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ZB-53 / vz. 37

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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ZB 53 / vz. 37 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

The ZB-53 or vz.37 air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun was manufactured by the Czechoslovak arms ZB factory. It was a gas-operated, automatic-only weapon (with a selectable rate of fire), which fires from an open bolt. The ZB-53 uses belt feed, from non-disintegrating steel belts which are fed from the right side only. The ZB-53 was issued with tripods of several designs.

These machine guns were also mounted into tanks by various nations like the Czech LT vz. 35 and LT vz. 38, the German Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) and Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) and most British tank designs of the WW2 period. The British Birmingham Small Arms Company manufactured a licensed modification of the tank version of ZB-53 named the Besa Machine Gun. It also served in large quantities in the German Army of WW2 under the designation MG 37(t) (infantry tripod and tank version).

  • ZB-53: The original name of the manufacturer.
  • vz.37: Name adopted by the Czechoslovak Army. It is no different from the original.
  • MG 37(t): Versions taken over by the German Army and deployed to service. It is no different from the original.
  • Besa: British versions of the machine gun. 3 versions were created. (Mk.1/Mk.2/Mk.3). Photos of all versions can be seen on the talk page.


Specifications

  • Caliber: 7.92x57mm Mauser
  • Weight: 21 kg (41.9 lb) gun + 17.5 (38.6 lb) tripod
  • Length: 1096 mm (43.1 in)
  • Barrel length: 733 mm (28.9 in)
  • Rate of fire: Selectable, 500 or 700-800 rpm
  • Capacity: 100 or 200 rounds belt


The ZB-53 / vz. 37 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:


Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Ivan Nikulin: Russian Sailor (Ivan Nikulin - Russkiy Matros) German soldiers and Soviet sailors 1944
Little Partisan (Malý partyzán) Czechoslovak soldier 1950
Action B (Akce B) Czechoslovak soldiers 1952
The Unconquered (Neporazení) Jirí Sovák Pvt. Jarda Mounted in the bunker loopholes 1958
Hell Is for Heroes German soldiers Stock footage 1962
At Your Threshold (U Tvoyego Poroga) German troops Mounted in Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank 1964
Cast a Giant Shadow Haganah troops mounted on Haganah jeeps 1966
Judith Haganah troops 1966
Revenge (Revansa) Seen in the weapon room 1978
Go and Don't Say Goodbye (Chod a nelúc sa) German soldiers 1979
Signum Laudis Vlado Müller Cpl. Hoferik Mocked as Schwarzlose M.07/12 1980
Russian soldiers Mocked as Maxim M1910
Until the End (Až do konce) Vítezslav Jandák SS-Scharführer Otto 1984
Eduard Cupák SS-Hauptsturmführer
Daniel Netušil Sigi
Romeo Must Die Chinese prison guard 2000
Hart's War German soldiers 2002
Deathwatch German soldiers Mocked up as Maxim MG08 2002
Our Own (Svoi) German troops Mounted in Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank 2004
The Red Baron German soldiers Mocked up as Maxim MG08 2008
Lieutenant Suvorov German troops Mounted on Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank; possibly mockups 2009
Stalingrad German soldiers 2013
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Seen in armory 2019

Television

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Interpreter (Perevodchik) German soldiers 2014
Snow and Ashes (Sneg i pepel) Antonis Shamanidi Aslan Bodoev 2015
A German soldier

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Note Date
Hidden & Dangerous 2 2003
Forgotten Hope 2 MG37(t) Mounted in Marder III 2006
Heroes & Generals MG37(t) Mounted in Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. E 2016
Post Scriptum "ZB-53" Mounted in Panzer 38(t) 2018
Battlefield V MG37(t) MG37(t); mounted on German Panzer 38 (T) 2018
Enlisted MG37(t) Mounted on Pz.38 (t) F tanks 2021
Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront MG37(t) Mounted on Pz.38 (t) F tanks 2021

Anime

Anime Title Character Note Date
Girls und Panzer Panzer 38(t) ZB-53 2012 - 2013
Girls und Panzer: This is the Real Anzio Battle! Panzer 38(t) ZB-53 2014
Girls und Panzer das Finale: Part 2 Panzer 38(t) ZB-53 2019

Besa Machine Gun

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Besa Mark 2 tank machine gun - 7.92x57mm Mauser

The Besa machine gun was developed in Czechoslovakia and was used by the British Army during the Second World War. Great Britain agreed with Zbrojovka Brno on the licensed reproduction of two weapons. One was the Bren light machine gun and the other was a heavy machine gun that corresponded to the Czech ZB vz. 37. BESA is derived from the pronounced abbreviation BSA of the manufacturer Birmingham Small Arms Company.

While the light Bren could be converted to the British ordnance cartridge .303 British, this was not possible with the Besa. The ammunition belts and the loading mechanism would have had to be converted to the British rimfire cartridge. The original 7.92 mm Mauser caliber with its rimless case therefore had to be retained. This cartridge was the standard ammunition of the Czechoslovakian army, as well as that of the German Wehrmacht. A special factory was built in Great Britain to ensure the supply of ammunition for this weapon. In order to limit the logistical problems, the Besa was only issued to the armored forces, but not to the infantry. A total of around 60,000 were produced.

The Besa-MG is a gas-operated loader. In contrast to other weapons of this type, the barrel is not rigidly mounted but slides back slightly after the shot. The subsequent forward movement of the barrel is synchronized with the release of the next shot in such a way that the forces roughly cancel each other out. As a result, the recoil is comparatively low, making the weapon easy to control and precise.

There is also an extra-heavy machine gun in 15x104 mm caliber, also known as the Besa. Technically, it is quite similar to the 7.92 mm version, but the 15 mm variant is more than 2 meters long and weighs almost three times as much at 57 kg.


The Besa Machine Gun and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:


Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Paratrooper British troops Mounted on Daimler Armoured Car 1953
A Hill in Korea Mounted in Centaur tank 1956
Gorgo British troops Mounted on Daimler Armoured Car 1961

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Note Date
Call of Duty 2 Mounted on Crusader tanks 2005
Company of Heroes Mounted on British tanks 2006
Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 Mounted on Cromwell Mk IV 2006
Company of Heroes 2 Mounted on British Tanks 2013
Sniper Elite III Mounted on British Matilda Tanks 2014
Call of Duty: WWII Mounted on a British Light Tank Mk VI 2017
Post Scriptum "Besa" Used in British armor 2018
Battlefield V Mounted on British Tanks 2018
Call of Duty: Vanguard Mounted on Crusader tanks 2021
Enlisted Mounted on British tanks 2021
Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront Mounted on British tanks 2021

Anime

Anime Title Character Note Date
Girls und Panzer Mounted on Churchill and Matilda Tanks 2012 - 2013
Girls und Panzer: der Film Mounted on Churchill, Crusader and Matilda tanks 2015
Witch Craft Works Ep. 08; mounted in Churchill Mk IV 2014
Girls und Panzer das Finale: Part 2 Churchill and Matilda Tanks 2019

See Also

  • Zbrojovka Brno - A list of all firearms manufactured by Zbrojovka Brno.