Browning Model 1917 machine gun

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 a 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.

History

In 1901, John Browning was issued 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. Unlike many other early automatic MG's the M1917 had nothing to do with Maxim's design. It was much lighter than Maxim types, while still being highly reliable. The only similarity, which its shares with any non-externally power machine gun, is the use of gunpowder energy to reload.

The Army Ordnance Department initially showed little interest in Browning's design, but after war was declared in April 1917, Browning 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.

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 principal 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.

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.

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.

US Variants

M1917

initial model

M1917A1

M1917's "rearsenaled" at the US Arsenal at Rock Island in order to extend service life.

M1918

Air-cooled aircraft version of the M1917. Developed during the First World War, the M1918 arrived too late, but became the dominant weapon of its type in US service until the development of the M1919.
Features a heavier barrel, but lighter barrel jacket as compared to the M1917.
A supposed sub-variant, the M1918M1, was developed a flexible version of the fixed M1918.

International Variants & Designations

The M1917 pattern has been used in countries the world over in a variety of forms. In certain cases a new designation was applied by the user nation.

Ksp m/36

Swedish designation for M1917s in 6.5 x 55 mm for infantry support or 8 x 63 mm for AA-use. In the mid 1970s all guns were rebarreled in 7.62 x 51 mm NATO.

Ckm wz.30

Polish-built clone of the M1917 chambered in 8 mm (technically 7.92x57 mm) Mauser.

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.

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Browning Model 1917 machine gun