Overview [ ]
BESA
Manufacturer
Birmingham Small Arms Company
Period Produced
1939 - 1960s
German Fremdgerät (?)
Maschinengewehr 341(e)
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
Firemodes
• Automatic, low fire rate • Automatic, high fire rate
Ammunition Loading
225 round belt
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 .
Infantry Weapons
Melee Weapons
Bayonet
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Survival Weapon
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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
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Primary Weapons
Assault Rifle
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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
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Grenade Launcher
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Disposable Rocket Launcher
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Rocket Launcher
PIAT
Non-Lethal Weapons
Pistol
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Underwater Weapons
Sidearm
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Rifle
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Explosives
Anti-Personnel Mines
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Anti-Tank Mines
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Offensive Grenades
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Smoke Grenades
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Infantry Equipment
Clothing
Backpacks
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Body Armour
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Bomb Suit
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Elbow and knee pads
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Signals & IFF
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Suits
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Vests & Webbing
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Headwear
Communication
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Gas Masks & Rebreathers
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Goggles
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Helmets
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Vehicle Headwear
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Optics, Detection and Surveillance
Man-Portable Radar
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Mine Detectors
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Night Vision Goggles
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Periscopes
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Rangefinders
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Surveillance
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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
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Recoilless Guns
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Rocket Artillery
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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
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ATGMs
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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