Browning wz. 1928

Browning wz.1928 lMG 28 (p)

Type	Automatic rifle
Place of origin	Poland
Service history
In service	1930 to 1945
Used by	See Users
Wars	WW2
Production history
Designed	1928
Manufacturer	Państwowa Fabryka Karabinów
Produced	1930 to 1939
Number built	~24,000
Variants	wz.37
Specifications
Weight	5.9 kg (13 lb) (empty)
Length	1,110 mm (44 in)
Barrel length	611 mm

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.

History

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.

Firing mechanism

Polish partisan member of Home Army unit Jędrusie with wz. 1928

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),^[1] 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.^[2] 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.

A Polish reenactor poses with the wz. 1928 and period-correct uniform.

Due to serious flaws in license documentation purchased from Belgium, production in Poland was not started until 1930. Until 1939 approximately 14,000 pieces were built. Additional modifications were introduced during the production run. Among them was replacement of the iron sights with a smaller version and reshaping the butt to a "fish tail" shape. There were also extensive works on spare, replaceable barrels for the weapon, which however were never completed due to the outbreak of World War II.

During the German-Soviet Invasion of Poland of 1939, the rkm wz. 1928 was the standard LMG used by almost all Polish infantry and cavalry units. The German armed forces captured a number of Polish-made Browning guns and used them until the end of World War II under the designation of lMG 28 (p).^[2] A number were also seized by the Red Army and used during the war.^[2]

Variants

The RKM wz.28 was a basis for development of an aerial, flexible machine gun, designated karabin maszynowy obserwatora wz.37, used mainly by the Polish PZL.37 Łoś bombers.

Users

Germany - captured 1939
Poland
Soviet Union - captured in 1939
Spanish Republic - bought for Spanish Civil War
Spanish State - captured from Republican side

Notes

↑ Bishop, Chris (1998). The Encyclopedia: Weapons of World War II. New York: Barnes & Noble Inc. ISBN 0-7607-1022-8, p. 239
1 2 3 Robert R. Hodges, Jr., The Browning Automatic Rifle. Weapon Series. Osprey Publishing, 2012, 9781849087612. p. 18

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Browning wz. 1928.

Gwóźdź, Zbigniew; Zarzycki, Piotr (1993). Polskie konstrukcje broni strzeleckiej. Warsaw, SIGMA NOT. ISBN 83-85001-69-7.
Nowakowski, Tomasz (1996). "Ręczny karabin maszynowy Browning wz. 28". Nowa Technika Wojskowa. 5. ISSN 1230-1655.
Jońca, Adam; Zasieczny, Andrzej (2003). 7,92 mm ręczny karabin maszynowy wz. 1928 Browning. Bellona & CB. ISBN 83-11-09687-2.

Polish infantry and cavalry weapons during the Invasion of Poland

Side arms and rifles	Nagant wz.30 revolver Nagant wz.32 Vis pistol Kb wz.98 Mauser rifle Kb wz.98a rifle Kbk wz.91/98/23 Kbk wz.29 carbine

Machine guns and other larger weapons	ckm wz.25 Hotchkiss machine gun ckm wz.30 machine gun Browning wz.1928 light machine gun Kb ppanc wz.35 anti-tank rifle Granatnik wz. 36 grenade launcher Stokes mortar

Grenades	wz.1933 (fragmentation) wz.1924 (concussion)

Prototype and test weapons	Mors submachine gun Kbsp wz.38M semi-automatic rifle Karabinek KP-32 Karabin maszynowy Typ C Pistolet maszynowy dywersyjny

German firearms and light weapons of World War II

Side arms (Pistolen)	Mauser C96 Luger Walther P38 Walther PP and PPK Sauer 38H Mauser HSc Sturmpistole Dreyse M1907 Pistol Volkspistole

Rifles and carbines (Gewehre und Karabiner)	Karabiner 98k G 24(t) G 33/40(t) G 98/40 Gewehr 41 Gewehr 43/Karabiner 43 MP 43/MP 44/StG 44 FG 42 M30 Luftwaffe drilling StG 45(M) VG 1-5

Submachine guns (Maschinenpistolen)	MP 18/MP 28 MP 34 MP35 MP 38/MP 40 MP 41 MP 3008 Erma EMP EMP 44

Machine guns and other larger weapons	MG 08 Schwarzlose MG M.07/12 MG 13 MG 15 MG 26 MG 30 MG 34 MG 42 MG 45 MG 131 IMG 28 MG 35/36A Faustpatrone Raketen-Panzerbüchse 43 Panzerfaust Panzerschreck Fliegerfaust/Luftfaust Flammenwerfer 35 Flammenwerfer 41 Einstossflammenwerfer 46 Panzerbüchse 39 Solothurn S-18/1000

Mortars (Granatwerfer)	5 cm leGrW 36 8 cm GrW 34 kz 8 cm GrW 42 12 cm GrW 42

Grenades (Granaten)	Model 24 Stielhandgranate Model 43 Stielhandgranate Model 39 Eihandgranate Splitterring Panzerwurfmine Hafthohlladung

Notable foreign-made infantry weapons	Browning Hi-Power as P640(b) Radom wz. 35 Vis as P645(p) ZB vz. 24 as G24(t) ZB vz. 33 as G33/40(t) ZB vz. 26 as MG26(t) Kb ppanc wz.35 as Panzerbüchse 35(p)

German-made cartridges used by the Wehrmacht	7.63×25mm Mauser 7.65×21mm Parabellum 7.92×33mm Kurz 7.92×57mm Mauser 7.92×94mm 9×19mm Parabellum 13.2×92mmSR 20×138mmB

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