BESAL
Birmingham Small Arms Company · Machine Gun · Prototype · 1940
Also known as: Besal, Faulkner, Gun, Light, Machine, Faulkner, .303-inch
Overview
The BESAL is a British .303 British light machine gun designed in 1940 by Harry Faulkner at the Birmingham Small Arms Company. Outwardly resembling the Bren, it was conceived as a simplified emergency-production weapon that could be manufactured in ordinary machine shops should German bombing cripple the main Bren factory at Enfield. The gas-operated, top-fed design used minimal machining and fed from the standard 30-round Bren box magazine. It never advanced beyond a handful of prototypes; the production contract was cancelled in June 1943 once the threat to Bren manufacturing had passed.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 9800 g (345.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1185 mm (46.65") |
| Barrel Length | 558 mm (21.97") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 747 m/s (2451 fps) |
| Effective Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .303 British · primary — also known as .303 Mk VII, 7.7x56mmR, .303 Enfield
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Top Mounted Magazine, Bipod
Service history
Operators
- British Army · as Gun, Light, Machine, Faulkner, .303-inch
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1940-1943
Never mass-produced; only a small number of prototypes were built before the contract was cancelled in June 1943.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Harry Faulkner
Discontinued: 1943
Notes
Also referred to as the Besal or Faulkner gun. Some sources cite an empty weight closer to 9.7 kg and a loaded figure around 11 kg with magazine.
Background
The BESAL was Britain's insurance policy against the Blitz: a stripped-down Bren substitute that could be churned out in any small workshop if the Enfield line was bombed out. The bombs never destroyed Bren production, and the simplified gun was quietly shelved.