Vickers Class D
Vickers Limited · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1932
Also known as: Vickers .50 machine gun, Vickers .5-inch, Vickers Class D*, Vickers 12.7mm
Overview
The Vickers Class D was the half-inch (12.7mm) heavy machine gun derived from the famous .303 Vickers gun, essentially a scaled-up version of Hiram Maxim's recoil-operated toggle-lock action. Chambered for the 12.7x81mm SR Vickers cartridge and water-cooled, it was a closed-bolt, short-recoil, belt-fed weapon. The Class D and improved Class D* served the Royal Navy as a multiple-barrel anti-aircraft mounting and equipped numerous British interwar tanks and armoured cars. It was largely supplanted in British service by the .50 Browning and 15mm BESA during the Second World War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 29000 g (1022.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1330 mm (52.36") |
| Barrel Length | 790 mm (31.10") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Magazine Capacity | 200 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 770 m/s (2526 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 10968 J (8090 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3900 m (4265 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 550 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
Calibers
- 12.7x81mm SR Vickers · primary — also known as .5 inch Vickers, 12.7x81mmSR, .50 Vickers
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt
- Features: Maxim Toggle Lock, Water Cooled, Muzzle Booster, Belt Fed, Closed Bolt, Scaled Up Design
Variants
- Vickers Class D* — Improved
Service history
Operators
- Royal Navy · adopted 1932 · as Vickers .50 Mk III
- British Army · adopted 1933 · as Vickers .50
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1932-1940s
Total production unknown
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Vickers Limited
Notes
Distinct from the .303 Vickers Class C already in the database; the Class D is the larger .5-inch (12.7mm) gun. Weight shown excludes cooling water. The naval anti-aircraft mounting paired four or more guns with 200-round magazines per barrel.
Background
The Royal Navy fielded the Class D in quadruple powered mountings as a close-range anti-aircraft defence aboard warships throughout the early war years, where its modest range and rate of fire ultimately proved inadequate against faster wartime aircraft.