Vickers Mk IV .50 Caliber Water-Cooled Tank Gun

[@multisam8717]

Another interesting gun from Larry Vickers. The only thing more impressive than his contribution to firearms development is the fact that he is 189 years old. How does he do it?

[@stefanmolnapor910]

😅😂😅😂😅👍

[@jonatanklugealbert3956]

Lol

[@Projectdarke]

[THIS POST WAS REMOVED BY ORDER OF THE ILLUMINATI HAVE A NICE DAY ]

[@adamlewellen5081]

There can be only one!!!

[@KosherPorky]

@@Projectdarke understandable

[@enricopaolocoronado2511]

I know it's highly reckless and impractical, but the pistol grip just makes me think of an 80's Action Movie style sequence where a soldier just fires this thing from the hip.

[@LeadCodpiece]

Or fallout games

[@blank557]

Would work fine in the Warhammer 40K. universe.

[@a.k47-74]

More like from the shoulder, unless you're a 12-foot tall ogre, lol. But it definitely looks like it could be held like one of those 80's missile launchers, doesn't it? (think Schwarzenegger in Commando)

[@Lemon_Inspector]

I'm sure the writers could contrive a scenario where a soldier wearing a futuristic powered exoskeleton has to fire a machinegun like this one-handed. Or better, one in each hand.

[@lairdcummings9092]

@@Lemon_Inspector Colonial Marines have entered the chat.

[@gutfinski]

The British loved blued steel and brass. From an engineering standpoint it does make sense as brass is somewhat self-lubricating against steel.

[@ozdavemcgee2079]

British passed that brass thing to all commonwealth's. Brass, everywhere not just on weapons. Why? Purely so soldiers can polish it and make it pretty lol

[@gutfinski]

@@ozdavemcgee2079 Probably part of it! Brass also machines easily and be easily cast to make various components. But today it also has the classic look of quality.

[@DreweTube]

@@ozdavemcgee2079 I'd never thought about it like that...that stuff is literally on anything old and machined we love the stuff. My old man was a toolmaker..and turned / milled anything he could out it for decorative purposes 🤣

[@MB5rider81]

Casting, and a decent hardness. Great for seals. Great for sliding surfaces.

[@professional_cynic98]

@@gutfinski and brass is fairly inexpensive

[@lukebyrne141]

The real hero of this video is the Perspex display stand that beast is sat on.

[@samholdsworth3957]

Plastic. Our future food...

[@joekewl7539]

The only thing working harder than Gun Jesus in this video

[@Williestyle-RobotechxMacross-x]

I was surprised to see something that looks like lucite holding up that heavy beast, as well. XD

[@stephenduffy5406]

The Canadian Princess Louise Fusiliers was a heavy weapons support battalion of the 5th Canadian armored division in WWII. They used dismounted 50 cal Vickers in the ground support role, along with heavy mortars, in Italy in 1944.

[@meepfanmeepster8620]

that interesting thanks for that info

[@natpeterson8856]

nice info my man

[@bloke755]

Sounds like it was these guys, ( with that firepower ) , who were the ones that destroyed Mount Cassino and not the allied bombers !!

[@j.seagle6867]

they must have been chads. that thing looks like you can sit on it and fire it to go some place.

[@teeford2504]

Rumour has it, they fired these(as well as the heavy mortars) from the shoulder..

[@13infbatt]

I’ve seen pics of this mounted on Chevy trucks used by Long range desert patrols in North Africa , always wanted to see it, nice work Ian

[@crazysilly2914]

by isis?

[@Davemte34108]

@@crazysilly2914 WW2 British special ops.

[@mudcrab3420]

The 1:76 scale Matchbox model kit has one on the back of the truck. Younger me took ages to realise it wasn't the 303 version.

[@Williestyle-RobotechxMacross-x]

Yes, this and the Vickers K guns that were also used by SAS in the North Africa theater were always interesting to see.

[@H4CK61]

My grandfather used this in the LRDG and was also on the bofors gun truck.

[@maxkennedy8075]

“Ok, we need a bigger heavy machine gun. Any ideas?” *Gets picture of vickers gun in photoshop, Clicks on the image and expands it by about 50%* “I got it”

[@Cacowninja]

Bruh. That would be a major "Bruh" moment.

[@KageRyuu6]

Great Scott! Who let a Welshman in here! Shoo I say shoo!"

[@jic1]

To be fair, substitute M1917 for Vickers gun and you have the genesis of the .50 Browning machine guns.

[@geodkyt]

The ".30 versus .50" argument over aircraft mounted guns continued even into the metal skinned monoplane era. And (surprisingly and counterintuitivly), the British arguments that .50 didn't offer a significant improvement in terminal effectiveness round for round, no noticeable improvement in *effective* range in air to air combat, and the ability to mount more guns or more ammo in the same space and weight when you stuck with .30 *was* a huge advantage were still valid. Airplanes (even today) just aren't armored (aside from oddities like the modern A-10) sufficiently well to handle .30 bullets (and those that are are generally also able to shrug off .50 hits). And since the limiting factor in air to air combat witbout computer aiming assistance is *not* the ballistics, it is the inability for pilots and bomber gunners to generally *hit* past 100 (or sometimes 200) yards. Which is why most nations other than the US tended to jump right past .50 to a 20mm or larger automatic cannon. The light autocannons *do* provide a noticeable terminal effectiveness advantage over .30 and .50 guns, one that is worth the space and weight to replace at least some of the .30 guns with cannons, usually replacing multiple .30 guns with single light cannon.

[@BleedingUranium]

Yep. This is why you see most US WWII aircraft with lots of .50s, and very few with 20mms (P-38 comes to mind), most European aircraft on both sides used a mix of .30s and 20mms. Though later in the war most factions would replace those .30s with .50s (while keeping the cannons).

[@travishutchings7068]

The RAF evaluated both the Vickers .50 and the Browning .50 in the 1930's, but standardized on the Hispano 20mm as their weapon of choice. It took a while to get into service reliably, hence why the RAF went to war in 1939/40 with primarily 8x Browning 303 in their fighters. Once the belt feed Hispano was sorted out, in 1941, 4x 20mm became the standard RAF fighter armament, with the exception of the Spitfire, whose thin wing made it difficult to mount 4 cannons.

[@MrHrannsi]

@@travishutchings7068 There where versions of the Spitfire with 4 20mm Hispanos, for example the Mk. Vc. Take a note of the lette "c" here, that is the wing type and the kind of armament it could be configured with. So a quick rundown of Spitfire wing types and armament: A: 8 x .303 Browning B: 2 x 20mm Hispanos 4 x .303 Browning C: called the "Universal" wing, it could use A or B configuration, or 4 x 20mm Hispanos D: unarmed, used on long range recon Spits E: 4 x 20mm Hispanos or, 2 x 20mm Hispanos 2 x .50cal M2 Browning And, yes, I'm a nerd.

[@Kuschel_K]

True, but self sealing fuel tanks and armor plates made .30cal obsolete pretty quickly so the logical step was to replace them with .50cals. Of course 20mm cannons and larger where more weight efficient.

[@travishutchings7068]

The US Navy concluded that a single Hispano 20mm cannon was about equal in destructive affect to three M2 Browning .50 cals, but only weighed less than twice as much. The M2 Browning was an effective enough gun, it just had a large weight penalty for the average firepower it provided. Probably the best aircraft heavy machine gun was the Soviet Berezin UB, which weight almost half as much as a Browning, but fired a more powerful cartridge at a much higher rate of fire

[@HerrMann441]

Humans throughout history: Water is the lifeblood of our race. Hiram maxim: It can also be the instrument of death!

[@maverick9708]

gotta be careful with that dihydrogen monoxide

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

Chinese: We can torture you with it, and you WILL not like it...

[@House_of_Caine]

@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 Americans: Hold mah beer...

[@Ragnar1001]

@@maverick9708 oh yes, thats very dangerous 🤣🤣🤣

[@jasonreed1631]

Sailors since the beginning of history: Just figured that out did you?

[@vickersmg]

If you want to take a look at the Mark V variant, we have one in the collection and a video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpPQdIuca9CKmqs

[@kubrick1969]

You are obligued to invite Gun Jesus to your association RIGHT NOW.... You'll be blessed for him...

[@vickersmg]

@@kubrick1969 he’s more than welcome.

[@andersjjensen]

@@vickersmg Direct invitation please! :P He gets a TON of comments per video, so I suspect he won't see otherwise.

[@snidertom8971]

Nice 👍

[@H42-s8x]

This should be pinned

[@jakraziel]

My copies of Thorneycroft to SA80 and Chaspot to FAMAS just arrived an hour ago. They pictures look fantastic, looking forwards to reading.

[@RalphReagan]

Farout!

[@ChalkyRN]

I’ve seen a quad Mark III mount on ROYAL OAK in the Orkney’s. I wish I’d been able to see this before diving on it. They’re still loaded and an amazing sight.

[@swanner95]

@@josedorsaith5261 If I'm not mistaken, he's referring to HMS Royal Oak, which was sunk at the beginning of WW2 by an intrepid German submarine and crew. Which would be a war grave in or around Scapa Flow in the very north of Great Britain.

[@victorwaddell6530]

@@swanner95 Wreck diving ?

[@swanner95]

@@victorwaddell6530 If he's being serious, yes, you would have to dive to see the Royal Oak as it is a sunken battleship. Although it should be a war grave, it was lost with about 800 hands.

[@ChalkyRN]

@@swanner95 yes, I dived on ROYAL OAK when we changed her ensign in 2010 (I was a RN Clearance Diver). She’s rolled over at about 160 degrees. The quad mount is at the base of the bridge structure.

[@mikepette4422]

Nearly ALL pre -war Royal NAvy vessels had .50 cal Vickers as part of their light AA suite, Either in Singles Twins or Quad mounts. Most were being replaced even as the war was beginning but of course the process took time and even in 1945 there were still some of these Vickers .50's kicking around. However, everyone knew they needed 20mm Oerlikons at minimum as the speed and size of aircraft in WWII had quickly far outstripped the .50's usefulness.

[@turbogerbil2935]

A majority of the tanks in the BEF had these as their main armament during the Battle of France. By all accounts the guns were extremely effective against the majority of targets they encountered, less for the (relatively small numbers of) Panzer III and IV.

[@simongaudin2506]

A pair of Matilda I's got in and amongst a German motorised column in 1940 & caused no end of havoc before withdrawing having run out of ammunition. Remember the majority tanks in German service in 1940 where Panzer I, II & 35/38(t)'s none of which had the armour to survive lots of hits from a .50 or a weapon which could do much damage to a Matilda I with its very thick armour unless it was a lucky shot. Panzer IV's where mostly still used to support infantry and Panzer III had the same gun as the 35/38(t) at this stage.

[@ethantaylor9613]

Probably pound for pound one of the best early machine gun design families.

[@ozdavemcgee2079]

Undoubtedly. I forget gigures but Brit Army decided when they were retired to just shoot a couple. I think 3? Or 7? Days 24hr firing. Worked fine with no depreciable signs of war even with continuous firing. As fun as it would be, just imagine having to do a few 8hr shifts be boring as dog shite after a bit

[@ParanoidCarrot]

just because it weighs a lot does not make it superior

[@historysimplified4075]

@@ParanoidCarrot it’s not supposed to be carried around…

[@beargillium2369]

Sterling 😆

[@JCGver]

@@ozdavemcgee2079 I read a article about that. they took a fresh rebuilt vickers, and belt dumped 5 million rounds through it, only stopping to load a new belt and to replace the barrel once it was worn out (every 90 minutes), this took 7 days. After the 5 million rounds they took it apart and measured everything: It was all still within spec.

[@maxkronader5225]

I would love to see Ian do a video on the prototype Rolls Royce WWII heavy machine gun chambered in .55 Boys. I believe there is still one extant in the UK.

[@MEGALODONGERS]

It should be mentioned that .50 Vickers was developed from .600 Nitro Express. The Eley brothers originally necked down the cartridge to .50-caliber (designated .600/.500) for use in an anti-tank rifle developed by Philip Godsal just prior to Armistice. This cartridge was further developed for use with the Vickers machine gun shown here (designated .50 Vickers).

[@huckstirred7112]

wow , I never new that

[@johnpaulvanson5170]

Made me look up the MkIII and was rewarded by photos of the goofy looking quad mount the Royal Navy came up with for it.

[@51WCDodge]

Peter Scott's 'Battle of the Narrow seas' mentions them on Coastal Craft including SGB and trawlers.

[@wesleygay8918]

Which sounds fantastically British, I will have to look that up.

[@BleedingUranium]

Oh wow, I wasn't expecting them to be all lined up vertically hahahaha

[@proph7543]

Honestly I think that it looks very cool.

[@stevelewis7263]

" Well PUNK in all this excitement I can't remember if I fired 400 shots or 500 shots, and seeing this is a .50 calibre tank gun the most powerful gun in the world and will blow your head clean off your shoulders, I'm asking myself DO YOU FEEL LUCKY PUNK, well DO YOU"

[@incapableunicorn8252]

The perfect combination of brass, hardwood and blued steel. Beautiful gun.

[@bitterdrinker]

The machining on guns of this era really is beautiful and presumably all done by hand.

[@davidray6962]

Was somewhat surprised that Ian didn't mention the .50 Vickers cartridge saw much wider use than the .50 Vickers gun - it's virtually identical to the cartridge used in the French, Italian, and Japanese 12.7mm guns (I can't remember if it's the British or the French/Italian/Japanese version that's semi-rimmed, but the rimless one could be used in all those guns).

[@jameslawrie3807]

You've just sent me down a rabbit hole of French, Italian, and Japanese 12.7mm history

[@sawyerawr5783]

as far as I know the Japanese used 13.2mm Hotchkiss-style cartridges. all their naval heavy MGs certainly did, and the later Zeros usually traded at least one of the cowling-mounted 7.7mms for a 13.2 late war.

[@mccarthy5825]

I love when I see comments from well read, interesting and cool people like yourself who can educate me and send me down a rabbit hole of learning. 👍 Thank you!

[@davidray6962]

@@sawyerawr5783 the Japanese used the Ho-103 aircraft gun, which chambered the 12.7x81mm - which most literature refers to as a Breda cartridge. If you look at the literature on Breda 12.7 guns, you will eventually find they were chambered for a ".5 Vickers export" cartridge. So, the Japanese got it from the Italians, the Italians got it from the British. It's been too long for me to remember where I think the French come in.

[@yangcheng-jyun8542]

It's Ho-103, a .50 Vickers caliber Browning machine gun. The Japanese even developed an effective explosive loading for the cartridge

[@Sandydog329]

When my father was stationed in India with the British Army, Sherwood Foresters, in 1936 patrolling the mountainous regions of the Northern Territories they carried the Vickers machine guns on mules.

[@johnfisk811]

My father saw them doing the same in Italy in 1943.

[@foznoth]

Some of these would have been lost in France at the withdrawal at Dunkerque. Approx 1 in 3 A11 Matilda I tank were fitted with this, the other 2/3 had the .303 Vickers.

[@mudcrab3420]

The main naval mount was a quad beast and, if I am informed correctly, the guns were angled off slightly from each other to increase the spread. From all accounts they aged quickly as aircraft got bigger and faster and these mounts were replaced by 20mm cannons on RN and commonwealth ships as soon as the 20mm weapons became available. Due to refit cycles you will find evidence of these quad mounts still on ships for a lot longer than they should have been as well as on the more second line ships (minesweapers, boom defences vessels) until the end of the war. The guns in a powered(?) twin mount were also used on RN MTB/MGBs for most, if not all, of the war. Always liked the this gun. I know it wasn't completely impressive as a performer but I like the Interwar/Early War armoured vehicles. Good vid :)

[@johnhall3824]

I love how, in other videos like this one, he just happens to have a .303 Vickers feed block handy to compare for us. Bloody legend, he is.

[@evanacey1414]

This thing epitomizes the steampunk aesthetic..

[@culshie]

Damn I was just thinking that, Airships bristling with them like Israeli A.P.C.s.

[@gabrielkeeling59]

You can pretty much smell the steampunk coming off of that gun

[@jackhacker5738]

*Dieselpunk. Steampunk is late victorian style and this was made post-1910, which to me is the end of the steampunk style.

[@gabrielkeeling59]

@@jackhacker5738 you're not wrong

[@andersjjensen]

@@jackhacker5738 You're factually correct, but the big brass feed block just makes this visually more in line with how classic steam punk is usually portrayed.

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

I've been really hoping he would cover this weapon someday it's really cool

[@Twirlyhead]

I say, Mr Vickers ! You've been working out.

[@mcp8063]

Thanks for making these videos all these years, It’s really interesting to see history from the engineering and technical aspect that history of firearms presented in your style provide.

[@dylanmilne6683]

Hard to find much on these guns. Thank you Ian.

[@MegadethTillDeth]

How do these videos never get old? Man I love history, and firearms. I need way more firearms.

[@ianforder2886]

The Vickers .50, for when you want your gun to weigh more than your tank!

[@Foobar888]

Ian we gotta watch you shoot this standing up terminator style!

[@beargillium2369]

Ikr?! With a mag dump

[@MarvinCZ]

At 63 pounds, I'd be very impressed.

[@peppercorn9022]

Vickers machine gun : ma deuce I’m going to tell you what finally happened to your father vickers mk iv

[@minhducnguyen9276]

It has electrolyte, that's what guns crave.

[@astridvallati4762]

This example Mismatched Feed block; "VA" marking, Vickers Armstrong, an Interwar Merger, which became Vickers Ltd. After WWII. Armstrong was a Locomotive, large Ordnance, and Shipbuilder in Northern England. VA followed " VSM" Vickers Sons & Maxim of WWI. Doc AV

[@BBHexKey]

That must be one hell of an acrylic base to be able to hold up a 55lb gun.

[@DAUGHTEROFBABYLON]

That's interesting, an "Acrylic" base.. Yes (with heavy sarcasm) they found it was absolutely necessary because the typical "white-wash" just didn't last but a couple of days with the sea air and all. It is after all quite difficult to fight a proper war while abiding by the currant Eco standards of All paints having to be water based.

[@JimYeats]

@@DAUGHTEROFBABYLON What in the hell are you talking about? The OP was just referring to the little plastic (likely acrylic) base that was holding the gun while Ian was displaying it.

[@Pilot4prophet661]

I'm happy to see your library on display, I see quite a few titles that we share.

[@robstone4537]

During the Angolan Bush war in the 80’s the South African army had some of these in fixed bunker positions in forward operating bases. As far as I can recall (I might be wrong because I never fired one, I only saw them and it was 30 years ago) they had been rechambered for 12.7x99 NATO. I was quite surprised when I saw them as I considered myself a bit of a gun buff and had never heard of a .50 cal Vickers so I went to have a good look at them. They were pretty devastating in the sustained fire roll. They had a distinctively different sound to a 50 cal browning, a much slower rate of fire but could fire very long bursts.

[@mikepette4422]

So glad you brought this to us. I've always liked the .50 cal Vickers. I find it such a curiosity and also I'm a tank nut as many of us are I am sure but I had an obsession with the little British Light Tank series, especially the final version the Mark VI C with the 15mm Besa gun. I just get such a kick out of seeing these nearly useless armoured vehicles racing across the desert But of course they began with an earlier version which Ian shows in the video carrying the Vickers .50 cal and also a .303 for fun. Can't say why but I just love those little weird tanks and these guns are of course part of their development

[@oliverreeder5991]

"Nearly useless" is a bit unkind, as they were vastly superior to the PzKpfw I and the CV33/35. Even the elderly Rolls Royce armoured cars of 11th Hussars routinely outgunned the CV33s in Libya.

[@Bigrignohio]

That grip safety is an interesting feature. Not sure I have ever seen anything like it.

[@Lockbar]

Incredable machining. Those machinists earned thier money.

[@bobthompson4319]

The side opening top cover seems like it would be better then the forward opening ones for a scope to stay sighted in. Because this has more contact area to keep it from warping or bending.

[@OntarioRimrunner]

The .5 Vickers on the Vickers Light Tank Mk. VI was used in the Western Desert until 1942. Many of the Mk. VIs in France in 1940 lacked their .5s or the .5s were only mounted on the tanks after they arrived in France. Some served with a sheet of plywood until the guns arrived.

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

Just shows how ahead of its time the M2 was.

[@dbsommers1]

An iconic look to that weapon. Lots of info.

[@jameslawrie3807]

You often see on early armoured cars protective 'ears' on the turrets that covered the sides of the water jacket like on the Great War cars such as the Austin and the Garford Putilov. So while the gun is quite light the actual mounting can be pretty heavy. I think those 'ears' were long gone by the time of the Mark III though.

[@bjorntrollgesicht1144]

This looks like an end tier gun from some post apo, or dieselpunk game. I love it.

[@Subsidiarity3]

Great to see a rather forgotten weapon. I don't think I'd ever heard of these.

[@brucelee3388]

Vickers made a .45" Vickers/Maxim MG before WW1. I think the major purchaser was the Royal Navy for anti-torpedo boat duty, but the Royal Navy Air Service did fit them to fighter aircraft. The cartridge was known as .45 British Machine Gun (I can see confusing acronyms) was a long, semi rimmed tapered thing.

[@demonprinces17]

Didn't Ian do a video on one? Sounds familiar

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

To me a Beeza was a motorcycle brand and air rifle manufacturer. When you say Beeza, I always see one of the old B40 army dispatch bikes. Of which I owned two. My first street legal bike was a Beeza Starfire 250cc.

[@lordofthemfl9899]

Water is *cool*

[@alexwest2573]

Real hero here is that stand for holding that huge tank mg

[@5150warpig]

i think my fav thing about vickers. is just how well it can scale to damn near any caliber

[@johncashwell1024]

That is definitely a rare bit of kit and certainly a "Forgotten Weapon".

[@AFAHeavyGunner65]

Now I want a hand held Vickers IV .50 cal in fallout 4. If anyone can make a weapon mod on this gun, I would be forever grateful, with an ammo backpack, and an equip animation when you find it, like neeher with his weapon mods. It would take .50 cal of course, with custom sound and reload animations.

[@nathanridgway7009]

Never knew this big dog existed. Fascinating video. Thanks Ian!

[@andrewwoodhead3141]

As I write this I am sitting in my hotel room , watching Ian playing with his vickers gun. I am quite naked...

[@SergeantSarge]

Always loved just how over-engineered the early machine guns were!

[@jfakoggl]

I wonder when and why Ian stopped reviewing guns which come up for auction with Rock Island Auctions. I follow their auctions and they still have tremendous stuff.

[@ScottKenny1978]

KZbin kinda lost their mind, they don't like it when someone shows a firearm for sale.

[@iododendron3416]

I think he makes videos in bulk and releases them later. Maybe it's the same with this auction.

[@GamerGuy1157]

I think it's because RIA have their own KZbin channel

[@MortRotu]

I think Scott got it right, RIA has had their own channel for years. Ian does.make them in bulk but I don't think he lives close to RIA so travel restrictions because of Covid may be a thing too. I do recall Ian saying if you want to see this listing head over to Forgotten Weapons in prior videos though.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

We decided to parts ways over professional differences.

[@51WCDodge]

A vickers version 'The Bigger Hammer'. I've heard of .5 Vickers, on MGB, MTB, SGB and trawlers for years. But never seen one till now.

[@MarvinCZ]

8:30 I think there's a mistake here. Don't the spent casings come out the bottom-front of the gun? This port should be just for the empty belt.

[@romanbrough]

I seem to recollect that these were used as vehicle mounted weapons on raids behind Italian and then German lines in the Western Desert. They could penetrate any Italian armoured vehicles and most of the lighter German ones.

[@lucius6667]

Always been curious about these since I first heard about them being used on inter war tanks

[@Eledore]

Ok hold up. 8:34 'for the empty spend casings' Then what is that ejector tube for at 6:48?. I believe you mean the ejection side for the belt

[@davidmunro3910]

I also was confused.

[@blackstone777]

Space orks: "oi! Needs more dakka!"

[@CZ350tuner]

Used in the following British AFVs: Lanchester armoured car. Guy armoured car. Vickers Infantry Tank A11 Matilda I (sole armament). Vickers Light Tank Mk.VIa Vickers Light Tank Mk.VIb

[@davidcollishaw2771]

So shoulder stock, single shot and a 50 round belt for patrolling with the coolant tank on your back to balance the load. Slap a few rails on it to pimp it up.

[@eljamo93]

These weapons are terrifying. It’s great that Ian can talk about them in a way that puts me to sleep like a baby…

[@romanbrough]

The SAS used these with some success against Italian tanks But there seemed to have a shortage of ammunition. They would have been devastating in the Malayan and Burmese campaigns.

[@romanbrough]

@@zoiders That's accurate. My point being that the gun was very effective against light armour. If these had been available in numbers in Malaya and Burma used in, for example, Bren Carriers, they would have been effective against Japanese tanks.

[@marcstirrup9262]

Pretty sure there is a reference (Calvert?) to the Chindits having scrounged a few of these from the Indian Army for the White City battle, before Stilwell was able to supply them with M2’s.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

@@zoiders the first SAS ops were in North Africa in WWII

[@TheNextGreatApe]

Seriously though, as an engineer it's hard for me not to admire the sheer design and workmanship.

[@AlexHernandez-uh5oi]

Vanguard death machine, I love how call of duty comes out with new games and every time they do I get recommended videos on the new guns they feature

[@kevinoliver3083]

The Commonwealth navies used .5 Vickers guns, it twin power turrets on MTBs (PT-Boats), MGBs and ML throughout WW2.

[@literallyjudas2157]

VIckers .303, Vickers .50, and a Pom-Pom. The vickers is just the pokemon of guns

[@TheArklyte]

Ian, can you make a video on Italian 12.7/13.2/14mm HMGs and specifically on career of Scotti?

[@maggotpudding]

Now that's a gun I'd pay good money to get.

[@adamhauskins6407]

Then pay up 4 it

[@beargillium2369]

Good money just won't cut it, try dirty 🤑

[@828enigma6]

What about ammo? Likely not made in years.

[@josiahgibson6373]

Acrylic stand: I'm strong enough for you to display a full sized rifle on me! Ian: Hold my Vickers tank gun.

[@andrewcomerford9411]

IIRC, quite a few Matilda Is were equipped with this weapon, as an alternative to the .303, but the story of the Matilda I ended at Dunkirk.

[@modulo3664]

You above even The Vick. I hereby award you the title of Big Vick.

[@alexanderthomas2660]

3:21 That reminds me a lot of Grübers little tank from Allo Allo…

[@nicolatesla9429]

At some point in the '20s Vickers adapted the cartridge a tiny bit by making it Semi Rimmed, and in that form this caliber eventually found its way into the Italian Air Force and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.

[@sandwhich1050]

Seeing the pistol grip makes me think the ergonomics would make this thing a nightmare to shoot. Plus, as a non-shooter, that grip safety doesn't seem super comfortable/practical. Probably wrong on a couple of accounts but if given the choice between this and an M2 to shoot, I'd pick the M2.

[@ulissedazante5748]

I can see why they came up with this contraption. The gunner/commander had to push around the turret with his shoulder. He had to tug on the pistol grip to have leverage to move the turret right or left. The safety avoided any accidental discharge.

[@sandwhich1050]

@@ulissedazante5748 Yeah I can see that making sense. Unfortunately Ian isn't in a position to show us how the weapon would be mounted and then my comments would be moot because we would have a bit more context for some of the design choices.

[@mrkrabber5319]

You've heard of the biggest iron, but wait till you see the comically large Vickers gun

[@leepeel7129]

Not hiding, Ian. You're accompanying the large machine gun.

[@stevelewis7263]

I'd love to see the shoulder holster for it..." That's not a gun...THIS is a gun"

[@Siarawaszympanemjest]

That's a very brave plexi stand.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Ian .

[@TheNextGreatApe]

Hey, a shoulder stock and a folding bipod on the front and you're the talk of the club range!

[@erikm12]

Looks like Bookshelf Guy is really starting to give Fireplace Guy a run for his money!

[@Ashfielder]

.50 cal Vickers? Now that’s what we refer to as the Thiccers.

[@PitFriend1]

Was the shoulder stock for that Mk. IV version a rifle type stock or a shoulder rest that just sat on top of the gunner’s shoulder? Many early British tanks and other armored vehicles didn’t have a mechanical elevation system for the guns, the gunner would just hook the rest over his shoulder and use muscle power to elevate or depress it. If they used that system for guns up to the 2 Pounder/40mm tank guns that’s probably the style the smaller ones used as well.

[@dksdg]

The only known example in the US, thank you gun Jesus

[@ramal5708]

I guess they filled the water cooler of the Machine Gun with Tea

[@impguardwarhamer]

Very interesting, I wasn't aware the .50 cartridge in these wasn't the same as the Browning one. If you ever get a chance to look at the 15mm besa I'd love to hear more about that.

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

Nice thing about water cooled is as long as you can keep water on that barrel you can just keep running it until yea run out bullets to shoot

[@sixstringedthing]

The gun itself appears to be built like a tank, very appropriate. :) Wasn't expecting to hear that the cooling water alone added 10 pounds (~4.5kg) to the mass of the gun. That's one chunky barrel jacket!

[@danhill6333]

Awesome piece of history. Thanks Ian.

[@NJPurling]

So absolutely no chance of getting ammunition to take the old beast for a workout at Knob Creek.

[@SafetyProMalta]

"Damned unsporting, what!"

[@KyriosMirage]

I'm always up for new Vickers variants!