Fusil ametrallador Oviedo
The Fusil ametrallador Oviedo is a Spanish copy of the ZB vz. 26 and ZB vz. 30 Czechoslovak light machine guns.[1]
| FAO | |
|---|---|
 7.92mm FAO | |
| Type | Light machine gun |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia/Spain |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Spain Egypt |
| Wars | Ifni War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1951 |
| Produced | 1951-1958 |
| No. built | 10,508 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9.10 kg (20.06 lb) |
| Length | 1,180 mm (46.5 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.92×57mm Mauser 7.62×51mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, tilting breechblock |
| Rate of fire | 600-650 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 850 m/s (2,789 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1,000 m (1,100 yd) |
| Feed system | 20-round detachable box magazine |
History
In 1943, Francoist Spain ordered 7.92×57mm Mauser ZB vz. 30 machine guns to the German-occupied Zbrojovka Brno but received only 100 guns. It was decided to produce a copy in Oviedo. The first prototype was built in 1951 and production began. 10.508 were produced until 1958 and Egypt received 700 of them.[2] Some were modified in 1959 to use a 7.62×51mm NATO 50-round belt loaded in a drum.[3] This modified variant, sometimes used on a tripod, was known as the FAO Model 59.[1]
Service
The FAO was nicknamed Pepito[2] and saw service during the Ifni War against the Moroccan Army of Liberation. It was replaced by the MG 42/59 (MG1).[4]
References
- Smith 1969, p. 547.
- "Fusil Ametrallador Oviedo (FAO): otro capítulo más de nuestra gloriosa historia armera". arma.es (in Spanish). 24 March 2017.
- Smith 1969, p. 548.
- Canales Torres, Carlos; del Rey Vicente, Miguel (2010). Breve historia de la Guerra de Ifni-Sáhara (in Spanish). Nowtilus. p. 241. ISBN 9788497639712.
- Smith, Joseph E. (1969). Small Arms of the World (11 ed.). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The Stackpole Company.
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