The Vickers K, or Vickers Gas Operated (VGO) was a British machine gun originally developed for use on aircraft. Originally developed from the Vickers-Berthier machine gun, its high rate of fire was necessary as aircraft gunners had shorter windows of opportunity to shoot at other aircraft. Eventually phased out of service by the RAF in favor of the Browning M1919, the guns found new life with Recon and Commando units who liked its higher rate of fire and larger magazine capacity compared to the Bren. Surplus guns were also adopted by the Royal Navy to replace Lewis Guns on light craft.
