Czech ZB26 light machine gun.

By Robert G. Segel

People in the general populace don’t think of Czechoslovakia as an international arms maker of high quality products with a long history of innovation. But those familiar with the world of firearms know that Czechoslovakia has a well-earned reputation of not only producing quality weapons, but researching, developing and pioneering new systems. One such system was the ZB26. This weapon proved to be of such a step forward for a man-portable, full automatic weapon, that the British, upon testing, were so impressed that they licensed the manufacture of the weapon that was then known as the Bren gun; a weapon that served the British and their Commonwealth nations for decades.

The Czech ZB26 gunner’s kit is made of canvas with leather straps that folds in on itself for carrying measuring approximately 11 inches long x 7 inches wide x 1.5 inches thick. Once fully unfolded, leather pockets hold all of the various tools needed to maintain the weapon in proper working order. On one end is a pocket that contains spare parts for the weapon that may wear or break and are easily replaceable by the gunner.

MG11 Swiss Maxim.

By Robert G. Segel

The Swiss Maxim MG11 is considered by many as the Swiss watch of Maxim machine guns. Manufactured in Switzerland by Waffenfabrik Bern, the MG11 is noted for its precision manufacturing guaranteeing the utmost reliability in both form and function.

Each Swiss Maxim gun was issued a gunner’s kit with tools, cleaning components and key spare parts to keep the gun operating under all conditions with the ability to repair or replace certain vital parts by the gun team.

The metal gunner’s kit measures approximately 13.5 x 11.5 x 3.75 inches and is top opening with a single hinged locking clasp to the front. It also has two handles for carrying in either a vertical or horizontal manner. Wood compartments within the box allow for an orderly display and easy access to the contents. Small parts are contained in a leather pouch with a draw string.

1. Swiss Maxim MG11 compartmentalized gunner’s spare parts and tool box.
2. Three-piece cleaning rod
3. Galvanized tin 1 liter oil
container with handle
4. Two sheets of fine grit paper
5. Pliers
6. Brass drift
7. Steel drift
8. Punch 4mm
9. Punch 2mm
10. Small chisel
11. Screwdriver
12. Brass head hammer
13. Soft cleaning brush
14. Half-round file
15. Roll of barrel packing string
16. Bundle of cleaning cloths
17. Brass cleaning rod jag
18. Cleaning rod bore brush
19. Lifters (two)
20. Combination tool
21. Leather pouch with draw string (items 22 through 39 are contained in the leather pouch)
22. Firing pins (two)
23. Safety sear (complete)
24. Top cover springs (two)
25. Firing pin spring
26. Tumbler
27. Gib
28. Wire ring containing an assortment of 12 (6 pairs) of different length and diameter cotter pins
29. Extractor spring
30. Cleaning rod chamber brush
31. Side lever axis pin (two)
32. Trigger sear axis pin (three)
33. Side lever axis split pin
34. Safety-sear pin
35. Gib spring
36. Length of thin steel wire
37. Safety-sear springs (two)
38. Upper feed pawl springs (two)
39. Length of thin copper wire

By Robert G. Segel

Designed by Vasily Degtyaryov in 1927, the Russian DP28 was the primary light machine gun of the Red Army during World War II. Man portable with a distinctive 47-round pan magazine, the DP28 was produced in the hundreds of thousands of units and proved itself throughout its service life as a reliable and rugged weapon.

Whether from wear, breakage or battle damage, DP28 gunners carried a gunner’s kit with them to keep the weapon in operating condition. The gas-operated weapon was very simple in construction and the gunner’s kit reflected the simplicity of the gun.

The kit consists of a simple canvas bag with an adjustable leather shoulder strap. The top flap is secured by a metal roller buckle and leather strap. A single pocket is stitched to the rear inside of the bag to hold the three-piece cleaning rod assembly that also gives the bag form and rigidity. Contents of the bag consist of:

1. Canvas bag with adjustable leather shoulder strap
2. Three-piece cleaning rod assembly
3. Three assorted pin punches
4. Chamber rod
5. Ruptured case extractor
6. Combination tool/wrench
7. Double ended carbon scraper (large)
8. Double ended carbon scraper (small)
9. Spare striker (firing pin)
10. Spare extractor
11. Driving spring
12. Combined solvent and oil bottle. (The “W” is actually the Cyrillic “ShCh” and the word transliterates to “shchelo,” which means lye or alkaline solution/solvent. The “H” is the Cyrillic “N” that transliterates to “neft” or oil.)

Browning Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun.

By Robert G. Segel

The Browning series of .30 caliber water-cooled machine guns (the Model of 1917 and the later upgraded M1917A1) served the U.S. armed forces for over 4 decades beginning in World War I with the Model of 1917.

The battlefields of France quickly demonstrated the need for a kit to accompany each gun in the field to provide certain key spare parts that would need replacing due to wear or battle damage and tools to keep the guns operating. A wooden box the same size and dimensions as the ammunition boxes was developed to provide the necessary parts and tools to the gunners in the field. It is top opening with a spring loaded brass closure mechanism and has a leather handle. There is a light blue stripe painted around the box to denote it as the spare-parts box and differentiate it from an ammunition box.

This early box was used throughout World War I and in the immediate post-war years until replaced with canvas spare parts and tool rolls that followed later.

There is a parts list of the contents of the box pasted inside the top lid. In this author’s opinion, it is a “suggested” list as there are parts listed that do not normally wear or break and there are parts that are not listed that do and should be listed. Additionally, there is no record in any manuals as to how the box should be packed. It seems that was pretty much left up to the individual soldier as long as the box contained the
necessary parts and tools.

The spare-parts box is intended to provide the gun squad with immediate replacement of serviceable parts for those which become defective in the gun in use. It should, therefore, be kept complete at all times with its contents in good condition and whenever a part is taken from the box to replace a defective part in the gun, a notation should be made in the gun record and the defective part repaired or a new one substituted in the spare-parts box as soon as possible.