Zbrojovka · Rifle
vz. 24
Bolt action · 7.92x57mm Mauser · introduced 1924
Also known as Puska vz. 24, Gewehr 24(t), G24(t)
About the vz. 24
The vz. 24 is a Czechoslovak bolt-action rifle developed in the early 1920s by Zbrojovka Brno from the German Mauser Gewehr 98 system. Chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser, it fed from a five-round integral box magazine loaded by stripper clips and used a controlled-feed Mauser action with a turned-down bolt handle. Its 590 mm barrel was shorter and handier than the original Gewehr 98, making it effectively a short rifle. Widely exported throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the vz. 24 saw service across South America, Asia, and Europe, and was pressed into German service as the Gewehr 24(t) after the 1939 occupation of Czechoslovakia.
After independence in 1918, Czechoslovakia inherited Austro-Hungarian arsenals but standardized on the proven German Mauser design, refining it into the compact vz. 24 that became one of the most widely exported military rifles of the interwar era.
vz. 24 specifications
General
- Type
- Rifle
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker-fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Calibres
- 7.92x57mm Mauser
- Magazine capacity
- 5 rounds
- Magazine
- Fixed box
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 590 mm (23.2 in)
- Overall length
- 1100 mm (43.3 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 4.20 kg (9.26 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling twist
- 1:9 in (240 mm)
- Rifling
- Right hand
- Grooves
- 4
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- blued
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 762 m/s (2500 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 3696 J (2726 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 500 m
History
- Introduced
- 1924
- Discontinued
- 1942
- Production status
- Discontinued
- Country of origin
- CZ
- Designer
- Zbrojovka Brno
Features
- Internal box magazine
- Detachable floorplate
- Stripper clip loading
- Bayonet lug
- Turned down bolt handle
Safety
- Manual safety
- Three position safety
Hundreds of thousands were exported, with variants additionally chambered in 7x57mm Mauser and 7.65x53mm Argentine for foreign contracts. Also produced at the Povazska Bystrica plant.
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