Zbrojovka ZB vz. 37 (ZB-53)

History

In order to find a more suitable and reliable single chamber heavy machine gun (HMG) to effectively fire the 7.92mm bullet, the Czechs worked to develop a more advanced machine gun before WWII Ten years (1939-1945). There is ZB vz.

The 50 point didn't bring the desired result, followed closely by the ZB vz. 52 (guns are recoil-operated and gas-operated, respectively). Trials of ZB vz. 53 were available in 1934, including some design improvements that eventually led to the related ZB vz.

35 were selected for official military service. Limited editions followed.

From this work, a new and improved design emerged, called ZB vz. 37 in 1936. The first form features a tripod base with a spade handle for infantry-level service. Then followed by a vehicle gun as ZB vz. The 37UV and this gun carry a full stock and pistol grip. ZB vz.

The 37O was the third of three versions and was used to defend the fort, so there was a trunnion mount attachment point.

At the heart of the weapon is an air-cooled, pneumatic, fully automatic system. The locking system is based on a tilting block arrangement. Chambering for rimless Mauser 7.92x57mm cartridges fed by 100 or 200 metal chain straps. The cyclic rate of fire reaches 750 rounds per minute, while the muzzle velocity is estimated at 2,600 feet per second, giving it good penetration at range.

The overall length is 1,105mm and the barrel is 678mm long. A conical muzzle flash suppressor is mounted on the muzzle, and iron sights are mounted on the top of the gun, front and rear. Cooling fins detail the barrel section, as does the slotted front end.

ZB vz. The 37 was put into practical use before World War II, and Romania became one of the biggest recipients of Czech developments, followed by orders from China and Iran.

The UK also continued the product, eventually adopting (through local production) as the classic "BESA" line of vehicle-mounted machine guns. Other operators were found in Afghanistan, Chile, Peru, Slovakia and Yugoslavia.

Following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the munitions factory in Bren fell under German control, which meant that the machine gun was put into service by the Conquistadors and appropriately renamed "Schwere Maschinengewehre 37(t)". In 1941, the manufacture of the weapon was transferred to Vsetin, but the demand from the Germans for their own standardized weapons was so great that Czech shops were forced to switch to German production - which ultimately reduced the production of the ZB vz.

37 series before the end of the war.

The weapon was in full use and mass-manufactured after the war. Eventually, a simplified tripod was introduced, replacing the original version - which was deemed unnecessarily complicated.

Specification

BASIC

Years of Service

1936

Origins

Czechoslovakia

Categories

Heavy Machine Gun (HMG)

Manufacturer

Zbrojovka Brno - Czechoslovakia

Operators

Afghanistan; Chile; China; Czechoslovakia; Iran; Nazi Germany; Peru; Romania; Slovakia; United Kingdom (BESA); Vietnam; Yugoslavia

Roles

Fire Support

Ability to suppress enemy elements at a distance using direct or indirect fire.

Air Defense

Able to attack low-flying threats from the air.

Dimensions and Weight

Overall Length

1,105 mm

43. 50 inches

Run Length

678mm

26. 69 inches

Cured weight

41.01 lbs

18.60 kg

Attractions

Before and after ironing.

Action

Gas powered; fully automatic only; belt fed

Automatic

Bullets are automatically ejected from the breech, new bullets are removed from the chuck and inserted into the chamber, and the bullets will fire continuously as long as the trigger is pulled and ammunition is supplied.

Gas Power

proposes a pneumatic system that typically consists of a cylinder and a rear drive piston that directs power to the bolt assembly.

Cartridges and Paper Feeds

Caliber*

7. 92x57mm Mauser

Circle/Feed

100 or 200 round metal chain straps.

Performance

Rate of fire

650

Number of revolutions

Mile speed

2,600 ft/s

(792 m/s)

variant

vz. 37 - Base serial number vz. 37 (ZB-53) - Infantry model with spade grip and heavy tripod; early models with tripod ZB308, later models with tripod ZB309. vz. 37UV - Vehicle weapon; stock and pistol grip installed. vz. 37O - Fortification model; trunnion mounted.

Heavy Machine Gun 37(t) - Designation of the Bundeswehr. "BESA" - British Army designation; vehicle-mounted machine gun; local production and variants.