Vickers K (VGO)

Vickers K (VGO) History

Vickers K - or Vickers Gas Operated (VGO), officially known as "Gun, machine, Vickers-Berthier, 0.303-inch, India Service Mark III" - is an air developed from the original Vickers-Berthier light machine Cannon Machine Gun (LMG) for trainable/flexible aircraft positions. A flat-bottomed magazine (using 60 or 100 rounds) replaces the vanilla magazine to feed and fire the standard. 303 Imperial cartridges are pneumatic, air-cooled.

The rate of fire is 900 rounds per minute. The operator manages the weapon via a spade grip arrangement on the rear of the receiver, with an iron sight above the weapon to aid basic accuracy. The installation on the aircraft is carried out by means of ring brackets.

With the Royal Air Force (RAF) finally moving away from open turrets on their aircraft, the .303 Colt-Browning became the weapon component of choice for in-wing and turret aircraft. After serving in the RAF, these guns took a new lease of life in the British Army and proved themselves as vehicle-mounted weapons.

Special forces operating in North Africa have found them to be very reliable and effective weapons in desert conditions when mounted on fast-moving JEEP-type platforms.

Vickers K served until late 1945 and developed progressively throughout the conflict.

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