Notes: A
contemporary of the Strapoc BH (below), the Blyskawica (translates to
“Lightning”) was another home-grown submachinegun used by Polish resistance
forces during World War 2, and was a bit more polished and numerous weapon among
Polish resistance fighters than the BH.
Often mistakenly referred to as a version of the Sten, the Blyskawica was
actually an original design of two mechanical engineers, Waclaw Zawrotny and
Seweryn Wielanier, neither of whom had any prior experience with small arms
design. It was designed in 1942 and began production in 1943 in small machine
shops around Poland, and used by Polish resistance forces throughout World War
2; the primary users were the defenders and resistance fighters in Warsaw.
The designers attempted to combine the best features of the German MP-40
and the British Sten, and do it while keeping the design as simple as possible.
Most Blyskawicas were destroyed after the war, but several made into
museums, and some are in the hands of private collectors.
Construction
looked crude, but the Blyskawica was actually a designed that was fairly refined
considering the circumstances of manufacture.
The Blyskawica is comprised almost entirely of machined steel, but for
the most parts, the barrels of Stens no longer useable were used at first – it
was easier for the Home Guard than trying to produce their own barrels, and
allowed them to manufacture the Blyskawica much faster.
Later, shops were available to produce the barrels indigenously, using
the Sten barrels as a pattern. The first prototypes encountered many problems as
the designers refined their creation, but eventually they had a working product
and production commenced.
Production was somewhat complicated by the need for secrecy, and in Warsaw
alone, the parts were manufactured in over 20 places to keep the Germans from
catching on to what they were doing. Assembly
was done in the basement of a Roman Catholic Church in Grzybowski Square.
The total number produced is unsure, but believed to be about 755.
Operation is
straight, simple blowback, firing from an open bolt.
The breech block and bolt are quite heavy to slow the cyclic rate and
because making it that way was easier. (They are based on those of the MP-40,
but reversed). Construction looks spindly, but is actually quite strong; the
receiver is a simple steel tube (usually plumbing pipe), with a magazine well
spot welded to it. A perforated barrel jacket covers from half the barrel. The
Blyskawica had a wooden, checkered pistol grip, and a simple folding stock that
folds under the receiver and behind the magazine well.
Internal parts were kept to a minimum to ease production and facilitate
field stripping and maintenance by inexperienced persons; they were usually
greatly simplified versions of the parts of an MP-40 or Sten. The most
complicated part, the trigger mechanism, was designed as a single package that
could be inserted directly into the underside of the receiver.
Nonetheless, field stripping, though easy in concept, was tedious, since
the Blysawica was held together by a number of screws, bolts, and threadings;
there was also a danger of accidentally losing parts because of this.
The magazines are simple rectangular halves with a zig-zag follower
spring; Sten magazines could also be used.
The 7.76-inch barrel is fully interchangeable with a Sten’s barrel
(specifically, the barrel of a Mark 3), but quality was often dependant on what
materials were available. The
Blyskawica had only an manual trigger safety that prevents the weapon from
accidentally firing if dropped or bumped, but that safety was prone to failures.
The Blyskawica also has no selector mechanism of any kind – it simply
fires when the trigger is pulled.
(The low cyclic rate of 450 rpm makes squeezing off single shots easy, however.)
The sights are the worst part of the Blyskawica; they consist of a simple
aperture rear sight and a fixed inverted V-shaped blade which, while designed
for 100 meters, are poorly designed and were usually badly aligned.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This is another example of the sort of homemade weapon that can be
expected from simple machine shops in the Twilight 2000 timeline.
It is presented here as such an example.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
Blyskawica |
9mm Parabellum |
3.83 kg |
32 |
$301 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
Blyskawica |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/4 |
1 |
2 |
20 |
Lucznik PM-63 Rak
Notes: The PM-63
(also known as the Wz. 63) is basically a large automatic pistol in
construction. It is meant to be a
light and handy weapon for vehicle crews, rear area troops, and senior command
personnel. Designed by famed Polish
weapon designer Piotr Wilniewczyc, the PM-63 was one of the first of the
PDW-type weapons to be mass-produced and issued on a large scale to troops.
The origin of the name by which the PM-63 is commonly known in Poland,
the Rak, is a bit of a mystery; some say it is an acronym for
Reczny Automat Komandsow (Commando
Hand-Held Automatic Weapon), but it is more likely that it is based on the
Polish slang word rakiem, meaning
cancer. Mr. Wilniewczyc was, during
most of the design process, fighting a losing struggle against cancer, and it
killed him before he could finish the PM-63.
(The weapon was actually finished by the rest of the design team he
assigned to the PM-63.) The PM-63
was (and may still be) used by Polish troops and police forces; other users
and/or former users include several Arab countries, Vietnam, Cambodia, the
former East Germany, and unfortunately some terrorist groups.
In addition, a version of the PM-63 was later supplied by China to other
countries (see below).
The method of
operation is very much like a Browning M-1903 modified for automatic fire and
made much larger. The trigger is
two stage; a light pull fires single shots, while a harder pull fires the weapon
on automatic. The bolt has been
given a little extra weight to help reduce the rate of fire to manageable
proportions. Most of the cyclic
rate reduction, however, is done by a weighted and spring-loaded rate reduction
mechanism.
The PM-63 has a
detachable folding stock as well as a folding plastic foregrip (though early
production models had no foregrip; versions without a foregrip could use the
butt of the folded stock as a foregrip).
Most production versions use a folding stock that has a buttplate that
pivots to fold under the weapon.
Aiming the weapon is virtually impossible in sustained fire, since the slide
carries the rear sight, and it moves back and forth (again, like a pistol).
However, the muzzle also has a simple “muzzle brake” of sorts at the end
of its 5.91-inch barrel; consisting of a simple extension of the frame, this
does little more than direct the muzzle blast upward, but does a decent job of
helping to reduce barrel climb (not enough, however, to count using the
Twilight 2000 v2.2 rules).
The device is also strong enough to allow the shooter to cock his weapon
one-handed by pushing it against a hard surface and shoving the weapon forward.
The PM-63 has a manual safety, but no fire selector; instead, the PM-63
uses a progressive trigger; if the trigger is pulled back to the first stop
(about halfway), the shooter gets semiautomatic fire.
Pulling the trigger completely back gives the shooter automatic fire.
The manual safety mechanism is somewhat unusual in that it allows the
slide and bolt to be locked fully back, halfway back (for stripping), or fully
forward.
A special
holster was also designed for use with the PM-63, though only the 15-round short
magazine would fit in the holster (the 15-round magazine fits flush inside the
pistol grip). 40-round magazines
for the PM-63 are relatively rare, as they are rather cumbersome in such a small
weapon and somewhat disliked by the troops.
There were a
limited amount of PM-63s designed for use by special operations and certain
espionage teams; this version had a threaded muzzle and omitted the spoon-shaped
muzzle brake. This allowed that
version of the PM-63 to accept a silencer.
This silencer was designed for use only with subsonic ammunition, and
standard Makarov ammunition will quickly destroy it.
In 1971, an
abortive attempt was made to produce an export version of the PM-63 chambered
for 9mm Parabellum ammunition, called the PM-70.
However, the hoped-for demand for the PM-70 never materialized, and only
20 of the PM-70s were actually built.
Another version, the PM-73, was chambered for .380 ACP, but also produced
only in a small evaluation batch and never placed into production. I have
included both below for curiosity’s sake and for completeness.
The PM-63 was produced in the 1980s and early 1990s in China (without a
license) and called the Type 82; the Chinese don’t appear to have used the Type
82, but politically-allied countries in Southeast and South Asia are known to
employ them (reputedly including Iran).
For game purposes, the Type 82 is identical to the PM-63.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
PM-63 |
9mm Makarov |
1.8 kg |
15, 25, 40 |
$304 |
PM-63 (SOF Version, w/o Silencer |
9mm Makarov |
1.8 kg |
15, 25, 40 |
$279 |
PM-63 (SOF Version, w/Silencer) |
9mm Makarov Subsonic |
2.35 kg |
15, 25, 40 |
$389 |
PM-70 |
9mm Parabellum |
1.81 kg |
15, 25, 40 |
$307 |
PM-73 |
.380 ACP |
1.77 kg |
15, 25, 40 |
$291 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
PM-63 |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/3 |
1 |
3 |
17 |
PM-63 (SOF, w/o Silencer) |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/3 |
1 |
3 |
17 |
PM-63 (SOF, w/Silencer) |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
3/4 |
1 |
3 |
14 |
PM-70 |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/3 |
1 |
3 |
17 |
PM-73 |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/3 |
1 |
3 |
16 |
PM-84/PM-84P Glauberyt
Notes: The PM-84
is a submachinegun designed in Poland around 1981, and final modifications and
production of the weapon began in 1984 as part of a program to replace the aging
PM-63. The design was simplified;
part of the model used for production was the Israeli Uzi.
The PM-84 is made of sheet metal stampings, thus keeping the cost of
production low. The PM-84P model is
a slightly wider and heavier model, due to the chambering being in 9mm
Parabellum. Both models are
equipped with an effective wire stock, but the Glauberyt is also quite well
balanced and can be fired effectively with one hand or held with two hands like
a heavy pistol instead of a submachinegun.
The PM-84 is used not only by the Polish military, but also the Polish
police. The export model has been
widely available for law enforcement use (and in a semiautomatic version for
civilians). Both models have
threaded barrels to accept the use of a suppressor.
The light bolt might normally cause a runaway rate of fire, but the
Glauberyt uses a weighted rate reducer to keep the cyclic rate down to 600 rpm
(the PM-84P has a slightly higher rate of fire at 640 rpm).
Standard magazines for the Polish military are 15 and 25 rounds; 20-round
magazines are made mostly for export and for special purposes.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The PM-84P was produced only in very small numbers.
Merc 2000 Notes:
These weapons have sold extremely well on the international arms market.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
PM-84 |
9mm Makarov |
2.07 kg |
15, 20, 25 |
$294 |
PM-84P |
9mm Parabellum |
2.17 kg |
15, 20, 25 |
$297 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
PM-84 |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/3 |
1 |
4 |
20 |
PM-84P |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/3 |
1 |
3 |
19 |
PM-98/PM-98S
Notes: This is a
development of the Glauberyt. They
are basically PM-84s chambered only for 9mm Parabellum, and with mounts for a
very wide variety of sights and other attachments.
The difference between the PM-98 and PM-98S is the rate of fire: 640 rpm
for the PM-98 and 770 rpm for the PM-98S.
This has no practical effect on game play; GMs might allow an extra die
of bullets (and ammunition usage) and perhaps have the PM-98S wear out a little
faster or require more maintenance.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This weapon does not exist in the Twilight 2000 World.
Merc 2000 Notes:
These weapons have sold as well as the PM-84 and PM-84P.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
PM-98/98P |
9mm Parabellum |
2.3 kg |
15, 20, 25 |
$297 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
PM-98/98P |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2/4 |
1 |
3 |
20 |
Strapoc BH
Notes: This
weapon is a good example of what weapons one can come up with when you have
limited facilities, materials, and means.
Henryk Strapoc was the son of a blacksmith in the Kielce region of
Poland, and when his uncle brought home a rather cheap Spanish .25 ACP pistol
knockoff in 1937, when he was only 15, he was fascinated by it, as he already a
budding mechanical genius. His
uncle never let him fire it, so he disassembled it on the sly, made drawings,
and then made his own copy. (He got
in trouble with the local authorities over that, but that didn’t stop him from
making three more pistols and a revolver before 1939.)
Strapoc found
himself a member of the Polish Resistance when the Nazis invaded, and the
Soviets gobbled up the rest of Poland.
Naturally, he became a gunsmith for the Resistance. He spent a lot of
time fixing and maintaining firearms that were becoming quickly worn out.
Sometime around 1942, he began work on an easy-to-build weapon: the BH.
This would be a submachinegun, designed to fight against reprisal raids
by German units. It looked crude,
and was not produced in large numbers, but supposedly worked quite well.
This was before the SOE began airdropping weapons and ammunition into
Poland, and the Resistance had to rely on their own abilities and ingenuity to
procure weapons. Automatic weapons
were always hard to get a hold of, and harder to keep in working order.
Operation was by blowback; in fact, it worked much like a large pistol,
including a long slide at the top of the receiver that recoiled back over the
back of the weapon. Construction was all steel, almost all of it milled, ground,
etc, because it was easier in a small, ad-hoc shop than stampings.
Considerable use was also made of parts from various weapons which were
no longer combat-worthy, particularly in the area of barrels; barrels could vary
in length, but most were the neighborhood of 9.5 inches.
The BH was capable of both semiautomatic and automatic fire. Most
magazines were also built by Strapoc and his fellow gunsmiths.
The BH was stockless in configuration.
Most BH’s were
destroyed in combat or after the war by the Pro-Soviet Polish government.
Today, only one example exists, and it has been deactivated so that it
can no longer fire.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
BH |
9mm Parabellum |
2.43 kg |
32 |
$296 |
BH |
7.62mm Tokarev |
2.43 kg |
32 |
$261 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
BH (9mm) |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
1 |
3 |
25 |
BH (7.62mm) |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
2 |
1 |
3 |
19 |