M-53

Notes: This Czech weapon is a quad mount for the DShK machinegun on a wheeled mount. It may be towed or carried on a light truck. By the Twilight War, this weapon was used only in a reserve role by Czechoslovakia and Egypt, but was widely used in Afghanistan for antiaircraft, antivehicle, and antipersonnel work, and also used by Cuba, Vietnam, and in several African nations. Three phases are required for setup from the towed role, and the M-53 normally uses a crew of 5-6.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

M-53

12.7mm Russian

(Total) 2.83 kg, (Carriage) 2.2 tons, (Gun and Mount) 628 kg

50 Belt (x4)

$45430

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

M-53 (Normal Ammo)

20

9

2-2-3

NA

**

**

324

M-53 (APDS Ammo)

20

9

1-1-1

NA

**

**

388

**This weapon is always mounted on a vehicle or field mounting and has negligible recoil in this state.

VZ-30

Notes: This very old light machinegun was still in use in many third-world nations by 2003, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia, where they had been held in reserve stocks. It is a pre-World War 2 design, and the British Bren series was based on the VZ-30 and its predecessors, the VZ-26 and VZ-27. Although it uses an outdated cartridge, and most of the VZ-30s encountered by 2000 are very old, they are still capable weapons due to excellent construction.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

VZ-30

8mm Mauser

9.69 kg

30

$2847

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

VZ-30

5

5

2-3-Nil

7

3

7

94

VZ-30 (Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

1

3

123

VZ-30 (Tripod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

1

2

189

VZ-59 Rachot

Notes: The VZ-52 was the standard GPMG of Czech and Slovakian forces until the entrance of the Czech Republic and Slovakia into NATO; since then, it has been supplanted by the VZ-68 version. Both are an improved version of an earlier machinegun, the VZ-52. The two can, in fact, be easily converted into each other by changing the barrel, breechblock, feed cover, cocking lever, feed pawl, and ejector (in other words, most of the guts of the weapon).

The VZ-59 in many ways typical for a post-World War 2 GPMG: gas operation, fairly light in weight, equipped both for bipod and tripod mounting, and like most Eastern-Bloc weapons of the time, constructed primarily of steel. Early models were built with a wood stock and pistol grip, but later versions of the VZ-59 (and almost all of the VZ-68 production) use a polymer stock and plastic pistol grip. The VZ-59 version fires 7.62mm Nagant cartridges from either a 50-round non-disintegrating metal link belt or a 250-round disintegrating link belt. The VZ-59 may be fitted with a 22.3-inch light barrel, used primarily when the VZ-59 is operating in a SAW/LMG role, or a 27.3-inch heavy barrel, generally used when the VZ-59 is operating as a GPMG (and normally when the VZ-59 is being used on a tripod or pintle mount). When fitted with the light barrel, the gun is known as the VZ-59-L; when used with the heavy barrel, it is known as the VZ-59-T. The tripod weighs 9.98 kilograms. The 50-round belt is normally used with the light barrel, while the 250-round belt is normally used with the heavy barrel, though either belt can be used with either barrel length. Both barrels have folding bipods with fixed-length legs and simple conical flash suppressors. Feed is also unusual, being from the right side of the gun. The VZ-59 also has a gas regulator (primarily to compensate for fouling during long periods of firing; this is a two-position regulator that, in another unusual feature, is regulated by moving the carrying handle. Sights consist of a front post adjustable for windage and elevation, and a rear V-notch type which is also adjustable for range. The VZ-59 can also be fitted with a 4x telescopic sight with an illuminated reticle, and can be equipped with Eastern-Bloc-type night-vision scopes.

Though the VZ-68 was developed in the late 1960s, at this time it was built primarily for export and found few takers (at the time). It is essentially a VZ-68 converted to fire 7.62mm NATO ammunition; as said above, the guts are different, and the VZ-68 is fed by standard NATO ammunition belts, but the VZ-59 and VZ-68 are otherwise essentially the same weapon. However, the sight mounts are different; the capability to mount a telescopic sight is retained, but the VZ-68 can also mount some NATO-type night vision devices and telescopic sights.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The VZ-68 is quite rare in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

VZ-59-L

7.62mm Nagant

8.67 kg

50 Belt, 250 Belt

$2487

VZ-59-T

7.62mm Nagant

9.25 kg

50 Belt, 250 Belt

$2611

VZ-68-L

7.62mm NATO

8.46 kg

50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt

$2359

VZ-68-T

7.62mm NATO

9.03 kg

50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt

$2516

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

VZ-59-L

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

7

78

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

1

3

101

(With Tripod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

1

1

156

VZ-59-T

5

4

2-3-Nil

8

3

7

97

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

8

1

3

126

(With Tripod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

8

1

1

194

VZ-68-L

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

3

7

73

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

1

3

95

(With Tripod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

7

1

1

146

VZ-68-T

5

4

2-3-Nil

8

3

7

95

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

8

1

3

123

(With Tripod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

8

1

1

189