Vickers Class C
Vickers Limited · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1912
Also known as: Vickers .303 Class C, Vickers Aircraft Gun, Gun, Machine, Vickers, .303in, Mk I*
Overview
The Vickers Class C was the commercial and export production form of the Vickers machine gun, the company's lightened refinement of Hiram Maxim's recoil-operated toggle-lock design. The British Army's Mark I medium machine gun was derived directly from it. Chambered primarily in .303 British and fed from a 250-round fabric belt, the water-cooled ground gun was a closed-bolt, short-recoil weapon, while air-cooled derivatives with perforated barrel jackets became the standard forward-firing fighter gun of WWI. Vickers offered the Class C in a range of export calibers including 7mm, 6.5mm and 8mm.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 25000 g (881.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Barrel Length | 720 mm (28.35") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Magazine Capacity | 250 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 744 m/s (2441 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3130 J (2309 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 740 m (809 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 4100 m (4484 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
Calibers
- .303 British · primary — also known as .303 British, 7.7x56mmR, .303 Mark VII
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt
- Features: Maxim Toggle Lock, Water Cooled, Muzzle Booster, Belt Fed, Synchronization Gear, Closed Bolt
Variants
- Vickers Aircraft Gun Mk I* — Air Cooled Aircraft
- Vickers Class D — Heavy 50 Inch
Service history
Operators
- British Empire · adopted 1912 · as Gun, Machine, Vickers, .303in, Mk I
- Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force · adopted 1916 · as Vickers Aircraft Gun Mk I*
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1912-1930s
At least ~700 Class C guns built in 1921 alone; total production unknown
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Hiram Maxim
Notes
Distinct from the standard British-Army Vickers gun already in the database; the Class C was Vickers' commercial designation and parent to the air-cooled aircraft variants. Weight shown is the water-cooled ground gun; air-cooled Mk I* aircraft versions weighed roughly 13 kg. The closed-bolt action made it ideal for propeller synchronization.
Background
The air-cooled Vickers became the definitive forward-firing fighter gun of WWI: its closed-bolt action meant virtually no lock-time delay, making it ideal for synchronization gear that timed each shot to fire through the spinning propeller arc, as on the twin-Vickers-armed Sopwith Camel. Some aircraft Vickers guns were still in service into the closing years of WWII.