Browning wz.1928
| Browning wz.1928 lMG 28 (p) |
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|---|---|
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| Type | Automatic rifle |
| Place of origin | Poland |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1930–1945 |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | WW2 |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1928 |
| Manufacturer | Państwowa Fabryka Karabinów |
| Produced | 1930–1939 |
| No. built | ~24,000 |
| Variants | wz.37 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 5.9 kg (13 lb) (empty) |
| Length | 1,110 mm (44 in) |
| Barrel length | 611 mm |
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| Cartridge | 7.92x57 |
| Caliber | 7.92 mm |
| Action | gas operated |
| Rate of fire | 600 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 853 m/s (2,800 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 20 rounds |
The Browning wz.1928 is a Polish version of the M1918 BAR. It was a light machine gun used by the Poles in World War II.
After Poland regained its independence in 1918, the Polish Army was equipped with all sorts of machine guns inherited from the armed forces of the partitioners, along with equipment from the French and British armies that equipped the Polish Blue Army during the Great War. The large variety of light machine guns used, as well as the fact that each of them used a different calibre, made troop training and logistics a difficult task.
After the Polish-Bolshevik War, in 1923 a competition was opened for a new, standard light machine gun for the Polish army that was to replace all previously used types of LMG. The competition ended without a winner and the following year the Polish Ministry of War purchased 12 specimens of the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, Lewis gun ("Lewis wz. 1923") and Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié each. Testing proved the superiority of the American construction, and during the 1925 competition a Belgian FN-made Browning was chosen. Although extensive tests were continued, the Polish army ordered a series of Belgian-made BAR machine guns, modified to better suit the Polish needs. The modifications included changing the round from .30-06 Springfield to standard Polish 7.92×57mm Mauser), the construction of a bipod and mounting and the iron sights (peephole changed to v-notch type). The barrel was lengthened for greater accuracy and a pistol grip was added for easier aiming. Apart from the 10,000 pieces ordered from Fabrique Nationale, Poland also bought a licence to construct the weapon at home. The first wz.28 LMGs were officially commissioned in 1927 and were officially named 7,92 mm rkm Browning wz. 1928, which is a Polish designation for 7.92 mm hand-held machine gun of Browning mark 1928.
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