Puska vz. 24
Zbrojovka Brno · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1924
Also known as: vz. 24, Gewehr 24(t), Czech Mauser
Overview
The Puska vz. 24 is a Czechoslovak bolt-action service rifle produced at Zbrojovka Brno from 1924 to 1942. Developed from the German Mauser Gewehr 98 line and the earlier vz. 98/22, it uses a controlled-round-feed Mauser action with a 5-round internal box magazine fed by stripper clips. Shorter than the Gewehr 98, it was one of the most widely exported Mauser-pattern rifles of the interwar period, chambered primarily in 7.92x57mm Mauser but also offered in 7x57mm Mauser and 7.65x53mm Argentine for export customers.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4200 g (148.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Barrel Length | 590 mm (23.23") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 762 m/s (2500 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3700 J (2729 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 7.92x57mm, 8x57mm IS
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Three Position Wing Safety
- Features: Controlled Round Feed, Stripper Clip Loading, Turned Down Bolt Handle, Full Length Wood Stock, Bayonet Lug
Service history
Operators
- Czechoslovak Army · adopted 1924 · as puska vz. 24
- National Revolutionary Army
- Spanish Republican Army
- Imperial Iranian Army
- Nazi Germany (Wehrmacht) · adopted 1939 · as Gewehr 24(t)
Conflicts
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1924-1942
Hundreds of thousands produced and exported; China alone purchased nearly 200,000 and Spanish Republicans received around 40,000. Exact total disputed.
Origin
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Discontinued: 1942
Notes
When Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939 it pressed the rifle into service as the Gewehr 24(t) and continued production until 1942, when the Brno factories were converted to manufacture the Karabiner 98k. The design directly informed the postwar Yugoslav Zastava M24 series.
Background
Czechoslovakia exported the vz. 24 so aggressively in the interwar years that captured and purchased examples turned up on nearly every front of the Second World War - including in the hands of the very Germans whose Mauser design it was based on, who rebadged it the Gewehr 24(t).