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| Country |
Poland |
| Type |
Automatic rifle |
| Manufacturer |
Fabrique Nationale |
| Introduction |
1928 |
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The Browning wz.1928 is a Polish version of the FN BAR. It was a light machine gun used by the Polish infantry in World War II.
The Polish army ordered a series of Belgian-made BAR machine guns, modified to better suit the Polish needs. Among the most notable modifications were the calibre (modified from .30-06 Springfield to standard Polish 7.92x57mm Mauser), the bipod\'s construction and mounting and the iron sights (peephole changed to v-notch type). Also, the barrel was lengthened for greater accuracy and a pistol grip was added for easier aiming. Apart from the 10,000 pieces ordered in 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.
Due to serious flaws in license documentation purchased from Belgium, the production in Poland was not started until 1930. Until 1939 approximately 14,000 pieces were built. Also, additional modifications were introduced during the production. Among them was replacement of the iron sights with a smaller version and reshaping the butt to the fish tail. 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 Polish Defensive War of 1939, the rkm wz. 1928 was the standard LMG used by all Polish infantry units. The German Wehrmacht captured a number of Polish-made Browning guns and used them until the end of World War II under the designation of IMG 28 (p). A number was also seized by the Red Army and used during the war.
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