ZB39's

[Gyles]

Are they rare?

[Mongo]

This may not help you but in the US the parts kits are not hard to get but they do not have any receivers with them. People are using Bren Mk1 receivers and building them into semi ZB39 guns. I do not think there was that many ZB39 made so of all the ZB variants that were adopted by a military it is most likely the rarest.

[warren]

ZB 39's are usually found on the shelf with the rocking horse dodo and chicken lip sausage. I know of less than a half a dozen in captivity.....and one with the ultra rare AA sight... Mags were a problem for a while as even the Pattern Room did not have a mag for theirs until some kind soul gave them one....

[Kev]

As it's a nice day (and bugger all else to do) I thought I'd do a few pics of the ZB39.



























ATB Kevin

[missingsomething]

Nice gun...... (jealous as always...)

[bmg17a1]

Some years ago, in the US, I acquired a registered ZB39 in .303 with the original magazine and an AA sight. No contract markings, but the standard BRNO, etc. Herb Woodend, on a visit here, believed it to be one of a small lot that had gone to South Africa, but as noted elsewhere in this thread the Pattern Room didn't have a mag for their example, and they apparently had only one ZB 39 in the collection.
I know of only one other registered example of this type of gun in the US. If I can figure out how to post pics, I'll put a few up.
As an aside, I noticed that Kev's exmaple is missing the front sling swivel.

Bob Naess
Black River Militaria CII
VermOnt, USA

[Kev]

Hi Bob,not sure about the South African conection to these guns. They had ZGB's in 1935 before Brens but Peter Wells in SA may have other info.

Re- front swivel - There seems to be a variation on whether they are fitted or not Bob,from limited observations on this model and other foreign contract Czech made Brens it appears that if they were fitted with the top pic butt swivel they were.



And if they were fitted with the 'Bren type butt swivel they weren't,even though the mounting point has been fitted to the reciever.This is only from a limited number of guns observed.

ATB Kevin

[Peter Wells]

Lovely gun Kev .

As for any SA connection as suggested by Herb, I have not seen any evidence, either in correspondence/documentation or in any specimens, of ZB39s here in SA.

Herb may have confused the ZB39 with the small batch of 15 ZGB33s that are well documented as coming to SA in 1934.

Cheers

[bmg17a1]

>As for any SA connection as suggested by Herb, I have not seen any evidence, either in correspondence/documentation or in any specimens, of ZB39s here in SA.<

Herb was speculating, but did not know for sure.

I have had some discussions with the owner of the other Czech Bren/39 in the US, and he believes the .303 versions were made for Israel after the war. They are not marked beyond the factory ID, so there is nothing to indicate where they mght have gone after production. The owner of this other gun was a longtime friend of Jack Krcma who was well versed in the Czech MGs and msall arms, and it is possible he is relating info from Krcma.
My gun is fitted with the forward sling loop.

Thanks for the responses.

Bob Naess

[Kev]

The model 39 was the only Bren variation/version offered post war by CZ in their sales catologue.The pictures are photographs stuck onto the printed pages.
7.7mm (303) pic from catologue below.



This one showing the 'Bren' type butt swivel and no reciever swivel.
I believe your 39 has a rather unusual extended arc to the curve of the magazine Bob ?

Any idea what became of Jack Krcma's impressive collection ?

All the best Kevin

[bmg17a1]

Couple pics of my ZB39.

Kev: the caliber is .303 and the mag does have more of an arc than the Bren mags.
I don't know what hapened to Krcma's collection, but will enquire of the fellow noted in the previous post

Bob Naess

[britplumber]

Jealous as always!

[Kev]

Thanks for the pics Bob :-)
Is the construction of the magazine on the internal curve butt jointed and welded or a wrap around fold ?



ATB Kevin

[bmg17a1]

The ZB39 mag for .303 is butt welded as are the ZB39 mags brought in by Allegheny Arsenal with the Bulgarian contract guns they imported. Along with the guns were AA sights and complete field spare parts boxes. Unfortunately, no M207 tripods for the guns have ever been found anywhere, which implies that the tripods were never produced and issued.

Bob

[Kev]

The (M207 ?) M206 tripods were still offered for sale in post war Czech export catologues for use with the ZB30 and M39.
The only use of the tripods in photographic evidence I have seen is with the ZGB in British Army trials.

Film link below -

www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/1935/09/30/BGX407202508/?s=bren+gun

ATB Kevin