This page includes the handbooks, which are often technical, for the Vickers MG and associated equipment. The handbooks for the commercial sales of Vickers MGs are on the Commercial Guides page.
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.
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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.
An addendum to the handbook for Rangefinder, Infantry, No 2, 1913 was authorised by Army Order 195 of May 1915.
Pre-First World War (up to 1913)

Handbook for 0.303″ Maxim Machine Gun
1901, War Office
One of the earliest manuals in the collection, dating from 1901, and covering the Vickers’ predecessor: the Maxim.
It fully describes the Mark IV tripods’ predecessors as well.
First World War (1914-1919)

Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine Gun (Magazine Rifle Chamber) Mounted on Tripod Mounting, Mark IV
1914, United Kingdom
This is the first complete handbook printed for the Vickers machine gun, including the tripod. The Maxim was still in service at this point in .45-inch, hence the reference to Magazine Rifle Chamber. Authorised by Army Order 50 of January 1915.
Amendments were approved and distributed by Army Order 238 of June 1915.
An addendum was approved and issued by Army Order 77 of February 1916. It was priced at one pence (A.O. 109 of March 1916).
Low resolution PDF download: 6,618 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook of the Range-Finder, Infantry, No. 2 (Barr & Stroud)
1916, United Kingdom
The instruction and use handbook for the range-finder that would stay in service with the Vickers until it was declared obsolete. This is the infantry range-finder that would later be re-designated the No. 12 to distinguish it from the artillery range-finder that was longer (a 1 metre base).
Low resolution PDF download: 10,279 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook of the Vickers Machine Gun Model of 1915 with Pack Outfits and Accessories, 1917
July 1st 1917, United States of America
The US Army manual for the Model 1915 Vickers machine gun that was manufactured by Colt. This particular handbook also includes the packsaddlery and accessories issued with the gun.
Low resolution PDF download: 13,287 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine Gun (Magazine Rifle Chamber) Mounted on Tripod Mounting, Mark IV
1917, United Kingdom
An updated version of the 1914 manual, covering all technical aspects of the Vickers machine gun in British service, as well as a number of the accessories and the limbered wagon.
Low resolution PDF download: 4.317 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine Gun Mounted on Tripod Mounting, Mark IV
April 1918, United Kingdom
The next issue of the handbooks was in April 1918. It continues the majority of the content of the 1917 manual.
Low resolution PDF download: 17,201 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon


Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine Gun Mounted on Tripod Mounting, Mark IV
September 1918, United Kingdom
This is September reprint of the April, 1918, manual. It’s the last wartime handbook known to be printed.
Low resolution PDF download: 22,072 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook of “C.C.” Interrupter Gear. Types A, A1 and B. (Constantinesco Fire Control Timing Gear)
March 1918 (Second Edition), United Kingdom
The Constantinesco gear was the mechanical equipment that enable Vickers machine guns to fire through the propeller blades of aircraft. It synchronised the engine with the rate of fire.
Low resolution PDF download: 2,666 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook on the Vickers Gun
1919, United Kingdom
This is the Royal Air Force‘s handbook on the Vickers. They were using the Mk I ‘ground’ gun alongside the Mk I* and Mk II guns for aircraft.
Low resolution PDF download: 6,911 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Inter-War Period (1920-1938)

Addendum to Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine Gun (Mounted on Tripod Mounting, Mark IV)
1920, United Kingdom
An addendum covering ‘Notes on Care and Adjustment of the Mark IV Tripod. Detailed descriptions of the components and how to maintain them.
Low resolution PDF download: 2,056 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine Gun (Mounted on Tripod Mounting, Mark IV)
1923, British Army
The full technical handbook of the Vickers machine gun as it was after the Great War. This particular example is named to a unit of the Royal Tank Corps.
Low resolution PDF handbook: 4,881 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine Gun and Tripod Mounting, Mark IV
1930, British Army
Possibly the most commonly found of the pre-Second World War Vickers machine gun manuals and handbooks. This is know to have been used by the Irish Army as well, with some examples merely being over-stamped on the cover but nothing else changed.
Low resolution PDF download: 12,206 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook for the .303-inch Vickers Machine Gun, 1930, Supplement
1930, British Army
A supplement for the 1930 handbook that covers the .5-inch Vickers machine gun (the Mk II was in service) and the Mark IV and IV* tank machine guns.
Low resolution PDF download: 3,103 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook for the .303-in. Vickers Machine and Tripod Mounting, Mark IV, 1930, Supplement No. 2
1931, British Army
A supplement covering ‘Description and Testing of Instruments used in conjunction with the .303-in. Vickers machine gun.
Low resolution PDF download: 1.18 MB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Training in the Use of the Infantry Range-Finder
1931, War Office
Coming soon!

Handbook of the Range-Finder Infantry No. 2 (Barr & Stroud)
1933, War Office
If you have a rangefinder in your collection, or perhaps in your sphere of research, then this handbook will help you understand the complexity of it: very!
You can of course watch our series on YouTube as well https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdJVnNwvpcfWcWkKbb3cP1dSjW5Fe8V23

Handbook of the Range-Finder Infantry No. 12 (Marks III, III*, IV, IV*, IV**, and V)
1933, British Army
The technical handbook on the later marks of the Barr & Stroud range-finder used alongside the Vickers machine gun.
Low resolution PDF download: 3,954 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Air Publication 1641B, Volume I, Vickers .303-in. Gas Operated Mk I Guns, Descriptive Handbook (including amendments)
1938, Royal Air Force
This handbook covers the No 1 and No 2 Vickers Gas-Operated machine guns. The later amendments pasted in also cover the No 3 and No 4 guns. It provides a full description of the technical detail of the guns.
Low resolution PDF download: 1,799 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Handbook on Vickers-Armstrongs Automatic Gun Class “K”
1938, Vickers-Armstrongs Limited for Argentina
A bespoke handbook for the Vickers K when used on Argentine Destroyers. Produced in English by Vickers-Armstrongs in 1938.
Second World War (1939-1945)

Machine Gun Handbook (Technical), Volume I, Pamphlet No. 1 – Vickers .303-in. and .5-in. Machine Guns and Appurtenances
1940, British Army
The last technical handbook to be issued for the Vickers machine guns, covering a lot of the accessories as well and the range of guns in service at the time of publication. It is published for armourers and equipment repairers to use.
Low resolution PDF download: 11,087 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Machine Gun Handbook (Technical), Volume I, Pamphlet No. 2
1940, British Army
This second pamphlet of the technical volume covers the mountings, adapters and packsaddlery for the Vickers machine gun. It is published for armourers and equipment repairers to use.
Low resolution PDF download: 2,247 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Kaasutoimintainen tahystajakonekivaari Vickers Kal. 7,70 mm. (.303′) [Vickers GO Gun]
1943, Finland
A Finnish language version of the Vickers GO handbook, covering the use of the No 1 Mk I, No 2 Mk I and No 3 Mk I guns by air forces in the air and ground roles.
7,654 KB – low-resolution PDF download
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Air Publication 1641B, Volume I, Amendment No 4
1941, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force
This is the Australian reprint of an amendment to the Vickers Gas-Operated machine gun handbook AP 1641B.
Low resolution PDF download: 366 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon

Air Publication 1641B, Volume I, Amendment No 5
1941, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force
This is the Australian reprint of an amendment to the Vickers Gas-Operated machine gun handbook AP 1641B.
Low resolution PDF download: 367 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Sources
- The National Archives, WO 123/57, Army Orders 1915.
- The National Archives, WO 123/58, Army Orders 1916.