Samostril Netsch: Bizarre Prototype Czech Automatic Rifle (Ad-free)
Added 2024-10-02 12:00:02 +0000 UTCWhen Czechoslovakia began looking for new small arms in the early 1920s, one of the things they were interested in was a "samostřil" - something akin to the automatic rifle in English. A select-fire weapon intended to be fired from the shoulder or hip - heavier than a basic rifle but lighter than a machine gun. This was a category of small arm briefly popular, and a few were adopted by different countries, with the most obvious being the US BAR (also the French Chauchat and the Russian Federov).
A Slovakian gunsmith by the name of Josef Netsch developed a self-loading system that he demonstrated to the Czechoslovakian military in December 1921 as a plain rifle, and was asked to submit in automatic rifle form. He received an order for 25 of these samostřil, and the competed in early 1923 for military contract against Hotchkiss and Krnka designs. His design was quite complex. It used a rotating bolt operated by a forward-moving gas trap system. Netsch lost out quickly, as his sample in the tests broke after just 23 rounds.
Ultimately, the "samostřil" type of weapon was scrapped by the military in favor of a light machine gun along the lines of what because typical. Neither of the other leading designs in that 1923 trial were adopted either, as continued development eventually led to the ZB26 by Vaclev Holek.
Thanks to the Czech Military History Institute (VHU) for graciously giving me access to this very cool piece to film for you! If you have the opportunity, don't miss seeing their museums in Prague:
https://www.vhu.cz/en/english-summary/
Comments
Very interesting design.
P Adams
2024-10-20 19:09:33 +0000 UTCVery niche. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Steven Minniear
2024-10-06 03:34:05 +0000 UTCa perfect example of "just because it's complicated and unnecessary doesn't mean it isn't cool."
WayneWiiki
2024-10-04 23:26:31 +0000 UTCSorry, 8mm Mauser.
Forgotten Weapons
2024-10-03 00:52:52 +0000 UTCWOW thanks Ian another absolutely fascinating firearm. Thanks again for these videos
Todd cole
2024-10-03 00:34:23 +0000 UTCI am somewhat deaf , so I may have missed the caliber these were chambered for. Pardon me please ,what was it?
Daniel Standridge
2024-10-02 21:25:14 +0000 UTCThe gas trap action resembles the older Snabb system, but the forward-backward ratchet is much better designed. I'd love to shoot this, to hear the bang-clonk-chunk of the action.
Risto Alanko
2024-10-02 16:58:00 +0000 UTCThe third hand came in handy with the gas system so long.
Claus
2024-10-02 14:42:13 +0000 UTClooks to be well made. and just as heavy as a bar. damned I need to revisit that city. magazin seems rather compact for what it is.
Guido Schriewer
2024-10-02 14:24:18 +0000 UTCLooks like the receiver is vary complicated to machine.
Beverly Chmelik
2024-10-02 14:23:00 +0000 UTCI really like every Czech design I have seen, weird but cool, my VZ 52 is easily in the top 5 of my collection.
Steven Sorensen
2024-10-02 14:02:53 +0000 UTCBe cool if there was documented test fire of the delivered examples, including user impressions: What's it like to fire a fully auto weapon that barfs its innards forward and then swallows them?
ViejoLobo
2024-10-02 13:54:54 +0000 UTCThank you for the video. As always a fascinating candidate. I cannot say just why but with the shroud removed that clockwork machine with the metal left mostly in the white is oddly appealing. Perhaps it is giving off strong steam-punk vibes. I can imagine running it without the shroud and gases streaming out of various holes and one can imagine a rather solid "CHUNK" impulse with each time the mechanism slams forward and then back. I would very much like to see slow motion of it in action. Peaceful Skies
Mark H. Smith
2024-10-02 13:51:50 +0000 UTCIn overall general, broad strokes form, it reminds me a lot of the 1941 Johnson, even though this predates it
scott pochini
2024-10-02 12:19:33 +0000 UTC
