ZK 476
Zbrojovka Brno · Submachine Gun · Prototype · 1947
Also known as: ZK-476, ZK476
Overview
The ZK 476 is an experimental Czechoslovak submachine gun designed by the Koucky brothers (Josef and Frantisek) at Zbrojovka Brno in the late 1940s. Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, it operated on an advanced primer ignition blowback principle and fired from an open bolt. It was one of the earliest submachine guns to use a telescoping wrap-around bolt, in which the bolt was machined with an inner recess that surrounded the rear of the barrel, allowing a shorter, more compact weapon. It was offered in an infantry model with a fixed wooden stock and a parachutist model with a folding wire stock. Submitted to Czechoslovak military trials, it lost to the competing CZ 447 and never entered series production.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2980 g (105.1 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 3540 g (124.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 715 mm (28.15") |
| Folded Length | 460 mm (18.11") |
| Barrel Length | 205 mm (8.07") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 376 m/s (1234 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 527 J (389 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Telescoping Wrap Around Bolt, Advanced Primer Ignition, Selective Fire, Flip Aperture Rear Sight
Variants
- ZK 476 Parachutist - Folding Stock
Service history
Operators
- Czechoslovak Army
Production
Production years: 1947-1948
Only a small number of prototypes were built for military trials; never mass-produced.
Origin
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Designer: Josef and Frantisek Koucky
Discontinued: 1948
Notes
Built only in small prototype numbers. The wrap-around telescoping bolt concept seen here anticipated the design later popularized by the Uzi and the Czechoslovak Sa vz. 23 family. The infantry model weighed about 2.98 kg empty while the parachutist model with a folding stock was lighter at roughly 2.78 kg.
Background
The ZK 476 incorporated wartime ideas from the prolific Czech designer Vaclav Holek and was one of several competing post-war Czechoslovak submachine gun designs. It lost the 1948-1949 trials to the CZ 447, which evolved into the influential Sa vz. 23 series.