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Browning Model 1917 Machine GunBrowning Model 1917 Heavy Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun used by the United States armed forces in World War I and World War II. The Browning is a water cooled heavy machine gun. The gun is based on a modified Maxim gun recoil operated system. In 1901, John Browning was issued US patent number 678,937 for a recoil powered automatic gun. The design initially met with little interest in the US military. Brownings Model 1917 was essentially an updated version of this weapon. The Army Ordinance Department initially showed little interest in Browing'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 Ordinance 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 obsolete machine guns like the Colt 95 "Potato Digger" (which Browning had also designed) and foreign weapons like the British Maxims and Benet-Mercies, the American version of the French 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 Hotchkiss 8mm machine gun was actually the most numerous heavy machine gun used by the American Expeditionary Force. The weapon 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 high rate of fire and reliability were highly effective. The Model 1917 was also used in the Second World War, but the guns weight (over 100 pounds battle ready) meant that it was mostly relegated to static defense areas and in anti-aircraft duty in the highly mobile conflict. The Model 1917 also saw limited service in the Korean War, but by then it was obvious that the weapon had become obsolete. The Model 1917 was phased out of military service in the 1950s in favor of the M60 machine gun. The gun did continue to see service in some third world armies well into the later half of 20th century. A simplified, air cooled version of the weapon, the Model 1919 was adopted after World War I and both saw action in World War II and Korea. The Model 1919 became the basis for the M2 .50 caliber machine gun which is still in front line service in the United States military today. Specifications - Type: Water cooled heavy machine gun
- Caliber: .30-06
- Rate of Fire: 600 rounds per minute (cyclic)
- Barrel Length: 24 inches
- Method of Feed: Fabric belts, 250 rounds per belt
- Effective Range: 2500 yards
- Empty Weight: 33 pounds
- Battle Ready Weight: 103 pounds (including gun, tripod, water, waterbox, and ammunition)
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