![]() ![]() It also presented the appearance of good fairly automatic firepower, which is not to be discredited. It offered a good punch even though the ammunition was the standard 30.06 caliber. “It introduced a true capability of advancing rapid fire which gave a distinct advantage to infantry not having to wait for the advance of machine guns. This provided a lot more ammunition than what the enemy typically had – and moreover these were full-sized rifle cartridges.ĭort Cart, curator at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City explains, While its 20 round magazine may seem small by today's standards, it must be remembered that most bolt action rifles of the era held only five rounds – and even the British SMLE bolt action rifle held just 10. Val Browning, son of John Browning, posing in a March 1918 photo with his father's invention (Photo: Dreyfuss – Army Heritage and Education Center, Public Domain) “When the M1918 BAR was designed, it wasn't specifically for trench warfare but was intended as a ‘squad automatic weapon.' It was, literally, ‘state of the art' in 1918.” To clarify one point that is also largely misunderstood, unlike the German MP-18 submachine gun, the BAR was not actually built with trench warfare in mind.Įxplains gun historian and author Bruce Canfield, ![]() The BAR feeds from a double-column 20-round box magazine. The rifle's selector switch was located on the left side of its receiver and can be set to a manual safety (“S”) as well as semi-automatic (“F”) and full-automatic (“A”). It fired from the open bolt position and was gas-operated via a long-stroke piston rod. ![]() The M1918 BAR was designed as a selective fire, air-cooled automatic rifle. Other firms like Colt and Marlin-Rockwell Corp. The weapon went into production in 1918 – and because Colt was already facing production issues, the original contractor for the BAR became the Winchester Repeating Arms Company (WRAC). Army Signal Corps Collection:, Public Domain) The 100 Year Legacy of the BAR Begins Burton, the Winchester expert on rifles, discussing the finer points of the Browning Light Gun (BAR) at the Winchester Plant (Photo: U.S. Browning, the inventor of the gun, and Mr. Despite what some re-enactors today may suggest or what video games may imply it was never called a “bar” but rather was spelled out phoneticaly, “B-A-R.”Ī 1918 dated photo shows John M. 30, Automatic, Browning, M1918.” It was otherwise known as the Browning Automatic Rifle – BAR. To avoid confusion with the Browning M1917 machinegun the BMR was re-designated M1918 or more officially “ Rifle, Caliber. Army Ordnance Department at the Springfield Armory.Īmerican military planners liked what they saw and the BMR was unanimously recommended for immediate adoption. in 1917, the weapon underwent tests with the U.S. Following demonstrations to Congress in Washington, D.C. 30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge, the weapon was designed to be carried by infantrymen in an assault. That shoulder fired weapon was the Browning Machine Rifle, a weapon that ended up being a little more than a traditional automatic rifle but a little less than a light machine gun. ![]() 30 caliber machine-gun, the M1917 water cooled machine gun that greatly improved on the widely used Maxim design that was already responsible for untold deaths during the First World War. It should be noted that at the same time it should be noted that he was also working on the designs for the Browning. The latter can be credited to legendary weapon's designer John Browning – who was also considering the concept of walking fire as America prepared to send troops to France.īrowning understood the need for a walking fire weapon and developed one that was shoulder fired. From those conflicts came development of the Springfield 1903 bolt action rifle, which was based on the German Mauser K-98, and of course the now iconic Colt 1911. When the United States entered World War I in the spring of 1917 it was largely unprepared to go “Over There.” However it had (arguably) learned from its recent combat experience in both the Spanish-American War and subsequent Moro Rebellion. Both were far from ideal for moving across no man's land. The French developed the Chauchat as a way to provide such mobility to soldiers, and the Germans followed suit with a slightly more portable version of the MG08/15. The iconic Browning Automatic Rifle (Photo: Peter Suciu) A century ago, however, when the nations of Europe were dug into trenches, firepower with mobility was almost never an option. Today it is easy to take the concept of “walking fire” for granted – the “assault rifle” and Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) were designed to provide greater firepower without sacrificing mobility. ![]()
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