechoslovakia, renaming it the MG30(t); it was used in the same role as the MG34, as a light machine gun. In the opening phases of World War II, the ZB-30 in 7.92 mm Mauser caliber was used in large numbers by elements of the German Waffen-SS , who did not initially have full access to standard Wehrmacht supply channels. [1]

Comparison of original ZB vz.26 and modifications:

Machine gunZB vz.26ZB vz.30ZB vz.30J (note)
Caliber (mm)7.927.927.92
Length (mm)116511801204
Weight (kg)8.849.109.58
Magazine (rounds)202020
Rate (round/min)500550-650500-600
Velocity (m/s)750750750

Note - The ZB 30J was a late design iteration of the ZB 30 for sale to Yugoslavia (originally spelled with a J) that featured an adjustable gas system so that commonly available light and heavy 7.92mm ball ammunition would cycle the mechanism. [7]

Users

A license-built Romanian ZB-30 used after the war by the Patriotic Guards. Romanian Patriotic Guards Training 1.jpg
A license-built Romanian ZB-30 used after the war by the Patriotic Guards.
Yugoslav Royalist fighter with M37, domestic built variant of ZB-30. Aleksandar Simic, fotografije Ravnogorskog pokreta (21).jpg
Yugoslav Royalist fighter with M37, domestic built variant of ZB-30.

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