A 7.92-mm ČZ-30 aircraft machine gun, Czechoslovakia.

A 7.92-mm ČZ-30 aircraft machine gun, Czechoslovakia.

The machine gun was designed on the basis of the Vickers machine gun by the designers of the Prague Weapon Factory by František Breich, František Sikita, Adolph Sykora and Vaclav Siebar in 1928. The weapon was produced at Česka Zbrojovka factory in Brno, as well as at Česka Zbrojovka branch in Strakonice.

In 1943, Belarusian guerillas took down a Czech Letov S-328 airplane, which was used by the Wehrmacht for communication and reconnaissance, and dismounted the 7.92-mm ČZ-30 aircraft machine gun. The gun was later converted into a mounted machine gun in a guerrilla gun shop and installed onto a 1910 Maxim wheeled mount. The gun was actively used by Belarusian guerillas to fight with German occupants in 1943-1944.

Characteristics:
Caliber, mm — 7.92
Length, mm — 1,023
Barrel length, mm — 721
Rate of fire, rpm — 900
Feed system — 125- and 250-round belt or 60-round pan magazine
Weight (with the mount), kg — 56
Weight (without the mount), kg — 10.8
Firing range, m — 1,200