Zastava M53

Description

At the end of World War Two, Yugoslavian (state owned) weapons company Zavodi Crvena Zastava started to produce their own version of the German MG 42 belt-fed machine gun.

This MG 42 variant would be known as the Zastava M53 and unlike other variants such as the West German/Bundeswehr’s MG3 and Austrian MG74 which were rechambered to the new 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, the M53 retained the original wartime 7.92×57mm calibre.

The likely reasons that they opted to retain this 7.92 calibre are that ultimately they acquired the original German machinery, they had large stockpiles of wartime ammunition (with plenty more available from the former allied powers) and they also had a cache of captured MG 42’s which were in use by their reserve forces. So to have near identical weaponry in service using different cartridges would have no doubt proven to be a logistical/supply nightmare.

Like its predecessor, the M53 could be fired from either its fixed bipod, or with the aid of a tripod and optical sight, it could be utilized in a sustained/in-direct fire role. The only noticeable difference between the two was the reduced rate of fire, the MG 42 was 1,200 rounds/minute, whereas the M53 was limited to 950 rounds/minute.

The M53 was used by Yugoslavian forces up until 1999, however due to exports in the 1980’s a number were used by Iraq in during their conflicts with Iran and the West.