The Gewehr 33/40 was a Czechoslovakian-made carbine that was in service with the Wehrmacht during World War II.
The carbine’s origins date back to the German Mauser 98 rifle, which appeared at the end of the 19th century. Many European countries produced their own versions of the Mauser 98, each with its unique minor details. The basic design remained unchanged.
Czechoslovakia, which was established after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, also produced its own version of the German rifle. The first rifle was adopted by the Czechoslovakian army in 1924 and almost 10 years later, in 1933, a new version appeared, which became primary until Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Third Reich.
After the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the Wehrmacht received a large number of trophies, including small arms. At the same time, the German army needed a special weapon for its mountain troops. In 1940, it was decided to make a modified version of the Vz. 33 carbine for this purpose. The Vz. 33 carbine was based on the Vz. 24 rifle and was intended to be used by the police, treasury security and other similar services. It featured a barrel shortened to 490 millimeters and a total length of 995 millimeters, with a curved bolt handle, as well as a new bayonet with a shortened grip. This new modification for the German troops was named Gewehr 33/40. Compared to the Vz. 33, the Gewehr 33/40 is 110 millimeters shorter than the standard Wehrmacht K98k rifle.
The weight of the weapon was reduced by simplifying several parts, heat absorption was improved to protect hands from getting burnt during prolonged fire, a new sight was installed and several other changes were implemented; compatibility with the K98k was improved. The carbine used a five-shot German 7.92×57 cartridge.
The 33/40 Carbine was used by German mountain troops. This same weapon was supplied to the German light infantry on the Karelian Front. Due to the very short barrel, gunshots created very high sound pressure, painful to the ears. For the same reason, the carbine had a strong recoil and a large flame exhaust from residual powder in the barrel, which gave away the shooter’s location at night.
The carbine on display was transferred to the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia from the House of the Red Army in Belomorsk in 1945.
