Machine Guns


Vickers Mk I


ManufacturerVickers
Calibre.303in
Weight28.5Ib
Rate of Fire850 rds/min
NotesAt the beginning of the war, demand for Vickers guns from the army was so great the company had to postpone production of machine guns for use by the RFC of RNAS. Even when they did have time to spend on developing Air guns, the Vickers was found to be too heavy and awkward being belt fed. This all changed when the Germans managed to produce a synchronised machine gun that could fire through the propellers of a plane. Vickers, immediately set about trying to replicate this feat and produced the modified Mark I in order to allow British pilots to catch up with their German counterparts. It was essentially the same gun as used by the army, but fitted with the elaborate synchronisation mechanism.


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by Stephen Luscombe