ZB vz. 30
Zbrojovka Brno · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1930
Also known as: vz. 30, MG 30(t), ZB-30
Overview
The ZB vz. 30 is a Czechoslovak gas-operated light machine gun produced by Zbrojovka Brno, a refined development of the earlier ZB vz. 26. Chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser and fed from a top-mounted 20-round detachable box magazine, it used a long-stroke gas piston driving a tilting breechblock and featured a quick-change finned barrel that allowed sustained fire without overheating. Reliable and accurate, it served the Czechoslovak Army through the interwar period, was seized in large numbers by Nazi Germany after 1939 as the MG 30(t), and its design lineage directly influenced the British Bren gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 9600 g (338.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1160 mm (45.67") |
| Barrel Length | 675 mm (26.57") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 750 m/s (2461 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3600 J (2655 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| 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, 8x57mm IS, 7.92x57mm
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Top Mounted Magazine, Integral Bipod, Carrying Handle, Finned Barrel
Variants
- ZB vz. 30J — Improved
- MG 30(t) — German Service
Service history
Operators
- Czechoslovak Army · adopted 1930 · as vz. 30
- Nazi Germany (Wehrmacht) · adopted 1939 · as MG 30(t)
- Imperial Iranian Army
- Spanish Army · as FAO
Conflicts
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)
Production
Production years: 1930-1945
Widely exported; large quantities seized and reissued by Nazi Germany as the MG 30(t)
Origin
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Designer: Vaclav Holek
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The vz. 30 and its predecessor vz. 26 formed the basis for the legendary Bren gun, which Britain adopted after license-negotiations with Zbrojovka Brno (the name Bren combines BRno and ENfield). The improved vz. 30J variant was slightly longer and heavier.
Background
The vz. 30's design was the direct ancestor of the British Bren gun - Britain selected the Czech ZB design over domestic competitors, and 'Bren' is a portmanteau of Brno (the Czech factory) and Enfield (the British arsenal that produced it).