Kbsp wz. 38M
Państwowa Fabryka Karabinów (State Rifle Factory, Warsaw) · Rifle · Prototype · 1938
Also known as: kbsp wz. 1938M, wz. 38M, Wz. 38M Maroszek, karabin samopowtarzalny wz. 38M, Maroszek wz. 38M
Overview
The Kbsp wz. 38M was a Polish gas-operated semi-automatic rifle designed by engineer Jozef Maroszek and issued in very small numbers to the Polish Army during the September 1939 campaign. Chambered for the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge already standard in the Polish service Mauser rifles, it used a gas tube mounted beneath the barrel to drive a tilting-bolt locking system reminiscent of the Browning Automatic Rifle, with the bolt cammed upward to lock against the front edge of the loading aperture in the top of the receiver. The rifle fed from a fixed ten-round box magazine charged from above using standard Mauser stripper clips, and was fitted with a tangent leaf rear sight graduated from 300 to 2,000 metres. Only about 150 examples were completed at the Warsaw arsenal before the German invasion halted production, making the wz. 38M one of the rarest service rifles of the Second World War; surviving examples are marked 'Zrb.2' for the arsenal that built them, and only a handful are known to exist today.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4500 g (158.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Barrel Length | 625 mm (24.61") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Semi Auto |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 745 m/s (2444 fps) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 7.92 Mauser, 8x57 IS, 7.9x57mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Fixed Internal Box Magazine 10 Round, Stripper Clip Top Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Safe Fire Selector
- Features: Gas Operated Tilting Bolt, Fixed Ten Round Magazine, Mauser Stripper Clip Loading, Tangent Leaf Rear Sight, Under Barrel Gas Tube, Wooden Full Length Stock
Service history
Operators
- Polish Army (Wojsko Polskie) · adopted 1938 · as kbsp wz. 38M
Conflicts
- Invasion of Poland (World War II) (1939)
Production
Estimated total produced: 150 · Production years: 1938-1939
Approximately 150 rifles were completed at the Warsaw State Rifle Factory (arsenal mark 'Zrb.2') before the German invasion of September 1939 ended production. The highest known serial number is around 1054. Only a small number of examples are known to survive today, making it one of the rarest semi-automatic service rifles of the period.
Origin
Country of origin: Poland
Designer: Jozef Maroszek
Discontinued: 1939
Notes
Maroszek - already famous as the designer of the wz. 35 anti-tank rifle - was one of the winners of Poland's 1934 self-loading rifle trials, and prototypes of his rifle were refined from 1936 to 1938 before the wz. 38M pattern was adopted. Production was crippled by shortages of specialised tooling and the worsening political situation; estimates of completed rifles range around 150, with the highest recorded serial number near 1054. The fixed magazine and stripper-clip loading kept the design compatible with existing Polish ammunition logistics built around the wz. 98 Mauser, and the fire-control group offered semi-automatic fire only, with no full-automatic capability.
Background
Designed by Jozef Maroszek, the same engineer behind Poland's secretive wz. 35 'Ur' anti-tank rifle, the kbsp wz. 38M might have given Polish infantry a self-loading rifle on par with the American Garand had the war held off a few more years. Instead only around 150 were built before the panzers rolled in, and the rifles vanished into the chaos of 1939 - so completely that for decades collectors doubted any had survived, until a handful resurfaced bearing the cryptic 'Zrb.2' arsenal stamp.