*Yugoslavian, Post War, Medium Machine Gun, MG 42/53, with Bipod, Inerts & Ammo Box, Deactivated*
Serial Number R52557, 7.92 Cal., 550mm Barrel
An excellent piece, fully strippable which cocks and dry fires. Comes complete with bipod, inerta and ammo box. As seen in the pictures the MG is serial numbered R-52557 on the top underneath the crest “СФРЈ” of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (established 1971) and on the frame. The stock has two numbers – the larger 68133, the smaller indistinctly reads 23390. The stamp on the frame reads “7.9 M53 R-52557 ПРЕДУЗЕЋЕ 44″ (Enterprise 44).
The German MG 42, developed during WW2, gained fame as a general-purpose machine gun due to its remarkable rate of fire and reliability. Its innovative design featured a quick-change barrel and a roller-delayed blowback mechanism. Post-war, the MG 42’s blueprint served as the foundation for West Germany’s MG 1, MG 2, and MG 3 machine guns. In Yugoslavia, the MG 42 design was adopted after the war, resulting in a modified version known as the MG 53 by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). The MG 53, tailored to local manufacturing capabilities and needs, preserved many features of the original MG 42, including its high rate of fire and belt-fed mechanism. Chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, it also retained the quick-change barrel characteristic. The MG 53 served in the Yugoslav People’s Army and other armed forces using Yugoslav weaponry, witnessing action in numerous conflicts until Yugoslavia’s dissolution in the 1990s. Though not as globally renowned as the MG 42, the MG 53 epitomizes the Yugoslav adaptation of a successful German design. It is also known as the Zastava M53, with Zastava Arms being a prominent manufacturer of this machine gun in Yugoslavia.
*Condition*
Old spec, deactivated, fully strippable, which cocks and dry fires. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
RQMACOOXADEO_9794149615
This machine gun is also available with the MG 53 Lafette Tripod.
