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.

Jul 13, 2017 · On 6th January, 1943, BSA renamed the BESAL the ‘Light Machine Gun, Faulkner, 0.303-In Mk1’ in order to prevent confusion with the 7.92x57mm BESA machine gun used in some British tanks.

The BESAL (abbreviated from Brno, Enfield, BSA, Light), also known as the Faulkner, was a British light machine gun developed by Birmingham Small Arms during World War II.

Aug 8, 2017 · The BESAL is a simplified redesign of the Bren light machine gun, developed by a BSA employee named Faulkner. The design of the gun was motivated by the disastrous retreat of the British Army from Dunkirk in 1940, where they abandoned a huge amount of weaponry and war material, including most of their Bren guns.

Aug 9, 2017 · The ‘Besal’ or ‘BESAL’ was, in essence, a simplified derivative of the British Bren, itself a variant of the Czech ZB-26 light machine gun (LMG). A British Small Arms Committee (SAC) minute of June 1940 established the requirement of a ‘Garage Hands Gun’ or what is typically referred to today as a ‘last-ditch’ gun (see Grant, 2013).

May 3, 2016 · In June 1940, right before the fall of France, the British Ordnance Board had sent out a memo requesting an easy-to-make light machine gun — a contingency in the event that the Germans bombed...

The Birmingham Small Arms company (BSA) were tasked with developing the design. BSA’s chief designer Henry Faulkner came up with a gun which became known as the Besal. The standards to which the Besal was to be produced were significantly lower than those of the standard Bren.

Mar 6, 2015 · The Birmingham Small Arms company (BSA) were tasked with developing the design. BSA’s chief designer Henry Faulkner came up with a gun which became known as the Besal. The standards to which the Besal was to be produced were significantly lower than those of the standard Bren.

May 12, 2021 · Page details technical specifications, development, and operational history of the BESAL (Gun, Light, Machine, Faulkner, .303-inch) Light Machine Gun (LMG) Prototype including pictures.

Apr 26, 2005 · Currently I am seeking any information about and of course pictures of the Besal machine-gun that was built in Britain before or in early period of the war. As I have heard it was to be a backup for the Bren, much simplier and cheaper than that.