Besa machine gun
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Besa machine gun | |
---|---|
7.9mm | |
Action | gas automatic |
Rate of fire | 450–550 round/min (Low) 750–850 rounds/min (High) |
Muzzle velocity | 2,700 ft/s (823 m/s) |
Feed system | 7.92mm: 225 metal link belt. 15mm: 25-round link belt |
The Besa machine gun was a British version of the
The name came from the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), who signed an agreement with Československá zbrojovka to manufacture the gun in the UK. The War Office ordered the weapon in 1938 and production began in 1939, after modifications.
It was used extensively by the armed forces of United Kingdom during the
Development and use
Although British forces used the
The .303 version of the ZB-53 was presented to the British officials in early 1937 and passed field trials in November 1937 with flying colours (0.5% of stoppages), however in September 1937 the Small Arms Committee had already decided it wanted the 7.92 mm version for which BSA was already tooling up because of the urgency.[4]
The Mark II version, license-produced by BSA in Birmingham as opposed to ZB's Mk I, entered service in June 1940. The design was modified to be more rapidly and economically produced and three simplified models, the Mark II*, Mark III and Mark III*, entered service in August 1943. The Mark II* was a transitional model designed to use the new simplified parts but was compatible with the Mark II. All those versions had a selector to give a high rate of fire (750–850 rounds per minute) for close combat or focused targets or a low rate of fire (450–550 rounds per minute) for long-range combat or area targets. The Mark III and Mark III* versions did away with this selector and had simplified parts like the Mark II* but were incompatible with the Mark II. The Mark III had a fixed high rate of fire (750–850 rpm) and the Mark III* had a fixed low rate of fire (450–550 rpm)[5] Damaged or malfunctioning Mark IIIs were converted to Mk III* at factories during repair.[6]
The earlier wartime Mark I, Mark II and Mark II* versions of the Besa 7.92 mm were declared obsolete in 1951 and all Mark III versions were converted to Mark III*. The Mark III/2 introduced in 1952 was a conversion of the Mark III* with a new bracket and body cover. The later Mark III/3 introduced in 1954 was a conversion of the Mark III/2 that replaced the barrel and sleeve and made the gas vents larger on the gas cylinder to make it easier to use belts of mixed ammunition. The post-war Mark III/2 and Mark III/3 remained in service until the late 1960s.[citation needed]
Designation | In Service | Markings |
Cartridge S.A. Ball 7.92 m/m Mark Iz | May 1939 – November 1941 | Purple annulus, Iz on headstamp. |
Cartridge S.A. Ball 7.92 m/m Mark IIz | September 1941 – 1966 | Purple annulus, IIz on headstamp |
Cartridge S.A. Tracer 7.92 m/m G Mark Iz | October 1939 – November 1941 | Red annulus, GIZ on headstamp |
Cartridge S.A. Tracer 7.92 m/m G Mark IIz | September 1941 – 1945 | Red annulus, GIIZ on headstamp |
Cartridge S.A. Tracer 7.92 m/m G Mark 3z | April 1945 – 1966 | Red annulus, G3Z on headstamp |
Cartridge S.A. Armour-Piercing 7.92 m/m W Mark Iz | March 1941 – November 1941 | Green annulus, WIZ on headstamp |
Cartridge S.A. Armour-Piercing 7.92 m/m W Mark IIz | September 1941 – 1966 | Green annulus, WIIZ on Headstamp |
Cartridge S.A. Incendiary 7.92 m/m B Mark Iz | 1942–1966 | Blue annulus, BIZ on headstamp |
15 mm Besa machine gun
A larger, heavier (121 lb (55 kg) in total, 50.5 lb (22.9 kg) of complete barrel
See also
- Bren gun– another ZB design taken up by the UK
References
- Notes
- ^ "TK" from těžký kulomet "heavy machine gun"; "vz" from vzor "Model"
- Citations
- ISBN 9780850454505.
- ISBN 978-1-85109-849-1. Archived from the originalon 16 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ISBN 9780850458374.
- ^ Royal Amouries (1 March 2023), Britain's Czech-made WW2 tank machine gun in.. .303? With Curatorial Assistant, Christian Wellard, YouTube, retrieved 16 July 2023
- ^ "BESA (Gun, Machine, 7.92mm, BESA)". www.militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
- ^ Illustrated Identification List p3
- ^ The BESA 15 mm Heavy Machine Gun. BSA Guns – via Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association. p33
- ^ Jane's Infantry Weapons. 1975. p. 453.
- ^ "British Tanks Equipment". Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ISBN 0-11-290534-X. p.20
- Bibliography
- The ZB-53, heavy machine gun model 37 – in Czech
- Tanks equipment page Accessed 29 November 2007
- David Boyd Other British Tank Armaments wwiiequipment.com 1 January 2009
- Central Ordnance Depot (Technical Branch), Weedon (July 1942). Guns Machine, Besa, 7.92 m.m.: Illustrated Identification List – via Historical Breechloading Small Arms Association (Flickr album).