Kbk Wz. 1929 - Design History

Design History

After regaining independence, the Polish Army were armed with Russian rifles (Mosin), Austrian (mainly Mannlicher M1895) and German (Mauser M1898) Along with the Blue Army soldiers French rifles appeared (Berthier and Lebel). The guns were placed in the United Kingdom (Lee Enfield) and Japanese (Arisaka)

As a result, at the end of Polish-Soviet War in 1921 the Polish army was armed at the approximately 24 types of guns and 22 rifles firing different ammunition. Since such a combination of design and supply of weapons impede training, has since 1919 carried out work on the choice of one type of rifle. Finally, after the award of the Council of Ambassadors to Poland by the Gdansk branch plants Mauser, was admitted to the Military Rifle Gew98 (German version of the Mauser wz.98) as wz.98. Machinery factory in Gdansk to Warsaw to the newly created National Rifle Factory. Production at new plants started in July 1922.

Two years later production of the wz.98 rifles stopped. The analysis of the experiences of World War I and the Polish-Bolshevik war made the military decide to use a new carabine infantry rifle. It was based on the German Kar98a (Kar98AZ). Polish wz.98 rifle differed from Kar98a only in minor technical details.

Operation of wz.98 rifles showed that as an infantry weapon (originally proposed for the gunners and sappers) it was inadequate. The greatest flaw was the weak bayonet mount (the carabine was difficult to use in melee combat, bayonets were often broken off from the bayonet lug when hitting hard objects such as bones) and the excessive recoil (insufficient weight). Therefore it was decided to develop a new model with features intermediate between the carabine and the hook (so-called short gun).

Construction works were completed in 1929. The new wz.29 rifle was based on the wz.98 rifle. The new stock was shortened, the lock on the chamber and ground wz.29 bayonet and barrel to a new alloy and reinforced castle chamber of the fixing barrel and bolt. It also introduced a number of minor design changes in certain parts of the action, allowing increased dimensional tolerance (kbk wz.29 all parts are fully interchangeable.) There were two versions of the rifle, the straight bolt handle for infantry and turned down bolt handle for cavalry.

Production of new weapons was launched in 1930 at the National Arms Factory in Radom. In Warsaw Armory No. 2 was rebuilt as a standard feature of kbk kbk wz.29 wz.98. Despite starting in 1936 wz.98a production of rifles, carbines wz.29 production continued until September 1939. Produced a total of approximately 264 000 kbk wz.29 (including a large part for export to Spain and Afghanistan).

During the September campaign kbk wz.29 arms were comparable with the German Karabiner 98k. After the September Campaign, they were used by the guerrillas of the Polish Underground. Acquired copies wz.29 rifle were also used by the Wehrmacht as the Gewehr 298 (p).