Vickers K
Vickers Limited · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1935
Also known as: Vickers G.O., VGO, Vickers Gas Operated, Vickers GO
Overview
The Vickers K, also known as the Vickers Gas Operated (VGO or Vickers G.O.), was a rapid-firing gas-operated machine gun developed by Vickers-Armstrongs from the Vickers-Berthier light machine gun. Chambered in .303 British and fed from a 60- or 100-round pan magazine, it was designed in 1935 as a flexible defensive gun for RAF aircraft, where its very high cyclic rate of around 1,000 rounds per minute was valued for fleeting air-to-air engagements.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 13500 g (476.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 940 mm (37.01") |
| Barrel Length | 529 mm (20.83") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 100 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Pan |
| Muzzle Velocity | 762 m/s (2500 fps) |
| Rate of Fire | 1000 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 5 |
| 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: Pan Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Tilting Breechblock Lock, Pan Magazine Feed, High Cyclic Rate, Spade Grips
Variants
- Vickers G.O. Mk I — Model
- Vickers G.O. Mk II — Model
Service history
Operators
- Royal Air Force · adopted 1935 · as Gun, Machine, Vickers G.O. .303-inch
- Special Air Service
- Indian Army
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1935-1945
Wartime production figures not precisely recorded
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: Vickers-Armstrongs
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
Made largely obsolete in aircraft by powered turrets and faster monoplanes, surplus guns found a second life on the ground - most famously twin- and quad-mounted on the jeeps of the SAS and Long Range Desert Group in North Africa.
Background
Withdrawn from aircraft as turrets took over, the Vickers K was reborn as the SAS's signature weapon - David Stirling's raiders bolted them in pairs to their jeeps and tore through Axis airfields, destroying parked aircraft in a hail of 1,000-rounds-per-minute fire.