ZH-29

The ZH-29 was a semi-automatic rifle developed in Czechoslovakia during the late 1920s, and used by the Chinese National Revolutionary Army.

Overview

The ZH-29 is a gas-operated semi-automatic service rifle with a tilting-bolt locking system similar to that which would be later used in the Sturmgewehr 44; although while the bolt of the German gun tilts vertically, that of the ZH-29 does so to the left side. Externally the most distinctive feature is that the barrel is offset at a slight angle to the receiver to compensate for this. Also unusually, the rifle uses an aluminium barrel jacket.

An upgraded variant was designated as the ZH-32.

In China, Chang Tso-lin's army received 150 ZH-29 and 100 ZH-32 rifles, and the provincial troops of Guangdong also received 33 ZH-32. A derivative prototype was built in 1932 in Shenyang, China. It is unlikely that these rifles saw action during the Sino-Japanese War.

A version of the ZH-29 rifle was chambered in .276 Pedersen cartridge and was submitted to US Army trials but was unsuccessful.

During the last stages of the development in the AK-47 assault rifle, the testing grounds committee advised Mikhail Kalashnikov to redesign the trigger group of the AK-46 rifle prototype along the lines of ZH-29 rifle, which he did. The testing grounds committee also advised every competitor on how to generally improve their firearm designs.

Users

• China: 210 imported in 1930-31
• Ethiopia: 100 ZH-32s
• Japan: (Experimental prototype copy developed from captured examples from China)
• Lithuania
• Thailand

See also

• Weapons of Czechoslovakia interwar period
• Kbsp wz. 1938M

External links

• Popenker, Maxim, ZH-29 rifle (Czechoslovakia). Modern Firearms. World Guns. Geraadpleegd op October 8, 2023.
• Rifle 7.92 mm Automatic ZH 29. REME Museum of Technology. The Corps of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. Gearchiveerd op March 13, 2012. Geraadpleegd op 25 december 2012.
• McCollum, Ian, Czech ZH29 rifle. ForgottenWeapons.com (11 March 2011). Geraadpleegd op 25 december 2012.
• Patents
  • charging device patent
  • gas piston rod patent
  • gas pressure regulator patent
  • firing mechanism patent

Weapons and military equipment designed in Czechoslovakia 1919–1945
Firearms	Pistols Pistole vz. 22 Pistole vz. 24 ČZ vz. 27 ČZ vz. 38 Service rifles vz. 98/22 vz. 24 vz. 33 ZH-29 Submachine guns ZK-383 KP vz. 38 Machine guns LK vz. 26 LK vz. 30 TK vz. 24 TK vz. 35, TK vz. 37 ZB-50 ZB-60
Artillery	Mortars 8 cm minomet vz. 36 Tank and anti-tank guns 3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34 4cm kanón vz. 36 3,7cm KPÚV vz. 37 3,7cm ÚV vz. 38 4,7cm KPÚV vz. 38 Field artillery and mountain guns Skoda 75 mm Model 1928 Skoda 75 mm Model 1936 Skoda 75 mm Model 1939 8 cm kanon vz. 28 8 cm kanon vz. 30 Skoda 100 mm Model 14/19 Skoda 100 mm Model 16/19 10 cm houfnice vz. 28 10 cm houfnice vz. 30 Skoda 105 mm Model 1939 Heavy artillery 10.5 cm hruby kanon vz. 35 15 cm hrubá houfnice vz. 25 Skoda K-series Skoda Model 1928 gun 21 cm Mörser M. 16/18 21 cm Kanone 39 210 mm gun M1939 (Br-17) Skoda 220 mm howitzer 24 cm Haubitze 39 305 mm howitzer M1939 (Br-18) Anti-aircraft guns 2 cm VKPL vz. 36 7.5 cm kanon PL vz. 37 8 cm kanon PL vz. 37 8.35 cm kanon PL vz. 22 9 cm kanon PL vz. 12/20 Naval artillery 14 cm/56
Armored fighting vehicles	Tanks Kolohousenka LT vz. 34 LT vz. 35 LT vz. 38 ST vz. 39 Škoda T-21 Armored cars and tankettes OA vz. 23 OA vz. 27 OA vz. 30 Tančík vz. 33 Škoda MU-4 AH-IV T-32 (Š-I-D) Prototypes F-IV-HE Škoda Š-I-j Škoda T-24