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Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 52/57


Light Machine Gun (LMG) / Infantry Support Weapon


Czechoslovakia | 1952



"The Czech vz. 52/57 might have been a more respectable light machine gun system if not for Soviet involvement."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 52/57. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
2,625 ft
800.1 m | 875.0 yds
Max.Eff.Range
1,000
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
2,500 ft/sec
762 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity
Physical
The physical qualities of the Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 52/57. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
1,045 mm
41.14 in
O/A Length
583 mm
22.95 in
Barrel Length
17.53 lb
7.95 kg
Weight
Gas-Operated; Select-Fire
Action
7.6x45mm / 7.62x39mm M43 (model dependent)
Caliber(s)
25-Round Detachable Box OR 50-Round Belt Feed
Feed
Iron Front and Rear
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 52/57 Light Machine Gun (LMG) / Infantry Support Weapon family line.
vz. 52 - Original model pattern chambered for 7.62x45mm.
vz. 52/57 - Subsequent model rechambered for 7.62x39mm.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/07/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Introduced in the period following World War 2 (1939-1945), the Czechoslovakian vz. 52 series light machine gun saw use in limited numbers. It was intended as a light support weapon for the Czech Army and thusly chambered for the local Czech 7.62x45mm rimless rifle cartridge which produced the vz. 52 designation. However, Soviet pressure - in an effort to have allied armies utilize a single cartridge for logistical reasons - soon forced a change to the more universal Soviet 7.62x39 M43 rifle cartridge instead - giving rise to the vz. 52/57 designator of 1957. The resulting design proved to be a mixed success - sound Czech engineering forced to use an unwanted foreign cartridge.

Firing from either a 25-round detachable box magazine or a 50-round belt feed, the machine gun maintained many features of the original ZB vz. 30 model of the World War 2 period. A specially-designed trigger allowed the operator to achieve single-shot or full-automatic fire rate based on the pressure placed on it. The weapon weighed 17.5lb and featured a length of 41 inches. A carrying handle set atop the barrel aided in transporting the weapon as well as changing an overheated barrel. Rate-of-fire was up to 1,150 rounds-per-minute based on the gas setting. Range was out to 2,800 meters.

The Vz. 52/57 series was in service from 1962 until 1964 with about 8,000 examples being produced out of the Zbrojovka factory of storied Brno. The Czech Army eventually replaced their vz. 52/57 stocks with the "Universal Machine Gun" Model of 1959 - otherwise known as the "vz. 59". This weapon continues in service today (2016) and saw combat exposure during the Vietnam War (1955-1975).

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 52/57. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka - Czechoslovakia
National flag of Czechia National flag of North Korea

[ Czechoslovakia; North Korea ]
Going Further...
The Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 52/57 Light Machine Gun (LMG) / Infantry Support Weapon appears in the following collections:
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