ZB vz. 26
Zbrojovka Brno · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1926
Also known as: LK vz. 26, MG 26(t), Type 26, ZB-26
Overview
The ZB vz. 26 is a Czechoslovak light machine gun designed by Vaclav Holek and produced by Zbrojovka Brno from 1926. Gas-operated with a tilting breechblock and a finned, quick-change air-cooled barrel, it fed from a distinctive top-mounted 20- or 30-round box magazine. Reliable, accurate, and easy to maintain, it became one of the most influential and widely copied interwar LMG designs and was the direct ancestor of the British Bren gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 9650 g (340.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1161 mm (45.71") |
| Barrel Length | 672 mm (26.46") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Select Fire |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 764 m/s (2507 fps) |
| Effective Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 8x57mm IS, 7.92x57mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Top Mounted Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Air Cooled, Finned Barrel, Top Mounted Magazine, Tilting Breechblock, Bipod
Variants
Service history
Operators
- Czechoslovak Army · adopted 1926 · as LK vz. 26
- Nazi Germany (Wehrmacht) · adopted 1939 · as MG 26(t)
- National Revolutionary Army (China) · as Type 26
- Swedish Armed Forces · adopted 1939 · as Kulsprutegevar m/39
Conflicts
- Chaco War (1932-1935)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
Production
Estimated total produced: 120,000 · Production years: 1926-1953
120,000+ produced in Czechoslovakia 1926-1939, plus 7,136 units 1945-1953; far higher worldwide counting license/copy production in China, Yugoslavia and Romania. Exported to 24+ countries.
Origin
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Designer: Vaclav Holek
Discontinued: 1953
Notes
Exported and license-produced in numerous chamberings (.303 British, 7mm Mauser, 7.65x53mm). Sources vary slightly on weight (9.65-10.5 kg) and muzzle velocity (744-764 m/s).
Background
The ZB vz. 26 is the direct ancestor of the British Bren gun (via the ZGB-33), whose name comes from BRno + ENfield; Japanese engineers also reverse-engineered captured Chinese examples into their Type 97 tank machine gun.