| Puška vz. 33 (aka vz. 16/33) | |
|---|---|
 Gewehr 33/40 (t) | |
| Type | Carbine |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1934 – 1954 |
| Used by | See§ Users |
| Wars | Chaco War Spanish Civil War World War II Ecuadorian–Peruvian War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1933 |
| Manufacturer | Zbrojovka Brno |
| Produced | 1934 – 1942 |
| No. built | More than 156,000 (vz. 16/33 and G 33/40)[1] |
| Variants | Vz. 12/33 (produced for Latin America) Gewehr 33/40 (produced for Germany) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.1 kg (6.8 lb) (vz. 16/33) 3.45 kg (7.6 lb) (Gewehr 33/40) |
| Length | 950 mm (37.4 in) (vz. 16/33) 1,000 mm (39.4 in)) (Gewehr 33/40) |
| Barrel length | 490 mm (19.3 in) |
| Cartridge | |
| Action | Bolt-action |
| Muzzle velocity | 720 m/s (2,362 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 1,000 m (1,100 yd) |
| Feed system | 5-round internalmagazine, two-row, integral box, with quickly detachable floorplate, loaded withstripper clip. |
Thepuška vz. 33[2] ("rifle model 1933", sometimes referred to askrátká puška vz. 33 – "short rifle model 33") was aCzechoslovakbolt-actioncarbine that was based on aMauser-type action, designed and produced inČeskoslovenská zbrojovka inBrno during the 1930s in order to replace the obsoleteMannlichervz. 1895 carbines of the CzechoslovakČetnictvo (gendarmerie). The manufacturer's designation was vz. 16/33 (model 16/33). Another version, the Vz. 12/33, was also produced for the Latin American market.
The design of the Vz. 12/33 was partially based on theMauser Musketon M12, produced bySteyr prior toWorld War I[3] but this carbine was also mostly a shortened version of the standard Czechoslovak Armyvz. 24 rifle.[4] The action was a "small ring" design similar to that found on the GermanKarabiner 98AZ issued during World War I.[5] As the name implies, the receiver ring is of slightly smaller diameter than the standard Model 98 action,[6] intended to lighten the weapon at the expense of a slight reduction in action strength and safety margins. Most small-ring variants are readily distinguishable as there is no step between the ring and the left receiver wall. However, the vz. 33 has a lightened, thinner left receiver wall, so the step is present making it superficially resemble the standard, 'large ring' action. Excess metal is removed from the rear receiver bridge around the stripper clip guide, and there are other lightening cuts. The bolt is the same as that of the standard Model 98, with the exception of the bolt handle which has a different profile and a hollowed-out ball.[citation needed] The tangent rear sight of the Vz. 12/33 is graduated up to 1,500 m (1,640 yd)[7] while the Vz. 16/33 was graduated from 50 to 500 m (55 to 547 yd) in 50 m (55 yd) increments and with 500 to 1,000 m (547 to 1,094 yd) in 100 m (109 yd).[8]
The significant lighter weight of the vz. 33 carbine compared to the vz. 24 rifle increasedfree recoil and the shorter barrel increased muzzle blast and flash during firing.[1]
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The designation vz. 12/33 was probably not used outside Czechoslovakia.[9]In the 1930s, many Latin American countries ordered vz. 12/33 carbines.[3]Mexico[10] andColombia ordered some in7×57mm Mauser. After 1952, most of the Colombian short rifles were modified in the R. FAMAGE M1952 program rebored and rechambered to fire.30-06 Springfield.[11]Ecuador ordered vz. 12/33s in7.65×53mm Mauser and used them during the1941 war against Peru.[12]El Salvador bought 5,600 carbines in 1937[13] and used them until they were replaced post-WW2 by American weapons.[14]Nicaragua bought some vz. 12/33 carbines (mostly with Spanish markings but some with Czech markings) alongside vz. 23 short rifles.[15]Paraguay also fielded some vz. 12/33 during theChaco War.[16]
Československá zbrojovka was contracted by theBrazilian government to manufacture 100,500Model 08/34 short rifles with slight modifications.[13] (not to be confused with theModel 08/34 rifles made inItajubá).[17] After 1945, manyModel 08/34 were converted to .30–06 Springfield and designatedModel 08/34.30.[13] The Czech and Brazilian made short rifle was later rearsenaled in Itajuba as theMosquetão M954, also chambered in .30-06. This upgraded short rifle incorporated a sight hood similar to the GermanKarabiner 98k and threaded muzzle to firerifle grenades.[18]
Uruguay ordered some vz. 37 short rifles and carbines just before the German invasion of Czechoslovakia.[19] The carbine model was very similar to the vz. 12/33.They were marked937 and bore manufacturing markings in Czech.[20]
This rifle was designated vz. 16/33 by its manufacturer, while its designation in Czechoslovak service was vz. 33.[21]For the Czechoslovak army, Gendarmerie andFinanční stráž (literally Finance Guard, which was a custom and border protection armed service under the command of the Czechoslovak Department of Finance) some 25,300 vz. 33 rifles were produced until 1940. Of these 20,011 were issued to the Gendarmerie and 4,300 to the Finance Guard.[21]
Peru ordered somevz. 32 short rifles, similar to the vz. 33 with some modifications according to Peruvian requirements.[22]
In 1954, Czechoslovakia shipped some vz. 33 rifles toGuatemala.[23]
Production of a modified version continued under the manufacturing codes "945" in 1940 and the letters "dot" in 1941 and 1942 during theGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia for theWehrmacht (German armed forces) especially for use in theGebirgsjäger (German mountain troops).[24] Although this rifle is one of the shortest of the German-used Mausers, it was designatedGewehr, meaning rifle.[25]
Compared to the vz. 33 the Gewehr 33/40 stands out by the following features:
Markings are of the German type, with code letters on the receiver ring in place of the Czech rampant lion.[24] German soldiers used the carbines in harsh mountainous conditions throughout World War 2 and often complained regarding the heavy recoil.[25]
From 1940 until 1942 another 120,000 to 131,503 of the Gewehr 33/40 variant were produced for theGerman army: 29,000 to 40,000 Gewehr 33/40 were produced in 1940, 35,000 to 48,049 Gewehr 33/40 were produced in 1941 and 45,000 to 54,454 Gewehr 33/40 were produced in 1942.[28][21] The German armed forces also used the rifles previously issued to the Czechoslovak military, also under designation Gewehr 33/40.[1]A few prototypes of G 33/40 with wooden foldingstocks were also produced for theGerman paratroopers, these are not included in the totals as this variant never went into serial production.[28]
During 1942 the Gewehr 33/40 production ceased when the Československá zbrojovka factory was converted to produce German-designed Karabiner 98k standard service rifles.[1]
After World War II, captured Gewehr 33/40 were used by theNorwegian police.[29] Besides the original German markings Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk marked "POLITI" (which translates to "police" in Norwegian), the Norwegian national coat of arms and new serial number in a separate Norwegian police series on left side of the receiver ring.[29]
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The Germans also produced a small amount of prototype and pre-production test batch of the g33/40 equipped with theZF-41 sharpshooter scope. These were photographed for inclusion in the ZF-41 manual in 1942. However, the BRNO factory switched over to the Karabiner 98k in 1943. Approximately 350 to 400 scoped Gewehr 33/40 rifles were made total. As of 2013 only one has been examined and found to be a real test batch scoped rifle: it has serial number 3962C. It is a late dot 1942 production rifle. A fifth of the zf-48 alba crossing production units produced were struck from factory listings in the style of the former model, the gb 11. Recreations of this rifle using Karabiner 98k ZF-41 mounts sell for about US$5000. Of note is the recreation rifle's scope base is as the Karabiner 98k, which differs from the original g 33/40 base, and so is easy to distinguish real from reproduction. Reproduction mounts have been welded or screwed onto Gewehr 33/40 scope bases; this is incorrect both in size and construction of the originalscope base mounts. The real mount places the ZF-41 scope in a very specific location on the rifle; re-creations are either too far forward or too far back from the original. The original rifles with ZF-41 scopes have their stock and handguard specifically cut and fitted for the ZF-41 scope and mount combination. The scopes are outfitted automatically with a f-range from 2 to 11.
Brazil: Model 1908/34 (Vz. 12/33),[9] Model 1908/34.30 and M954[13]
Colombia: Vz. 12/33[11]
Czechoslovakia: Vz. 33[30]
Ecuador: Vz. 12/33[12]
El Salvador: Musketon (Vz. 12/33)[31]
Nazi Germany: Gewehr 33/40(t)[27]
Guatemala: Vz. 33[32]
Mexico: Vz. 12/33[10]
Nicaragua: Vz. 12/33[15]
Norway: Gewehr 33/40[29]
Paraguay: Vz. 12/33[16]
Peru: Vz. 32 short rifles (similar to the Vz. 16/33)[22]
Uruguay: Vz. 37 ("937") carbines (similar to the Vz. 12/33)[20]