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Encyclopedia > Browning Model 1917 machine gun
Browning Model 1917A1 water cooled machine gun
Browning Model 1917
Type machine gun
Nation US
Era WW1
History
Date of design
Production period
Service duration
Operators US.
War service WW1, WW2
Variants 1917A1
Number built
Specifications
Type
Calibre .300 (7.62 mm)
Barrel length 24 in (609 mm)
Ammunition .30-06
Magazine 250 round fabric belt
Action recoil
Length
Weight 103 lb (47 kg) (gun, tripod, water, and ammunition)
Rate of fire 450 round/min, 600 round/min for M1917A1
Muzzle velocity
Effective range {{{range}}}

The Browning Model 1917 Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun used by the United States armed forces in World War I, World War II, Korea, and to a limited amount in Vietnam;it was also used by some other countries too. It was belt-fed water-cooled machine gun that served alongside the much lighter air-cooled Browning M1919. It was used at the battalion level, and often mounted on vehicles (such as a jeep). There were two main iterations of it; the M1917, which was used in WWI, and the M1917A1 which was used after. The M1917 was used on the ground and some aircraft, and had firing rate of 450 round/min;the M1917A1 had a firing rate of 450 to 600 round/min. http://www. ... The word caliber (American English) or calibre (British English) comes from the Italian calibro, itself from the Arabic quâlib, meaning mould. ... .303 in. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe... Korea (한국/韓國/Hanguk, used by South / ì¡°ì„ /朝鮮/Joseon, used by North) is a formerly unified country, situated on the Korean Peninsula in northern East Asia, bordering on China to the northwest and Russia to the north. ... The Browning M1919 is a light infantry unit machine gun manufactured by the Browning Arms Company. ...

Contents


History

The gun is based on a modified Maxim gun recoil operated system. In 1901, John Browning was issued U.S. Patent 678,937 for a recoil powered automatic gun. The design initially met with little interest in the US military. Browning’s Model 1917 was essentially an updated version of this weapon. The Browning is a water cooled heavy machine gun, though some versions that did not use a water jacket were experimented with;the M1919 was preferred. An early Maxim gun in operation with the Royal Navy The Maxim gun was the first self-acting machine gun. ... John Moses Browning (January 21, 1855–November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of weapons which were used in the U.S. military for decades in the 20th century. ...


The Army Ordnance Department initially showed little interest in Browning's design, but after war was declared in April 1917, Browing was able to arrange a test. The first test was a success, but the Army demanded a second test a short time later. In the second test, Browning fired the weapon in two lengthy bursts of 20,000 rounds each without a single mishap. The Ordnance Board was impressed but was unconvinced that the same level of performance could be achieved in a production model. Browning produced a second weapon which he fired in a third test continuously for 48 minutes. Finally convinced, the Army adopted the weapon as its principal heavy machine gun. April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ...

Polish resistance fighters firing the Ckm wz.30, a Polish-made clone of the Browning 1917
Polish resistance fighters firing the Ckm wz.30, a Polish-made clone of the Browning 1917

Until that time, the Army had used a variety of older machine guns like the Colt M1895 "Potato Digger" (which Browning had also designed) and weapons like the Maxim Gun, Benet-Mercies M1909, and the Hotchkiss machine gun. Although the Model 1917 was intended to be the principle US Army heavy machine gun in the war, in fact the Army was forced to purchase many foreign weapons and the French produced Hotchkiss 8 mm machine gun was actually the most numerous heavy machine gun used by the American Expeditionary Force. Image File history File links Jędrusie, an armed resistance unit formed by Władysław Jasiński in the area of Sandomierz File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Jędrusie, an armed resistance unit formed by Władysław Jasiński in the area of Sandomierz File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... ciężki karabin maszynowy wz. ... An early Maxim gun in operation with the Royal Navy The Maxim gun was the first self-acting machine gun. ... The Hotchkiss machine gun was the standard machine gun of the French Army during World War I. This article is a stub. ... Officers of the American Expeditionary Force and the Baker mission The American Expeditionary Force or AEF was the United States military force in World War I. The AEF helped the French defend the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive in May. ...


Service

The M1917 saw limited service in the latter days of the First World War. Because of production delays, only about 1,200 Model 1917s saw combat in the conflict, and then only in the last two and a half months of the war. Where the Model 1917 did see action, its rate of fire and reliability were highly effective.

A Browning Model 1917 in action during the Korean War
A Browning Model 1917 in action during the Korean War

The Model 1917A1 was again used in the Second World War. Some were supplied to the UK in the .300 caliber for use by the Home Guard to replace their Vickers .303 which were presumably needed at the front line. The Model 1917 was called to service again in the Korean War. The Model 1917 was slowly phased out of military service in the late 1960s in favor of the much lighter, and more suitable for modern warfare, M60 machine gun. The attributes of the Model 1917 and similar weapons such as the Vickers machine gun - continuous fire from a static position had been rendered useless by the movement to highly mobile warfare. Many of the 1917's were given to South Vietnam. The gun did continue to see service in some Third World armies well into the later half of the 20th century. Download high resolution version (627x800, 80 KB)A Model 1917 heavy machine gun in action during the Korean War. ... Download high resolution version (627x800, 80 KB)A Model 1917 heavy machine gun in action during the Korean War. ... The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁/韓國戰爭), from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... A Home Guard is a part-time civilian reserve military force similar to a militia. ... .303 cartridge The . ... The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁/韓國戰爭), from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... Caliber: 7. ... Vickers machine gun Type Nationality UK Era WW1 - WW2 History Date of design 1912 Production period 1912- Service duration 1912-1968 Operators War service Specifications Type Calibre 0. ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ...


Derivatives

A simplified, air cooled version of the weapon, the Model 1919 was adopted after World War I and saw action in World War II and Korea. The Model 1919 became the basis for the M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun which is still in front line service with the US military today. Browning Model 1919 Type Machine Gun Nation U.S. Era World War II History Date of design 1919 Production period 1919 - 1945 Service duration 1919 - 1990s Operators U.S. and Allies War service WWII - Vietnam Variants A1 - A6, and M37 Number built Specifications Type Calibre . ... M2 Type Heavy machine gun Nation US Era post WW1 onwards History Date of design 1921 Production period 1932 to present Service duration 1932 to present Operators see text War service Variants M2HB, M2HBQCB Number built Specifications Type Calibre . ...

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Browning Model 1917 machine gun

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See also

United States infantry weapons of World War II and Korea
Side-arms
Colt/Browning M1911 .45
Rifles & carbines
M1903 Springfield | M1 Garand | M1 Carbine | M1941 Johnson | Browning Automatic Rifle
Submachine guns
Thompson SMG ("Tommy Gun") | M3 "Grease gun" | Reising SMG
Machine-guns & other larger weapons
Browning M1917 | Browning M1919 | Johnson LMG | M2 HMG | Bazooka | M2A1-7 flamethrower

  Results from FactBites:
 
Divisional Machine Guns (1290 words)
Machine gun companies that were attached to infantry battalions designated as division or brigade reserve for a particular mission were usually placed under direct command of their respective brigade commanders, to fill gaps of fire and to protect the brigade flanks.
When they employed their guns in that fashion, the machine gun officers often ran into opposition from the rifle company commanders, who preferred to have the guns farther forward, fearing that their infantrymen would be at risk of stray low rounds as they advanced under the overhead machine gun fire.
Machine gun tactical doctrine dictated that in the defense the Hotchkiss guns should only rarely be located within 100 yards of the front line and that at least two-thirds of the guns should be echeloned back through the whole defensive position, located so that adjacent guns would be mutually supporting.
Browning M1917 Resource Page - browning m1917 machine gun (791 words)
The Browning is a water cooled heavy machine gun, though some versions that did not use a water jacket were experimented with;the M1919 was preferred.
Although the Model 1917 was intended to be the principle US Army heavy machine gun in the war, in fact the Army was forced to purchase many foreign weapons and the French produced Hotchkiss 8 mm machine gun was actually the most numerous heavy machine gun used by the American Expeditionary Force.
The Model 1917 was slowly phased out of military service in the late 1960s in favor of the much lighter, and more suitable for modern warfare, M60 machine gun.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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