Vickers .50 machine gun
The Vickers .50 machine gun, also known as the 'Vickers .50' was similar to the .303 inches (7.70 mm) Vickers machine gun but enlarged to use a larger-calibre 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) round. It saw some use in tanks and other fighting vehicles but was more commonly used as a close-in anti-aircraft weapon on Royal Navy and Allied ships, typically in a four-gun mounting (UK) or two-gun mounting (Dutch). The Vickers fired British .50 Vickers (12.7×81mm) ammunition, not the better known American .50 BMG (12.7×99mm).
| Vickers .50 machine gun | |
|---|---|
A Vickers .50 machine gun, Polish Army Museum, Warsaw (2006) | |
| Type | Machine gun Anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1932–1954 |
| Used by | United Kingdom Ireland |
| Wars | Second World War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Vickers |
| Variants | Marks I–V |
| Specifications (Vickers .5 Mk V) | |
| Mass | 63 pounds (29 kg) (includes 10 pounds (4.5 kg) cooling water) |
| Length | 52.4 inches (1,330 mm) |
| Barrel length | 31 inches (790 mm) |
| Cartridge | 12.7×81mm |
| Calibre | 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) |
| Rate of fire | 500–600 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,540 feet per second (770 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | Altitude: 9,500 feet (2,900 m) Range: 4,265 yards (3,900 m) |
| Feed system | belt |
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