Vickers-Berthier (VB)

History

The Vickers-Berthier is a British light machine gun, originally introduced by the French, taught by the Americans, and served in the Indian Army. This model became the standard machine gun in British India during the interwar period and played a major role in the upcoming World War II.

The gun was in service from 1925 to 1945 and was produced in both the UK and India.

Vickers-Berthier Origins

The origins of the Vickers-Berthier light machine gun can be traced back to the original design of the French Berthier machine gun that appeared before the First World War. Frenchman Adolphe Berthier began developing the weapon before the start of hostilities in 1914 and focused on perfecting his creation in most conflicts. The U.S.

Army approved the design and accepted the "United States Light Machine Gun, M1917" for licensed production. However, American manufacturers were slow to register production lines for the new weapon, and it hadn't shot the Americans until the war in Europe officially ended in November 1918.

After further evaluation, several key design constraints were identified, and the U.S. immediately terminated their contract.

Berthier moved to England and continued to work on machine guns. In 1920, he applied for and received a patent for a new improved shape.

Seeing some value in the new gun, the British company Vickers licensed the system in 1925 and began producing an improved version, using the name "Vickers-Berthier" to denote its provenance. The gun is from Vicker's Crayford (Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, Crayford, Kent).

In the early 1930s, the British military purchased only a limited stockpile of weapons, some of which were sold to foreign powers, including Bolivia and some Baltic states. The Commonwealth of India went further than anyone else and accepted this weapon as their standard light machine gun, replacing the old WWI-era Hotchkiss and Lewis machine guns they were serving at the time. The Bren gun took over the same cape (standard light machine gun) in the British Army, which passed the longer and heavier Vickers-Berthier to the Army after the two directly competed in the 1932 trials.

The Bren offers a higher rate of fire and proves to be more portable than the VB - this comes at the cost of lower production standards (the VB is easier to manufacture and therefore cheaper).

Vickers-Berthier production tag

The Vickers-Berthier was produced in the original Mark 1 variant introduced in 1928. These models are identified by the ribbed (or ribbed) portion of the barrel. Additionally, a board-side fore grip has been added to the underside of the receiver. Early forms took on a highly functional appearance.

The 1929 Mark 2 had a rounded fore grip that now extends beyond the barrel length of the receiver. Additionally, the Mark 2 is equipped with a bipod attached to the gas cylinder and a monopod attached to the bottom of the stock.

Aside from these changes, the Mark 1 basically lives on through the improved Mark 2 lineup.

The "Light Mark 2" began production in 1931, exclusively for Indian Army evaluation purposes. The barrel now looks smooth and the stock is cut away to save weight and allow for more grip points when carrying or handling the weapon.

The front end of the receiver has been redesigned to be lighter and easier to carry in the field. These Indian Mark 2s do not have a monopod attached.

The Mark 3 was introduced by the Indian government in 1933 - based on the Light Mark 2, but slightly heavier than the original. The Mark 3 belongs to the official Indian name "Gun, Machine, . 303in Vickers-Berthier, Indian Mark 3" and is produced at the Ishapore Rifle Factory in India.

The Mark 3B exists as a slightly improved form of the base Mark 3. For the most part, the system remains faithful to the original Mark 3 design, with only minor modifications to improve the all-important gas system.

Vickers-Berthier's improved aircraft became the "Vickers K" (or "VGO" or "CO". This weapon was used by some RAF interwar fighters, including Hawkhardt.

Vickers The Kex K produced a rate of fire that was more than double that of the original Lewis machine guns of World War I. After these aircraft were retired from the RAF, the remaining components were used by British special forces called "SAS" (Special Air Service Service) ) SAS elements used machine guns on jeeps throughout North Africa and Europe during WWII.

Vickers-Berthier Physical Properties

Vickers-Berthier's designs are traditional. It offers smooth firing action, has been purposely designed and manufactured with a limited set of internal moving parts - this facilitates field repairs and cleanup, and overall it has proven to be a highly reliable even in the harshest environments battlefield components.

Their simplicity also makes them easy to produce. The gun is approximately 46.5 inches long and has a 23.9-inch barrel. The Vickers-Berthier launcher operates on a pneumatic system and has a curved 30-round magazine inserted into the top of the receiver, similar to a Bren LMG (the two are often confused with each other).

The muzzle velocity is reported to be 2,450 feet per second, while the operating weight is about 20 pounds (9 kg) and the rate of fire is 450 to 500 rounds per minute. Vickers-Berthier used the machine-gun version of the .303 British Rifle Cartridge - a necked, rimmed cartridge in service with the British and Commonwealth Armies from 1889 to the 1950s - until it was replaced by the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge during the Cold War.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes