These low-resolution downloads are provided free-of-charge for the benefit of anyone that wants to know more about the use of the Vickers Machine Gun and know what the Machine Gunners would have known. Many are rare items not readily available so, if you find them useful, please support the development of this resource.
The majority of our downloads and online versions are provided free-of-charge for the benefit of anyone that wants to know more about the use of the Vickers Machine Gun and read what the Machine Gunners would have known. Many are rare items not readily available so, if you find them useful, please support the development of this resource. The archive now includes a wider range of associated documents so indirectly related to machine gunner. We hope you find it interesting.
By supporting the Association through Patreon, you are supporting the website fees that will enable us to have high-resolution versions online as well as receiving extended previews of our uploads and access to the original image scans. All donations are truly appreciated.
If you’d prefer to only give on a one-off basis, then go to PayPal or BuyMeACoffee and make a donation there.
All of the manuals are sorted in date order, with some exceptions where it is appropriate to group similar manuals, such as the Small Arms Training series.
1908 to 1919
The nomenclature and instructions during the period of the first introduction of the Vickers were captured in a pamphlet titled .303-inch Machine Guns and Small Arms.
Instructions for Armourers, 1912, Reprinted with amendments
1916, United Kingdom
This manual provides the armourers’ instructions for small arms maintenance, bicycles, carriages and machine guns; however, it doesn’t cover the Vickers or the Lewis as they were not yet included, even by the 1916 amendments which only included the Maxim.
Low-resolution PDF download: 6,874 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
There was a revision to the pamphlet titled .303-inch Machine Guns and Small Arms in September 1917 (Army Order 591).
1919 to 1938
D.D.(E). 871
1927, United Kingdom
Instructions to guide local adjustment and repair of Mountings, Tripod, .303-inch M.G., Mk. IV – from Instructions for Armourers.
D.D.(E). 1000
1928, United Kingdom
Mounting, Tripod, .303-in. Mk. G. Mk. IV., Wheel, Elevating, B. – Instructions for the Modification of Wheels, Elevating, A. to B. Pattern – from Instructions for Armourers.
Section C1 of the Vocabulary of Army Ordnance Stores was issued by virtue of Army Order 204 of 1935. It was replaced by the 1942 edition available below.
Instructions for Armourers, 1931
1938, United Kingdom
This is the book of Instructions for Armourers that contains details on all the weapons in service at the time, and bicycles. Includes the rifle, revolver, sword, bayonet, Lewis light machine gun and, of course, the Vickers MG. It has been updated to 1938 with pasted in amendments.
Low-resolution PDF download: 13,852 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Small Arms Identification Drawing 2062
1931, United Kingdom
Gun, Machine, Vickers, .303-in., Mk. I – from Instructions for Armourers. It’s a scaled drawing so suitable for simple design and construction.
Small Arms Identification Drawing 2041
1931, United Kingdom
Mounting, Tripod, .303-inch M.G., Mk. IV; Mount, Field, Lewis, .303-inch, M.G. Mk. III; Mounting, Tripod, Hotchkiss .303-inch, Mks. II* and II** – from Instructions for Armourers. It’s a scaled drawing so suitable for simple design and construction.
1939 to 1975
Army Council Instruction 1265 of 16 October 1940 notified that the Identification List of Rangefinders, No. 12 and No. 14 Instrument Stand, 1939 was issued.
Small Arms Identification Lists, C.1. American: Guns, Machine, Vickers .30-in. U.S.A., Mk. I and Mountings
1941, United Kingdom
The illustrated parts list for the M1915 Vickers that was supplied to the UK Home Guard under the lend-lease scheme.
Low-resolution PDF download: 3,538 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Vocabulary of Army Ordnance Stores, Section C1: Machine Guns, Mountings and Appurtenances for Ground Service Use
February 1942, United Kingdom
The mid-war catalogue of all items relating to machine guns in British service, including the spares and accessories for the Vickers, as well as the Bren and Lewis in ground service.
Low resolution PDF download: 3.59 MB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Priced Vocabulary of Royal Air Force Equipment, Part 5, Machine Guns, Ordnance and Small Arms
1942, United Kingdom
A full list of the machine guns and small arms of the Royal Air Force in mid-Second World War. It includes the spares and accessories for those weapons as well. The sections covered are 7A – Lewis and Vickers machine guns, 7B – Small Arms, 7C – Ordnance and Ordnance Sights, etc., 7D – Hispano Guns, 7E – Browning Machine Guns, 7J – Vickers Gas Operated Machine Guns, 7K – Apparatus A.D.
Low resolution PDF download: 12.4 MB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Text Book of Ammunition: Pamphlet No. 5 – Small Arms Ammunition
1944, United Kingdom
Including information on the .303-inch ammunition used with the Vickers Machine Gun – the Mark 7 and Mark 8z – as well as the .5-inch Vickers, the 7.92mm Besa and all of the other small arms in service at the time of publication. Great diagrams and information tables too.
Available for Patrons at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/text-book-of-49058321
Identification List – Gun, Machine, Vickers .303-in., Mk. I and Mounting Tripod, .303-in. M.G., Mk.IVB
1945, Australia
An illustrated parts list, that has been reproduced commercially (available from Amazon), and shows the components of the gun as well as the accessories in use in 1945 by the Australians.
Low resolution PDF download: 5,372 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Identification List for Gun, Machine, Vickers .303-inch, Mark I on Mounting, Tripod, .303-inch M.G., Marks 4B & 5
1945, United Kingdom
The full illustrated parts list for the Vickers Mark I machine gun and the tripods in service at the end of the Second World War. Each illustration is annotated and the key shows the parts number and full nomenclature of the part.
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Identification List for Gun, Machine, Vickers .303-inch, Mark I on Mounting, Tripod, .303-inch M.G., Marks 4B & 5 – Amendment No 1
1945, United Kingdom
The first amendment to the 1945 illustration parts list that covers changes to the dial sight components.
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Vickers M.G. (.303-in.) Data Summary
1945, Canada
A summary of the characteristics of the Vickers Mk I as used in Canadian Service. Printed for the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – the Canadian equivalent of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – who provided the armourers to overhaul and repair the guns.
Low resolution PDF download: 340 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Identification List for Gun, Machine, Vickers .303-inch, Mark I on Mounting, Tripod, .303-inch M.G., Marks 4B & 5 – Amendment No 2
1946, United Kingdom
The second amendment to the 1945 illustrated parts list and this covers the components of the monopod.
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Course Folder: ‘Electrical and Mechanical Regulations’ and Advanced Theory for Armourers
1947 to 1954, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Coming soon!
Armourers’ Wing Precis No. SA/32 – Guns M/C Vickers .303″ Mk 1
1947, Royal Electrical and Mechnical Engineers
Coming soon!
Identification List For Gun, Machine, Vickers, .303-in., Mark 1 On Mounting, Tripod, .303-in., M.G., Mark 4B
1949, United Kingdom
An illustration list for identifying components and accessories in post-war British service.
Low resolution PDF download: 6,711 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Vocabulary of Army Ordnance Stores, Section C1, Machine Guns, Mountings and Appurtenances for Ground Service Use
1949, United Kingdom
A full list of all machine gun equipment in service in 1949, including the Vickers, Bren, Lewis, Besa and other ground service guns and their accessories.
Low resolution PDF download: 5.99 MB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Vocabulary of Army Ordnance Stores, Section Q1, S.A.A. and Machine Gun Ammunition, Shell Fuzes, Tubes, Primers, Fireworks (Explosives)
1950, United Kingdom
The catalogue for ammunition in the immediate post-War and Korea period showing the diversity of ammunition supplies at that time.
Low resolution PDF download: 3.08 MB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Armourers’ Wing Precis – Volume II
1950s, United Kingdom
A comprehensive armourers’ training manual for the REME Technical Training School in the British Army of the Rhine, Germany, from the late 1940s or early 1950s. It includes the Vickers GO as well the Lee-Enfield rifles, Sten machine carbines and various pistols.
Low resolution PDF download: 15.2 MB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Air Publication 1641P, Volume 1, Parts 1 and 3: Small Arms and Ground Defence Weapons.
1950s and 1960s, Royal Air Force
This is the Royal Air Force manual on various small arms. Part 1 – Leading Particulars and General Information; Part 3 – Fault Diagnosis.
Coming soon!
Air Publication 1641P, Volume 6: Small Arms and Ground Defence Weapons – Repair and Reconditioning Instructions
1950s and 1960s, Royal Air Force
This is the Royal Air Force manual on various small arms. It’s for repair and reconditioning and covers all arms in service with numerous amendments up to the 1960s.
Rifle 7.62mm: Component sketches
1950s, United Kingdom
This is a bound volume of sketches of each component of the Self-Loading Rifle that would enter British Army service as the L1A1. It doesn’t include dimensions but they are scaled and with the drawing numbers. It is from the Royal S
Gun, Machine, .303-inch, Vickers, Mark I
1954, United Kingdom
An Amendment issue for the 1949 Illustrated Parts List, it includes exploded diagrams of the gun and tripod showing the component parts.
Low resolution PDF download: 4,427 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Combined Maintenance Scale and Provision Schedule
1958, Australia
This document details the number of items and components needed to keep the Vickers Mk I in service. The quantities are tabulated depending on the number of guns for which the unit is responsible. It’s written for the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – the Australian equivalent of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Low resolution PDF download: 6,129 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Small Arms Ammunition Proof Manual
1959, War Office
Coming soon!
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Instructions
1963, Australia
Detailed instructions for armourers for maintenance and alterations to the Vickers Mk I. It’s written for the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – the Australian equivalent of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Low resolution PDF download: 6,593 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Identification List For Gun, Machine, Vickers, .303-in., Mark 1 on Mounting, Tripod, .303-in., M.G., Mark 4B
1975, Iraq
An Arabic print of the 1949 Illustrated Parts List, issued to Iraqi troops and recovered by the British Army in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. It was found in a bunker near Basra and donated to the VMGCRA.
Low resolution PDF download: 9,629 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Sources
- The National Archives, WO 293/27 Army Council Instructions 1942 Part I.
The majority of our downloads and online versions are provided free-of-charge for the benefit of anyone that wants to know more about the use of the Vickers Machine Gun and read what the Machine Gunners would have known. Many are rare items not readily available so, if you find them useful, please support the development of this resource. The archive now includes a wider range of associated documents so indirectly related to machine gunner. We hope you find it interesting.
By supporting the Association through Patreon, you are supporting the website fees that will enable us to have high-resolution versions online as well as receiving extended previews of our uploads and access to the original image scans. All donations are truly appreciated.
If you’d prefer to only give on a one-off basis, then go to PayPal or BuyMeACoffee and make a donation there.
All of the manuals are sorted in date order, with some exceptions where it is appropriate to group similar manuals, such as the Small Arms Training series.
