Besa (gun)

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BESA machine gun
Type	vehicle medium machine gun
Place of origin	UK (Czech)
Service history
Used by	UK
Wars	World War 2
Production history
Designed	1936
Variants	15 mm
Specifications
Weight	21.46 kg
Length	1.105 m
Barrel length	0.736 m
Cartridge	7.92 x 57 mm Mauser
Caliber	7.92 mm
Rate of fire	500/800 round/min
Feed system	belt

The Machine Gun, BESA was a British version of the Czech ZB 53 (Model 37) machine gun and used by the UK for tank armament in World War II.

[edit] History

BSA signed an agreement with Zbrojovka Brno in 1936 which allowed them to make the 7.92 mm ZB53 under licence. The War Office ordered the weapon in 1938 and production began in 1939. Although it took the 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser round and the standard British round was the .303 inch British (7.7 mm), it was used extensively in British tanks of World War II.

A larger version at 15 mm calibre, also belt-fed, and weighing 125 lb (57 kg) was developed by BSA again as a vehicle armament. It was able to be fired single shot rather than just full automatic. It was used on the Light Tank Mk VI and on armoured cars such as the Humber Armoured Car Mark III