Vz. 24 | |
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Type | Bolt-action rifle |
Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
Service history | |
Used by | See Users |
Wars |
Constitutionalist Revolution Chaco War Ecuadorian–Peruvian War Spanish Civil War Second Sino-Japanese War World War II Chinese Civil War 1948 Arab–Israeli War and others |
Production history | |
Designed | 1924 |
Manufacturer | Zbrojovka Brno |
Produced | 1924–1942 |
Specifications | |
Weight | 4.2 kg (9.3 lb) |
Length | 1,100 mm (43 in) |
Barrel length | 590 mm (23 in) |
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Cartridge | 8×57mm IS, 7×57mm Mauser, 7.65×53mm Argentine |
Action | Bolt-action |
Rate of fire | 10–15 rpm |
Muzzle velocity | 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) |
Feed system | 5-round internal box magazine, two-row, integral box, with quickly detachable floorplate |
Sights | Iron sights |
The vz. 24 rifle is a bolt-action carbine designed and produced in Czechoslovakia from 1924 to 1942. It was developed from the Mauser Gewehr 98 line, and features a very similar bolt design. The rifle was designed in Czechoslovakia shortly after World War I, to replace the Vz. 98/22, featuring a 600 mm (23.6") barrel which was shorter and considered more handy than the 150 mm (5.9") -longer Gewehr 98. The carbine followed a similar trend in weapon design at the time, that a short rifle gave away little in ballistic efficiency at combat ranges, but was easier to handle on account of its shorter length.
During World War II, the vz. 24 was produced for the German armed forces during its occupation. The rifle was also produced in nearby Slovakia, a German ally and puppet state during the war.
The vz. 24 rifle was widely exported and enjoyed usage during and after World War 2, noticeably by Romania, the Imperial State of Persia, Guatemala, China and others. Many of the contract rifles made for South American countries were chambered in 7mm Mauser or 7.65×53mm Argentine.
After World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dismantled; one of the new states to emerge from the ruins of the Habsburg Monarchy was Czechoslovakia. The new state received control of the Skoda factory in Brno, which was renamed the Brno Arms Works in November 1918. The following year, the factory began producing the first short rifles based on the German Gewehr 98 design, which were chambered in 7mm Mauser. In 1922, the long vz. 98/22 was developed; this provided the basis for the vz. 23, a shortened version. These rifles were initially produced with parts cannibalized from other rifles. The design was further refined into the vz. 23A, which consisted of newly manufactured components. Further refinements produced the vz. 24, which entered production in 1924.