Besa machine gun
The Besa machine gun was a British version of the Czechoslovak ZB-53 air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun (called the TK vz. 37 in the Czechoslovak army).
| Besa machine gun | |
|---|---|
Besa machine gun | |
| Type | Tank-mounted medium machine gun |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia, United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1939–1960s |
| Used by | United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel |
| Wars | Second World War 1947–1949 Palestine war Korean War Second Arab–Israeli War Lebanese Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Václav Holek |
| Designed | 1936 |
| Manufacturer | The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited |
| Produced | 1939–1945 |
| No. built | 7.92mm: 39,332 in all variants. 15mm: 3,218 total production |
| Variants | Mark I (1939–1940) Mark II (1940–1943) Mark II*(1943) Mark III (1943–1951) Mark III* (1943–1952) Mark III/2 (1952–1966) Mark III/3 (1954–1966) 15mm Besa Mark I (1939?–1949) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 47 lb (21 kg) empty |
| Length | 43.5 in (1,100 mm) |
| Barrel length | 29 in (740 mm), 4-groove rifling with right-hand twist |
| Cartridge | 7.92×57mm Mauser |
| Calibre | 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 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 Second World War as a mounted machine gun for tanks and other armoured vehicles as a replacement for the heavier, water-cooled Vickers machine gun. Although it required a rather large opening in the tank's armour, it was reliable.
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