WW2 1943 British BSA MK III* Besa 7.92mm Calibre Tank & Armoured Vehicle Machine Gun**EARLY UK 1995 DEACTIVATION CERTIFICATED None Machine Guns

WW2 1943 British BSA MK III* Besa 7.92mm Calibre Tank & Armoured Vehicle Machine Gun**EARLY UK 1995 DEACTIVATION CERTIFICATED** Sn 20067:61 - 20067:61

The Besa machine gun was a British version of the Czechoslovak ZB-53 air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun (called the TK vz. 37 in the Czechoslovak army).The name came from the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), who signed an agreement with Československá zbrojovka to manufacture the gun in the UK. The War Office ordered the weapon in 1938 and production began in 1939, after modifications. It was used extensively by the armed forces of United Kingdom during the Second World War as a mounted machine gun for tanks and other armoured vehicles as a replacement for the heavier, water-cooled Vickers machine gun. Although it required a rather large opening in the tank's armour, it was reliable. Although British forces used the .303 in rimmed round for rifles and machine guns, the ZB-53 had been designed for the German 7.92×57mm Mauser round; referred to by the British as the 7.92 mm. The British had intended to move from rimmed to rimless ammunition but with war imminent, wholesale change was not possible. It was considered by BSA and the Ministry of Supply that the industrial, technical and supply difficulty of converting the design to the .303 round would be more onerous than retaining the original calibre, especially given that the chain of supply for the Royal Armoured Corps was already separate from the other fighting arms of the British Army and the round was not changed for British production. Since the Besa used the same ammunition as Germany used in its rifles and machine guns, the British could use stocks of captured enemy ammunition ( a period image of a British Vickers Light Tank mounted with 4 Besa machine guns is illustrated in image 1). Our WW2 dated MK III* Besa Machine gun has all of its original black finish. The gun is serial number C39367 and is marked with model and calibre detail together with ’43 date (illustrated). The gun is 44” overall length. Deactivated to early UK specification in 1995 the gun’s trigger moves & the breech cover opens. The price includes deactivation certificate. Due to size and weight delivery will be by arrangement within the UK only and at cost**we can arrange for this firearm to be brought up to the latest UK/EU specification for UK customers (customers can purchase on our lay-away scheme. The weapon will then be brought up to EU specification and the relevant certificate obtained prior to the transfer of ownership and delivery). Sn 20067:61

£1,595.00