Ckm wz.30
Encyclopedia
Ckm wz.30 is a Polish
-made clone of the American Browning M1917 heavy machine gun
. Produced with only minor modifications, it was an unlicensed copy of its predecessor and was the standard machine gun of the Polish Army.
s used by the Polish Army in the Polish-Bolshevik War included from Russian 7.62 mm M1910 Maxim
, Austrian 1907 8 mm Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
, German 7.9 mm Maschinengewehr 08
and French 8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914
. Such diversity was a logistical nightmare, and in the early 1920s the General Staff of the Polish Army decided to replace all older machine guns with a new design, specifically built to Polish designations.
Initially the Hotchkiss machine gun, adapted to the standard Polish 7.92 mm round and proven during the Polish-Bolshevik War, had the most supporters. In late 1924 and early 1925 approximately 1,000 were ordered from France
and the Polish Ministry of War started talks on buying the license for manufacturing copies in Poland. However, the first tests of the post-war Hotchkiss machine guns proved that the new production were well below both Polish needs and maker's specifications, and the talks came to a halt. By the end of 1927 the ministry organized a contest for a new standard all-purpose heavy machine gun.
Only three companies took part in the competition: the American Browning
company with the Browning M1917, a Czechoslovakia
n-built copy of Schwarzlose M.7/12 (Schwarzlose-Janeček vz.07/12/27) and the British Vickers
company with their 0.303 in Vickers machine gun
. All initial tests were won by Browning. The tests were repeated in 1928, and again the American weapon proved to be the best. Thus the Polish ministry decided to purchase a license. However, it turned out that neither the Colt
company nor its European representative, the Belgian company FN
, had patented the design in Poland. In addition, the documentation of a recently-purchased license for Browning Automatic Rifle of the same designer was faulty. Because of that, the Polish ministry decided to order the preparation of a local version of the Browning M1917.
In mid-1930 the first test models were ready and were sent to various testing ranges. In March 1931 the first 200 models were sent to front-line units for further tests under the designation of Ckm wz.30. Among the most notable differences between the original and the Polish clone were:
Following the first tests, a series of additional modifications was introduced. In 1938 the trigger mechanism was replaced with a completely new, more reliable system. In addition, the lock was replaced for easier handling and keeping the weapon in good condition. The modified design received the designation of ckm wz.30a, though the name was rarely used by the soldiers themselves. The new version was also the basis of a ckm wz.30/39T design, designed for export to Turkey
and adapted to Turkish standard 7.65x53mm ammunition. However, the design was never introduced in large numbers as the Turkish competition was halted after World War II
broke out. In the late 30s, Wilniewczyc and Skrzypinski designed experimental barrels with a rifled oval barrel bore (so-called Lancaster Rifling). The barrels were very expensive to produce, but gave a significant increase of the accuracy and longevity of the barrel. Altogether, between 1930 and 1939, the Fabryka Karabinow (Rifle Factory) in Warsaw built 7,861 ckm wz.30, most of them for the Polish Army. Small numbers were exported to Republican Spain, Nationalist Spain and Romania
.
Nationalist Spain
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-made clone of the American Browning M1917 heavy machine gun
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
. Produced with only minor modifications, it was an unlicensed copy of its predecessor and was the standard machine gun of the Polish Army.
Design and devleopment
After Poland regained her independence in 1918, her armed forces were armed with a variety of different weapons, mostly a legacy of the armies of her former occupying powers. As with their rifles and carbines, the machine gunMachine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s used by the Polish Army in the Polish-Bolshevik War included from Russian 7.62 mm M1910 Maxim
Russian M1910 Maxim
The PM M1910 was a heavy machine gun used by the Russian Army during World War I and the Red Army during World War II. It was adopted in 1910 and was derived from Hiram Maxim's Maxim gun, chambered for the standard Russian 7.62x54mmR rifle cartridge...
, Austrian 1907 8 mm Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
The Maschinengewehr Patent Schwarzlose M.07/12 was a medium machine-gun, and was used as a standard issue firearm in the Austro-Hungarian Army throughout World War I. It was also used by the Dutch, Greek and Hungarian armies during World War II...
, German 7.9 mm Maschinengewehr 08
Maschinengewehr 08
The Maschinengewehr 08, or MG08, was the German Army's standard machine gun in World War I and is an adoption of Hiram S. Maxim's original 1884 Maxim Gun. It was produced in a number of variants during the war. The MG 08 remained in service until the outbreak of World War II due to shortages of...
and French 8 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914
Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun
The Mle 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun became the standard machine gun of the French Army during World War I. It was manufactured by the French arms company Hotchkiss et Cie, which had been established in the 1860s by American industrialist Benjamin B. Hotchkiss...
. Such diversity was a logistical nightmare, and in the early 1920s the General Staff of the Polish Army decided to replace all older machine guns with a new design, specifically built to Polish designations.
Initially the Hotchkiss machine gun, adapted to the standard Polish 7.92 mm round and proven during the Polish-Bolshevik War, had the most supporters. In late 1924 and early 1925 approximately 1,000 were ordered from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Polish Ministry of War started talks on buying the license for manufacturing copies in Poland. However, the first tests of the post-war Hotchkiss machine guns proved that the new production were well below both Polish needs and maker's specifications, and the talks came to a halt. By the end of 1927 the ministry organized a contest for a new standard all-purpose heavy machine gun.
Only three companies took part in the competition: the American Browning
Browning Arms Company
Browning Arms Company is a maker of firearms, bows and fishing gear. Founded in Utah in 1927, it offers a wide variety of firearms, including shotguns, rifles, pistols, and rimfire firearms and sport bows, as well as fishing rods and reels....
company with the Browning M1917, a Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n-built copy of Schwarzlose M.7/12 (Schwarzlose-Janeček vz.07/12/27) and the British Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
company with their 0.303 in Vickers machine gun
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
. All initial tests were won by Browning. The tests were repeated in 1928, and again the American weapon proved to be the best. Thus the Polish ministry decided to purchase a license. However, it turned out that neither the Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
company nor its European representative, the Belgian company FN
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal — self identified as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN — is a firearms manufacturer located in Herstal, Belgium....
, had patented the design in Poland. In addition, the documentation of a recently-purchased license for Browning Automatic Rifle of the same designer was faulty. Because of that, the Polish ministry decided to order the preparation of a local version of the Browning M1917.
In mid-1930 the first test models were ready and were sent to various testing ranges. In March 1931 the first 200 models were sent to front-line units for further tests under the designation of Ckm wz.30. Among the most notable differences between the original and the Polish clone were:
- Different calibre, adapted to the Polish standard 7.92x57mm ammunition
- Loophole iron sightsIron sightsIron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
replaced with V-notch sights - Butt handle of the weapon was lengthened for easier carriage
- Longer barrel for greater precision and accuracy
- Rifle lock was modified for easier exchange of used-up barrels
- The lock was modified for easier handling
- The mounting was adapted for anti-aircraft fire
- Sights were adapted for anti-aircraft fire as well as a handle for aiming in the air was added
Following the first tests, a series of additional modifications was introduced. In 1938 the trigger mechanism was replaced with a completely new, more reliable system. In addition, the lock was replaced for easier handling and keeping the weapon in good condition. The modified design received the designation of ckm wz.30a, though the name was rarely used by the soldiers themselves. The new version was also the basis of a ckm wz.30/39T design, designed for export to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and adapted to Turkish standard 7.65x53mm ammunition. However, the design was never introduced in large numbers as the Turkish competition was halted after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out. In the late 30s, Wilniewczyc and Skrzypinski designed experimental barrels with a rifled oval barrel bore (so-called Lancaster Rifling). The barrels were very expensive to produce, but gave a significant increase of the accuracy and longevity of the barrel. Altogether, between 1930 and 1939, the Fabryka Karabinow (Rifle Factory) in Warsaw built 7,861 ckm wz.30, most of them for the Polish Army. Small numbers were exported to Republican Spain, Nationalist Spain and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
Users
- Captured Republican Spain
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
Nationalist Spain
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...