The Besal, properly named "Gun, Light, Machine, Faulkner, .303-inch", was a light machine gun of British origin. The weapon was intended as an alternative to the Bren gun as it was lighter, simpler, cheaper and easier to manufacture and therefore was not dependent on the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield which was within range of German bombers. As the threat to the supply of Brens receded, it was eventually deemed unnecessary and never went into mass production.[1]

Besal
TypeLight machine gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
Used bystandby design
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerH. Faulkner
Designed1940
Specifications
Cartridge.303 British
Calibre.303 in (7.7 mm)
ActionGas-operated
Rate of fire600 rpm
Feed system30-round Bren-compatible magazines
SightsIron sights

The design was by Harry Faulkner of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, which also manufactured the larger Besa machine gun which like the Bren was a product of the pre-war Czech arms manufacturer. That weapon's name was a nickname for Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) and the Besal was to be a lighter version; a Besa-light. This was however not an official designation.

References

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  1. ^ Modern Small Arms” by Major Frederick Myatt, Salamander Books, 1978
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