Madsen M/53
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.20 kg
- Introduced
- 1953
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Madsen M/53 is a Danish blowback, open-bolt submachine gun chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, the final iteration of the Madsen M/46-M/50-M/53 series built by Dansk Industri Syndikat (DISA). Like its predecessors it uses a distinctive hinged clamshell receiver of two pressed-steel halves joined by the barrel nut, a folding wire stock and a grip safety. The M/53 differed chiefly in feeding from a curved magazine rather than the straight box of earlier models, and could mount an optional barrel shroud with a bayonet lug. The baseline gun fires full-automatic only, while the M/53 Mark II added a fire-mode selector. The Madsen SMG was inexpensive and saw export sales across Latin America and Asia.
The Madsen SMG family is best known for its two-piece pressed-steel clamshell receiver, which hinges open like a book about the barrel nut for cleaning - a clever, cheap manufacturing trick that gave an otherwise conventional blowback gun an unmistakable silhouette.
Specifications vary slightly across the M/46, M/50 and M/53 patterns; figures here reflect the standard 9mm M/53 (folding stock, 32-round curved magazine). Effective range and muzzle velocity are typical 9mm SMG estimates.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Dansk Rekyl Riffel Syndikat / Dansk Industri Syndikat
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Denmark
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1953
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Overall length
- 800 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Full auto only
- Capacity
- 32
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 390 m/s
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Rate of fire
- 550 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Folding stock
Hinged clamshell receiver
Curved magazine
Optional bayonet lug barrel shroud
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 3.20 kg | 3.18 kg | Near the median |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 800 mm | 723 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 200 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 32 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Madsen M/53
How much does the Madsen M/53 weigh?
The Madsen M/53 weighs 3.20 kg (7.05 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Madsen M/53?
The Madsen M/53 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Madsen M/53 hold?
The Madsen M/53 holds 32 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Madsen M/53?
The Madsen M/53 is 800 mm (31.5 in) long overall, with a 200 mm (7.87 in) barrel.
Who makes the Madsen M/53?
The Madsen M/53 is made by Dansk Rekyl Riffel Syndikat / Dansk Industri Syndikat (Denmark).
When was the Madsen M/53 introduced?
The Madsen M/53 was introduced in 1953.
How does the Madsen M/53 operate?
The Madsen M/53 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Brazilian Army
- Brazil
- Indonesian Armed Forces
- Indonesia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/madsen-m53' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "madsen-m53", "name": "Madsen M/53", "manufacturer": { "id": "dansk-industri-syndikat", "name": "Dansk Rekyl Riffel Syndikat / Dansk Industri Syndikat", "countryCode": "DK", "foundedYear": 1896, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-26 23:12:00", "updatedAt": "2026-04-26 23:12:00", "version": "a6b761e89dd9a8725e4b9a74b1fd4002295146f177a2b8659707c4894bbb52bc" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "DK", "year_introduced": 1953, "barrel_length_mm": 200, "weight_empty_g": 3200, "action_type": "blowback"}