ZB-53

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
ZB-53, Vz.37
7.9 mm
ActionGas-operated
Rate of fire500–800 round/min
Feed system225-round metal link belt

The ZB-53 was a

German invasion of Czechoslovakia, large quantities of the weapon were captured by the Wehrmacht
and used during the war under the designation of MG 37(t).

History

The ZB-53 was designed as a private venture by

LT-38 tanks. Czechoslovakia exported the gun to Romania, Yugoslavia (1,000 pcs in March-April 1940), Argentina, Afghanistan, Iran and China (large numbers were used during the Second Sino-Japanese War[3]), while UK bought a licence and started to produce its own version, known as the Besa machine gun (over 60,000 pieces made). During the German occupation of the factory, large numbers were produced for the Waffen-SS until 1942.[4]

Czechoslovak Zbrojovka Brno and then Zbrojovka Vsetín [de] produced the gun in large quantities until the 1950s.[citation needed]

The weapon was a gas-operated, belt-fed, air-cooled machine gun that served both the infantry support and vehicle weapons roles. The machine gun was delivered in three variants: infantry machine gun (on heavy tripod), heavy bunker machine gun (with heavier barrel, marked "O") and for armoured vehicles (marked "ÚV"). It was designed to withstand five minutes of constant fire, after which time the barrel had to be changed due to wear. Although modern, the weapon was prone to jamming due to a complicated rate of fire selection mechanism.[citation needed]

Users

Reenactment of Czechoslovakian soldiers with ZB vz. 37

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "TK" stands for "těžký kulomet", heavy machine gun, while "vz" means "vzor", Model

References

  1. ^ a b "Arms for freedom". 29 December 2017. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  2. ^ Popenker, Maxim (27 October 2010), "ZB 53 / Vz.37", Modern Weapons
  3. ISBN 9781782004073
    .
  4. ^ "MG 37 (t) & VZ 37 & ZB 53". iwm.org.uk. Imperial War Museum.
  5. ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0
    .
  6. ISBN 978-1472816092
    .
  7. ^ a b c d e f Popenker, Maxim (27 October 2010). "ZB 53 / Vz.37". modernfirearms.net.
  8. ^ Rob Krott (April 2000). "The Bay of Pigs Museum: Playa Giron, Cuba". Small Arms Review. Vol. 3, no. 7. Chipotle Publishing. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  9. ISBN 9780811715669
    .
  10. ISBN 9780850454505
    .
  11. ^ "Their Blood Waters our Freedom". Youtube.com. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  12. ISBN 9781855321564
    .
  13. ^ Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 29
  14. ^ Alejos Cutuli, Félix A. (May 2012). "La Coruña Military Museum". Small Arms Review SAW.
  • Andrzej Ciepliński; Ryszard Woźniak (1994). "Encyklopedia współczesnej broni palnej: Od połowy XIX wieku". Encyklopedia współczesnej broni palnej (in Polish). Warsaw: WiS.
    ISBN 83-86028-01-7
    .

External links

Media related to ZB vz. 37 at Wikimedia Commons

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