Browning M1917 (Model 1917)

History

The Browning M1917 machine gun became one of the rare weapons in U.S. military history and was used in most major conflicts of the 20th century. Developed late in World War I, it remained in service until World War II, fighting the U.S. military in North Korea and South Vietnam in the Vietnam War.

The system was built in enough numbers to ensure that the Browning name was synonymous with the U.S. Army for generations and propelled further Browning development in the decades that followed. Although it had limited availability during World War I, the system came into play during the two world wars before World War II, and was the U.S.

Army's primary heavy machine gun at the time. Although initially classified as a heavy machine gun by 1917 standards, the gun was later "downgraded" to the medium machine gun category.

John Moses Browning, a well-known American firearms manufacturer who already had a successful history in the development and production of small arms, set out to create a new machine gun. He conducted several key experiments between recoil powertrains and gas powertrains and came to believe that recoil powertrains were the way forward, citing the potential of the latter. In 1890, Browning received a U.S. patent for his recoil machine gun, and although the gun was available in 1910, Browning's invention was of little interest to those in power in the U.S. Army. That changed with the United States' involvement in World War I in April 1917.

By then, after some impressive test firings, the Browning M1917 was already in service with the U.S. Army. In one such demonstration, the M1917 chewed through more than 20,000 rounds without any malfunction.

Despite the need for a heavy machine gun system (preferably a local design for availability reasons), the US Army received only a fraction of the available M1917s when the US Expeditionary Force Doughboys went to France. This meant that only the last few groups of American units actually received the M1917 for combat use. As a result, the U.S.

Army was forced to rely on buying machine guns from its ally, France. However, in the short time that the M1917 played a role in the conflict, it became known for its powerful qualities - chiefly its reliability under fire and high rate of fire.

Water cooling instead of air cooling

The M1917 uses a water-filled cooling jacket fitted around the barrel. This shield helps dissipate the heat generated around the barrel with each successive shot. To some extent, this cooling method has proven to be more effective than other types of air cooling.

However, water cooling has some inherent disadvantages. Once the local water source is depleted, a fresh water supply needs to be provided to the crew to refill the tank. Therefore, this required additional aircrews to provide optimal support for the artillery.

Combine that with the water-cooled jacket and water along with the tripod, ammo, and the gun itself to form a bulky system, and it's not uncommon for up to four people to carry and operate the gun.

In an air-cooled machine gun, the barrel is naturally cooled by the surrounding air. While effective to a certain extent, it forces the operator to cycle the weapon in short controlled bursts of fire to allow adequate cooling of the barrel between trigger pulls.

Additionally, the barrel eventually has to be replaced to prevent complete overheating, which often proves to be a time-consuming affair -- not to mention the dangers of dealing with a red-hot barrel under fire.

In all respects, however, each cooling method has some advantages and disadvantages. It is important to note that in the modern era of warfare, water-cooled machine guns eventually gave way to air-cooled machine guns.

Backflush operation

John Browning developed his recoil operating system to exploit the recoil forces found in the expanding powder gas of each successive shot. This action pushes the barrel and bolt back until they stop automatically, after which the ammunition supply comes into play, feeding live ammunition into the chamber from the available ammunition belt. At this point the bolt is held in place by the recoil spring and the weapon is ready to fire again.

Imagining a quick, repetitive motion will make you feel the power the M1917 provides. This maneuver enabled the M1917 to perform recoil operations and allowed for fully automatic fire at 400 rounds per minute on the basis of the M1917, and (eventually) over 600 rounds per minute in the modified M1917.

M1917 Walk

The exterior design of the Browning M1917 is largely based on the German Maxim 08 and the previous British Vickers (it should be noted that the Browning design has nothing to do with either weapon system). The main mechanical functions of the weapon are housed in a rectangular body. Attached to the front end of the body is a recognizable cylindrical water jacket for cooling the barrel, part of which protrudes slightly at the lower edge of the water jacket.

For some degree of portability, a carrying handle can be mounted on top of the barrel jacket. The trigger formed part of a shovel grip assembly mounted to the rear of the body and proved to be an effective way to differentiate the Browning design from the German Maxim and British Vickers.

Under the front of the gun is a mounting leg for attaching to its tripod. A tripod is a heavy tubular structure that allows the operator to perform rotation and lift movements for effective target training. At the front of the torso is a flip-up visor. The ammunition supply is located on the left side of the fuselage and uses a 250 release belt that is housed in the ammo box. This ammo box contains the M1906.

The 30-06 cartridge and pictures show that the box can be placed next to the gun body or kept on the ground while firing. The operator remained seated or prone behind the gun, and photos from the test shots also showed the operator bent over.

The Browning M1917 has automatic fire action based on recoil operation. The original M1917 had a rate of fire of about 450 rounds per minute, while the remanufactured M1917A1 exceeded 600 rounds per minute. The muzzle velocity was reported to be 2,800 feet per second. Ammo is fed through a simple cloth belt with 250 rounds. The combined weight of the gun, tripod, water tank, and ammo load is just over 100 pounds (103 pounds to be exact; the gun itself weighs 32 pounds or 15 kilograms), requiring several people to maneuver the gun into place.

As such, his use is almost primarily defensive.

Variations

The M1917 was the first production model to be named after the year it first entered service. These were mass-produced in the final months of World War I, but of the 40,000 delivered before the armistice, only 1,200 were available, and a total of 68,000 were produced by the end of the war. A tripod is standard field gear to stabilize the firing action and allow the operator to move across their line of fire to some extent. The rate of fire is specified at 450 rounds per minute. The M1917 was developed as an air-cooled open-sheathed machine gun for use on aircraft, and for some time became the standard airborne weapon on American aircraft.

Based on World War I combat experience, the M1917 underwent regular modifications throughout the 1920s (including a 1926 blade sight assembly), but it was not until 1936 that an "official" modification was made, which improved the M1917A1.

The M1917A1 is a remanufactured version of the M1917 base handled by Rock Island Arsenal, while retaining the overall design, layout and general appearance of the original. These improvements to the base system help to extend the life of the machine gun, and one notable improvement is the new rate of fire between 450 and 600 rounds per minute. Other modifications included a redesigned feed mechanism, sights and improved tripod. Modifications took place in 1936-1937.

The M1917A1 was introduced during World War II (with further modifications from 1942 to 1944) and included the use of tracer ammunition, armor-piercing ammunition and the M2 projectile. The M1917A1 became the standard US Army battalion-level machine gun until the mid-1950s when it was replaced by the general-purpose 7.62mm M60 machine gun, itself derived from the well-established German MG42 series machine guns. The M1917A1 served in World War II and the Korean War.

By this time, the system had effectively reached the time of operational utility in the United States.

M1917A1 crews in WWII learn machine guns from scratch, disassembling and reassembling weapons from memory while blindfolded. The training also produces operators who can adjust firearms only by feel and change barrels in the dead of night under enemy fire.

Of the three crew members, each member is trained in the movements of the other, allowing all three to operate independently when the situation calls for it. One member operates the tripod, and the other member places the gun on the tripod.

The third crew member was responsible for the water tanks and ammunition supply. WW2 M1917A1 mounted on M18A1 tripod.

Of course, since the M1917 uses a water-cooling system, such a bulky setup on a fighter jet is not suitable for aircraft use. The M1918 is an airborne variant of the M1917, designed as an air-cooled replacement, with a lighter, more open jacket and heavier barrel.

Although development continued during the war, the weapon was not available in time to participate in the conflict. The M1918M1A is a variant of the M1918 designed to operate with flexible mounting, such as a position in the cockpit of the rear observer. The M1918 spawned the M1919 (mentioned below), which was originally a heavy-pipe air-cooled weapon designed to arm American tanks during World War I.

Colt produced the M1917 in both military and commercial form. These include the Type 1917, Type 1928, MG38, MG38B and MG38BT.

The M1917 series was simplified to an air-cooled model called the M1919, designed for cavalry units as these units also saw a need for this weapon system, albeit lighter and therefore more maneuverable on the battlefield. As the name suggests, this development occurred after World War II, but continued in subsequent conflicts.

The M1919 was derived from the M1919A tank gun, which was modified and upgraded to other forms.

Operators

Ksp m/36 is the Swedish designation for the M1917. These are forged in two different calibers for two different missions. The 6.5x55mm model is specifically designed as an infantry support weapon, while the 8x63mm model is an anti-aircraft derivative.

By the late 1970s, all M1917s in service with Sweden were modified to fire the NATO-standard 7.62x51mm bullet.

Ckm wz. The 30 were Polish-made M1917 models, the only major difference being that they used 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridges.

Norway uses the M/29, which is essentially a Colt M1917 and is equipped to fire the 7.92mm bullet. The M/29 was used in the invasion of Norway during World War II to defend the homeland from Nazi Germany.

Argentina became another M1917 operator, these were M1917s produced by Colt.

Conclusion

As previously mentioned, the M1917 was eventually replaced by the updated 7.62x51mm NATO M60 general purpose machine gun when it entered service in the United States. The days of heavy defensive weapons are long gone, and a more mobile infantry solution is clearly needed.

The M60 fits the bill, while the M1917's legacy is effectively over. This weapon appears from time to time in those forgotten corners of the world, where revolutions and tribal warfare seem to be commonplace.

Although the U.S. military was out of service by the time of the Vietnam War, some U.S. naval units used the weapon in the early stages of the conflict.

The M1917 was manufactured by Remington Arms Alliance Metal Cartridge Company, Colt Patent Firearm Manufacturing Company and Westinghouse New England. Production extended from 1917 to 1945.

Specification

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Performance