Large Technology Item, Vickers Machine Gun, Clinometer Gun Sight

The Vickers machine gun, also known as the Vickers gun, was a well-known British designed machine gun that saw extensive use during the early 20th century, including both World Wars Korea and Malaya.
The Vickers machine gun was chambered for the .303 British cartridge, which was the standard ammunition used by the Australian Army at the time. The Vickers gun operated on the principle of recoil, using a locked-breech, short-recoil action. It featured a heavy barrel that was water-cooled to prevent overheating during sustained fire. It had a cyclic rate of fire of approximately 450 to 500 rounds per minute. However, the gun was typically fired in short bursts or single shots to conserve ammunition and prevent overheating.

The Vickers gun used a fabric belt feed system to deliver ammunition to the weapon. The fabric belts could hold up to 250 rounds and were loaded into a metal feed block attached to the gun. The gun featured adjustable iron sights, including a front post sight and a rear aperture sight, which allowed for accurate aiming at various ranges.

The Vickers gun was heavy weighing around 33 kilograms without its tripod. It was typically mounted on a tripod for stability and could be disassembled into several parts for transport. The gun's tripod provided a stable platform for firing and was designed to be easily adjustable and manoeuverable It allowed for both traverse (horizontal movement) and elevation adjustments, enabling the gunner to engage targets at different angles.

The effective range of the Vickers gun was approximately 800 to 1,200 meters, although it could engage targets at longer distances with indirect fire when used in a sustained fire role. The Vickers gun was known for its reliability and durability, even under adverse conditions. Its robust design and use of water-cooling helped maintain a consistent rate of fire and prolonged the barrel's lifespan. The Vickers machine gun was primarily used as a medium machine gun, providing sustained fire support for infantry units. It could also be deployed in various other roles, such as anti-aircraft and anti-vehicle fire when mounted on appropriate mounts.