Britain's Czech-made WW2 tank machine gun in.. .303? The Besa MG
Aircraft & Vehicle MGs
•
15m
It was clear to British weapon procurement in the mid-thirties that war in Europe was fast approaching. Britain, in its haste to adopt an aircooled machine gun for its tanks and AFVs turned to the Czech ZB-53. However, with the time constraints of a rapidly approaching conflict, this .303 variant was destined to be a minor footnote in what would become the Besa.
Up Next in Aircraft & Vehicle MGs
-
The Browning that won the Battle of B...
In the 1930s, Britain sought to replace the ageing Vickers and Lewis guns in its aircraft arsenal. The trials winner was the Browning .303 but the War Office wanted a number of changes to the off-the-shelf weapon, including a substantial increase in the rate of fire. Famously mounted in the Hurri...
-
M1915 Villar Perosa
The Villar Perosa is one of the first small machine guns developed and used by a military force. It was designed in Italy and introduced in 1915 as an aircraft weapon, to be used in a flexible mount by an airplane's observer. The gun consists of two independent firing actions mounted together. Ea...
-
America's First Assault Rifle: Burton...
America's first assault rifle? Well, it does meet all the requirements - select-fire, intermediate cartridge, and shoulder-fired. It was never actually fielded, though.
The Burton Light Machine Rifle was developed during World War One, with the firing model completed in 1917. It was intended as ...