Notes: The WZ-30 is sort of a copy of the Browning M-1917, but has several differences from that machinegun. First, the WZ-30 is chambered for 8mm Mauser instead of .30-06 Springfield. The barrel and water-filled barrel jacket is lengthened to allow longer range fire; the barrel is 28.35 inches, with a conical flash suppressor. The diopter-type rear sight is replaced by a simpler open-notch sight. Further changes were made to decrease (real-life) cost and suit Polish manufacturing methods. A lighter 26-kilogram tripod was developed (the one for the Browning M-1917 weighs 29 kg). Fire is possible only from the bipod; the WZ-30, like the Browning, has only a simple pistol grip, and also has no trigger guard. The belt is non-disintegrating.

The WZ-30/39T was an export version made for Turkey, and was chambered for 7.65mm Mauser. In addition, the pistol grip and trigger were replaced by spade grips and a butterfly trigger.

Notes: The name "NSW Utios" will probably sound familiar to most of the readers of these pages – that’s because the NSW Utios is essentially an identical Polish copy of the Russian NSV Utyos heavy machinegun, except for minor changes to suit local manufacturing methods; the parts are even interchangeable.

The reason I have included the NSW Utios here is not because of the standard version – it’s because of its latest variant, which is believed to have been developed to help with ammunition commonality now that Poland is a part of NATO, and to make the weapon more attractive to export customers. This version is known as the WKM-B Utios, and it is also for the most part identical to the NSV – except that it is chambered for the .50 Browning Machinegun round, and has a number of changes to the mechanism of the weapon to enable the WKM-B to fire that cartridge.

As with most weapons of this type, both versions can be fired only from a tripod, pintle, or vehicle mount.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The WKM-B does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Notes: This Polish heavy machinegun fires the 14.5 KPV round. It is essentially a KPV machinegun mounted on a heavy tripod for use as a heavy support weapon. As the KPV is normally fired electrically, the Pirat has been modified to allow it to fire mechanically. Normally the sights of a PK machinegun are employed, but the Pirat is often seen with optical sights. The Pirat is normally served by a crew of three, and can be broken into three or four loads for transport. It takes about 5 minutes to ready the Pirat for action from its broken-down state. The Pirat may only be fired from the tripod or a vehicle mount.