Original Item: Only One Available. This rare excellent condition MG 37(t) (v.z. 37) display machine gun, built from original parts and constructed on a legal non-firing BATF compliant non-firing display receiver, making this a 100% legal display Sub-Machine gun. This receiver was created by using portions of the original torch cut receiver, including the barrel bushing, combined with some new made steel portions. It has properly had a 25% section of the total length completely replaced entirely with solid steel bar stock. Meaning a 1/4 length section of the display receiver is solid steel, making this totally legal to own without a license of any kind.

The In 1938 the Germans took over the part of Czechoslovakia called the "Sudetenland" with a high ethnic German population. Then in 1939 they took over the remainder, immediately pressing the famous Zbrojovka A.S. arms manufacturing plant in Brno into production for the German Army. For the next year or so full production was continued of Czech Models ZB 26, ZB 30 and ZB 37 all ended in 1941-2 when BRNO was tooled up to make the MG 34 which was Coded "dot" and became the biggest MG 34 manufacturer of all.

The MG 37 (t) was one of the finest medium machine guns in the world at the time being constructed almost as precisely as a Swiss watch. Apparently, it was a dream to shoot and was made to the highest of machining standards. Those already produced were pressed into service as the MG 37(t) after the German occupation started, and for a time new guns bore the new German designation. 

This is an extremely rare Czech-made German marked MG 37(t) display machine gun, rebuilt from all original parts, complete on an original early BRNO manufactured tripod set up for ground fire. We have had these before, and used to sell them as parts sets, but they were almost all Czech marked or Export marked. This one is actually German marked on the left side of the receiver:

To the right of this is a German Waffenamt Eagle over  WaA‾1‾, which as far as we can tell is correct. Next to the firing rate selector we see some additional interesting markings. The bottom is marked SCHNELL, German for "fast", but under this is REPEDE, which is ROMANIAN for "fast". The top is marked with NOR, probably short for NORMAL, and below this is INCET, Romanian for "slow". The top cover fire selector also has Romanian markings. Records show that 5,500 of these were purchased by Romania as of mid-1943, so this is most likely one of those, but produced during German Occupation. The MG 37(t) was also used by the Waffen SS, and these would have been perfect for one of the "foreign volunteer" divisions. Some fantastic research potential here!

The tripod also has some great markings on it, with serial number 10732 in the center under the cross head, with maker to the left:

ZBROJOVKA
BRNO A.S.

and what we assume is a model number to the right:

AFETUL
MD.308

"Afetul" is Romanian for "Carriage".

Condition of this set is really great, with the main issue on the display gun being that the top cover cross pin is hard to get back in, and also the left side grip does not properly lock into place, as the spring collar is missing. The tripod is also great, though for some reason we cannot get the elevation control to work at all. We presume there is some lock or other mechanism that is stuck.

This really is a fabulous set in museum grade condition, with some fantastic research potential. We have never had this type of German Marked MG 37 (t) before, and are unlikely to have another again! Ready to display!

More on the ZB vz 37 / MG 37(t) / ZB-53
The ZB-53 was a Czechoslovak machine gun. A versatile weapon, it was used both as a squad support weapon, as a mounted machine gun for tanks and other armoured vehicles, and on fixed positions inside Czechoslovak border fortifications. Adopted before World War II by the armies of Czechoslovakia (as Těžký kulomet vz. 37, heavy machine gun model 37) and Romania, it was also license-built in the United Kingdom as the Besa machine gun. Following the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, large quantities of the weapon were captured by the Wehrmacht and used during the war under the designation of MG 37(t).

History
The ZB-53 was designed as a private venture by Václav Holek and Miroslav Rolčík of the Zbrojovka Brno works as a replacement for the Schwarzlose machine gun of World War I origin. Czechoslovakia purchased 500 for testing giving them the designation Vz.35 ("1935 Model"). Based on these tests some improvements were requested and the improved ZB-53 was adopted by the Czechoslovak Army with the designation TK vz. 37 ("Heavy Machine Gun Mark 1937"). It was introduced as the standard machine gun of Czechoslovak LT-35 and LT-38 tanks. Czechoslovakia exported the gun to Romania, Yugoslavia (1,000 pcs in March-April 1940), Argentina, Afghanistan, Iran and China (large numbers were used during the Second Sino-Japanese War), while UK bought a license and started to produce its own version, known as the Besa machine gun (over 60,000 pieces made). During the German occupation of the factory, large numbers were produced for the Waffen-SS until 1942. Czechoslovak Zbrojovka Brno and then Zbrojovka Vsetín produced the gun in large quantities until the 1950s.

The weapon was a gas-operated, belt-fed, air-cooled machine gun that served both the infantry support and vehicle weapons roles. The machine gun was delivered in three variants: infantry machine gun (on heavy tripod), heavy bunker machine gun (with heavier barrel, marked "O") and for armored vehicles (marked "ÚV"). It was designed to withstand five minutes of constant fire, after which time the barrel had to be changed due to wear. Although modern, the weapon was prone to jamming due to a complicated rate of fire selection mechanism.