Machine Gun, 7.92mm, BESA, Mk. III

Overview

BESA
General Information
Type	• Vehicle Machine Gun • Medium Machine Gun
Place of Origin	United Kingdom
Designers	Václav Holek
Period Designed	1936
Manufacturer	Birmingham Small Arms Company
Period Produced	1939 - 1960s
Number Built	39,322
Developed From	TK vz. 37
In Service	1939 - 1960s
Designations
German Fremdgerät (?)	Maschinengewehr 341(e)
Characteristics
Cartridge	7,92x57mm
RoF, Cyclic	Mk. II has a mode selector to change fire rates; • Low: 450 - 550 rounds/min • High: 750 - 850 rounds/min
Expected Muzzle Velocity	823 m/s
Action	Gas automatic
Firemodes	• Automatic, low fire rate • Automatic, high fire rate
Feed System	Belt-fed
Ammunition Loading	225 round belt
Dimensions
Weight	Empty: 21kg
Barrel Length	740mm
Length	1,100mm

The 7.92mm BESA is a tank machine gun developed by Britain. It is largely used in British land vehicles from the late 1930s through to the early 1960s. The Mk. III Besa is the most commonly found.

Variants

Besa Mk. I

Original production model from 1939 to early 1940.

Besa Mk. II

Second, improved model entering service in June 1940, ending production in 1943. This model was the first to include the fire-rate switch.

Besa Mk. II*

Transitional model, using new simplified parts while being backwards compatible with Mk. II parts. Introduced in 1943.

Besa Mk. III

Simplified model without fire rate selector, locked on the high fire rate mode of 750 to 850 rounds per minute. Introduced in 1943, and was produced till 1951.

Besa Mk. III*

Simplified model without fire rate selector, locked on the low fire rate mode of 450 to 550 rounds per minute. Introduced in 1943, and was produced till 1952.

Besa Mk. III**

Post-war model with production starting in 1952 through 1966. It featured a new bracket and body cover.

Besa Mk. III***

Post-war model with production starting in 1954 through 1966. A replacement for the Mk. III**, featuring a new barrel ans sleeve, with larger gas vents on the cylinder.

15mm BESA

The 15mm BESA is a variant of the BESA that is chambered in 15x104mm Brno.

United Kingdom Firearms & Equipment Interwar & World War II

Infantry Weapons
Melee Weapons	Bayonet	[[]]
	Survival Weapon	[[]]
Sidearms	Pistol	Browning Hi-Power • M1911A1 • Welrod (Mk I • Mk II)
	Revolver	Colt New Service • Colt Official Police • Enfield No. 2 (Mk. I • Mk. I* • Mk. I**) • S&W Model 10
Close Quarters	Submachine Gun	Dineley • Lanchester (Mk. I • Mk. I* • Mod. 1 • Mod. 2) • M1 (A1) • Thompson M1928 (A1) • Patchett • Sten (Mk. I • Mk. I* • Mk. II • Mk. II(S) • Mk. III • Mk. IVa • Mk. IVb • Mk. V • Mk. VI) • Rofsten • Viper • Welgun
	Shotgun	[[]]
Primary Weapons	Assault Rifle	[[]]
	Bolt-Action Rifle	De Lisle Carbine • MLE (Mk. I • Mk. I*) • SMLE (No. 1, Mk. I • No. 1, Mk. III • No. 1, Mk. III* • No. 1, Mk. VI • No. 2, Mk. I • No. 2, Mk. IV • No. 4, Mk. I • No. 4, Mk. I* • No. 4, Mk. I/II • No. 4, Mk. I/III • No. 4, Mk. II • No. 5, Mk. I)
Automatic Support Weapons	Light Machine Gun	Besa • Bren (Mk. I • Mk. I • Mk. I* • Mk. I(M) • Mk. II/I • Mk. III • Mk. IV) • Vickers-Berthier Light Machine Gun
	General Purpose Machine Gun	Browning M1919 • Vickers
	Heavy Machine Gun	Browning M2 • Vickers Heavy Machine Gun
Long Range	Sniper Rifle	SMLE (No. 1, Mk. III* (HT) • No. 4, Mk. I (T) • No. 4, Mk. I* (T)) • SREM-1
Anti-Materiel	Anti-Tank Rifle	[[]]
	Grenade Launcher	[[]]
	Disposable Rocket Launcher	[[]]
	Rocket Launcher	PIAT
Non-Lethal Weapons	Pistol	[[]]
Underwater Weapons	Sidearm	[[]]
	Rifle	[[]]
Explosives	Anti-Personnel Mines	[[]]
	Anti-Tank Mines	[[]]
	Offensive Grenades	[[]]
	Smoke Grenades	[[]]

Infantry Equipment
Clothing	Backpacks	[[]]
	Body Armour	[[]]
	Bomb Suit	[[]]
	Elbow and knee pads	[[]]
	Signals & IFF	[[]]
	Suits	[[]]
	Vests & Webbing	[[]]
Headwear	Communication	[[]]
	Gas Masks & Rebreathers	[[]]
	Goggles	[[]]
	Helmets	[[]]
	Vehicle Headwear	[[]]
Optics, Detection and Surveillance	Man-Portable Radar	[[]]
	Mine Detectors	[[]]
	Night Vision Goggles	[[]]
	Periscopes	[[]]
	Rangefinders	[[]]
	Surveillance	[[]]

Artillery
Anti-Aircraft Guns	20mm Oerlikon • 20mm Polsten • 37mm ROQF 1-pdr • 37mm ROQF 1.5-pdr • 40mm ROQF Naval • 40mm Bofors • ROQF 76.2mm • ROQF 94mm • 113mm ROQF • ROQF 133mm
Anti-Tank Guns	40mm ROQF 2-pdr • 57mm ROQF 6-pdr • 76.2mm ROQF 17-pdr
Field Guns	75mm M1917 • 84mm ROQF 18-pdr • 88mm ROQF 25-pdr
Mountain Guns	75mm M1 • 94mm ROQF
Howitzers	114mm ROQF • 114mm ROBL • 127mm ROBL 60-pdr • 140mm ROBL • 152.4mm ROBL L/13.3 • 152.4mm ROBL L/35 • 182.9mm ROBL • 203.2mm ROBL • 233.7mm ROBL
Mortars	50.8mm ROSBML • 81mm ROML • 106.7mm ROML
Railroad Artillery	[[]]
Recoilless Guns	[[]]
Rocket Artillery	[[]]

Land Vehicle Weapons
Vehicle Machine Guns	BESA (7.92mm) (Mk. I • Mk. II • Mk. II* • Mk. III • Mk. III* • Mk. III** • Mk. III***) • BESA (15mm) • Bren Gun • Browning M2 • Browning M1919 • FN MAG • Vickers Medium Machine Gun
40mm Tank Guns	ROQF 2-pdr
47mm Tank Guns	ROQF 3-pdr
57mm Tank Guns	Molins Class M Gun • ROQF 6-pdr
70mm Tank Guns	ROQF 12-pdr
75mm Tank Guns	ROQF 75mm • Vickers HV 75mm
76.2mm Tank Guns	ROQF 15-pdr • ROQF 17-pdr • Vickers HV 77mm
84mm Tank Guns	ROQF 20-pdr
87.6mm Tank Guns	ROQF 30-pdr
94mm Tank Guns	ROQF 25-pdr
114.3mm Tank Guns	ROQF 55-pdr
127mm Tank Guns	ROBL 60-pdr
??mm Tank Guns	ROQF 28-pdr
Howitzers	88mm ROQF 25-pdr • 95mm ROQF • 127mm ROBL 60-pdr
Vehicle Autocannon	[[]]
ATGMs	[[]]

Aircraft Weapons & Munitions
7.7mm Machine Guns	Browning Mk.II • Vickers E • Vickers F • Vickers K
11mm & 12.7mm Machine Guns	Browning AN/M2 • Rolls-Royce Experimental Machine Gun • Vickers Aircraft Machine Gun
20mm Cannons	Hispano-Suiza HS.404 • Hispano Mk.II (Mk.V) • 20mm Oerlikon • Oerlikon FF (F • L • S)
40mm Cannons	Vickers S
47mm Cannons	Vickers P
Rockets	RP-3
Bombs	G.P. 250

Naval Weaponry
7.7mm Machine Guns	Vickers Medium Machine Gun
12.7mm Machine Guns	Vickers Heavy Machine Gun
37mm Cannons	37mm ROQF 1-pdr • 37mm ROQF 1.5-pdr
40mm Cannons	40mm ROQF Naval
113mm Cannons	113mm ROQF
133mm Cannons	133mm ROQF