01 Experimental Light Machine Gun Praga 24 Model Calibre 7,92 mm Mauser, No. 4

Fotogalerie

The development of light machine guns in Zbrojovka Praga culminated in a model that was different from all previous ones. Although it also had a quick-change barrel, the magazine was a 20-round box magazine mounted from above, and its breech mechanism was completely different. The first working specimen was demonstrated by Vaclav Holek (1886–1954) in September 1924, and subsequently the arms factory produced three more examples, designated as the Praga Model 24 light machine gun. Tests showed high viability of the new weapon, so at the end of 1924, Minister of National Defence Frantisek Udrzal decided to introduce it into the armaments of the Czechoslovakia. Army. At the same time, he commissioned the Ceskoslovenska zbrojovka in Brno and Skoda Works to cooperate on the design for serial production. The fourth, last, and final model of the light machine gun was handed over to Brno by Zbrojovka Praga on 31 January 1925 under a contract on the transfer of the production licence. Together with the weapon, Vaclav Holek also transferred to Ceskoslovenska zbrojovka in Brno and the machine gun, later designated ZB Model 26, was produced by the arms factory both for the Czechoslovak Army and for many countries around the world. The last model of the light machine gun which was produced at Zbrojovka Praga was a weapon completely different from the previous models designed by Vaclav Holek (1886–1954).