US Caliber .30, M1918A1 Browning Automatic Rifle
With the introduction of the heavy machine gun in the Great War, armies could no longer execute 19th century doctrine of maneuvering large infantry and cavalry formations against enemy defensive positions without a few well-placed machine guns with interlocking fire delivering devastating results. The front lines soon devolved into static trench warfare, new technologies and tactics would need to be developed in order to overcome the stalemate. One of the technologies being developed on both sides was a light machine gun which would provide troops the ability to deliver a comparable rate and concentration of fire in the assault. The Germans developed the MG 08/15 which was a more portable version of their MG 08 heavy water cooled machine gun. The British adopted the Lewis Mark I Light Machine Gun which used an innovative air cooled sleeve, while the French adopted the Model 1915 Chauchat which was the lightest but least dependable.
With the U.S. entry into the Great War on April 6, 1917, the US Army had only 1,305 machine guns on hand, none of which were considered acceptable for use overseas. America would need time to build and equip an army. While many of the arms to be used had been tested in the field during the Mexican War, a light machine gun had yet been adopted for regular service. In order to expedite the deployment of the American Expeditionary Force, the U.S. opted to initially utilize the light machine gun of the allied units that American forces would be operating with in sector. As a result two US divisions were issued Lewis Mark I LMGs in .303 while others would be issued the Model 1915 Chauchat in 8 mm Lebel. The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was supplied 15,998 Model 1915 Chauchats in 8 mm Lebel. These were provided as a payment for debts France owed the U.S. Continuous maintenance and cleaning were necessary to keep them in good working order. The AEF requested that the gun then be redesigned to accept the U.S. Caliber 30.06 Springfield cartridge with a redesigned box magazine. This would solve the logistics problem with ammunition and some of the mechanical problems with the gun. It was designated the Model 1918 .30 Caliber Chauchat. By the end of the war, 18,004 would be produced but the re-engineering had not taken into consideration all of the changes necessary to accept and function reliably with the new cartridge. Most of these would never see service in the AEF after issues were discovered. The Chauchat would gain a bad reputation among American troops based mainly on this second design.
Early in 1917 the U.S. War Department put out a call for a rifle that could provide automatic fire with the following criteria:
“[T]o equip all infantrymen with a portable, shoulder-fired rifle firing the standard full-power .30-06 military rifle cartridge and capable of delivering semi- and full-automatic modes of high firepower. A skirmish line of troops, each man armed with a machine rifle, would advance on enemy territory employing … ‘walking fire,’ as developed by the French Army.
“Initially each weapon was to be fired semi-automatically, forcing the enemy to keep their heads down. If return fire was received, or during the actual closing with the enemy in the final phase of the assault, the selectors on the rifles were to be switched to full-automatic, allowing the skirmish line to deliver massive bursts of assault for a relatively short duration.”
On February 27, 1917 the already renown firearms designer John Moses Browning demonstrated a prototype of his new automatic machine rifle to a number of officers and experts. Impressed with its performance ordnance trials were conducted on May 1, 1917. The board final report stated:
“This gun gave a remarkable performance for one of its type, it resembles an ordinary shoulder rifle and was designed by its inventor with a view to be used as a semi-automatic rifle, to be used automatically up to about 200 shots in an emergency without injury to the gun.
“In many of the essential features such as reliability of function, durability, lightness and handiness, the Browning appears to be superior to the rather crude Chauchat, and to the Hotchkiss light rifle, which was exhibited but not entered in the tests … .
“The Board, therefore, recommends that prompt consideration be given to this subject and that arrangements be made without delay for the procurement of at least 10,000 Browning light rifles.”
Colt Patent Firearms Company who had previously obtained rights to the design was awarded an initial contract on July 16, 1917 to produce 12,000 “Browning Machine Rifles”. The name would soon be changed to “Browning Automatic Rifle” with the designation Model of 1918 BAR. This was to avoid confusion with another Browning design, The Model of 1917 Browning Machine Gun BMG which was a water cooled heavy machine gun.
Although Colt had the rights to the BAR, they were already fully engaged in meeting other contract requirements for the M1917 BMG and the M1911. Colts solution was to build another factory, however the Ordnance Department determined that it would cause unnecessary delays. Through negotiations, the Ordnance Department was able to acquire the rights to the BAR for the duration of the war and contract with other firearms manufacturers to meet the demand.
The Ordnance Department went to Winchester Repeating Arms Company and to Marlin-Rockwell Corporation and awarded them each a contract. The prototype BAR had been manufactured by hand and no engineering drawings had been developed. Edwin Pugsley of Winchester contacted Colt to obtain the drawings to find that none were available. Further, Colt would only allow the prototype be burrowed for the weekend. Mr. Pugsley describes what happened:
“The BAR was a totally new concept and we at Winchester were properly awed … . I got Colt on the phone and borrowed the only sample from noon on Saturday (September 15) to 8 a.m. Monday (September 17). I was at the Colt plant that Saturday noon and got the rifle. I had everybody in the Engineering Department, who could possibly be needed, awaiting my arrival with the gun. I took the gun apart and explained how it worked. After this the components were spread around to the group and plans began to develop … .”
Winchester would share its engineering drawings and help Marlin-Rockwell Corp. to get its production running.
Winchester began production in December 1917, Marlin-Rockwell in January 1918 and Colt in February 1918. Winchester turned out the first BARs in March 1918 and by June 1918 had produced 4,000 BARs. Marlin-Rockwell and Colt both began their deliveries in June 1918. By the end of July 1918 Winchester had delivered 9,700, Marlin-Rockwell – 5,650 and Colt – 1,650. The BAR began to arrive in France in the summer of 1918. The first demonstration in the AEF was performed by Lt. Val Browning son of the inventor. After familiarization and training the M1918 began to see limited front line service.
All U.S. Divisions departing the United States after July 1, 1918 were issued the M1918 BAR. However, at General Pershings directive most of these divisions were ordered to turn in their BARs once overseas and were issued M1918 Chauchats. This order was in effect until September permitting four divisions to retain their BARs. General Pershing felt that the BAR was so superior that he feared the Germans might capture the BAR from inexperienced US troops and be able to reverse engineer the arms in time to limit the advantage they bring to the battlefield. In short he wanted to hold them back until he had sufficient numbers in theater to provide and overwhelming advantage at a critical time. At the time the order was given the war was expected to continue into 1919. For the Soldiers who had already grown accustom to the quality and reliability of the BAR, the Chauchat was worthless and frequently referred to as “The damned and jammed”.
Four of twelve divisions that were shipped overseas with the BAR were permitted to keep them. Only about 3,060 BARs would be used in front line service among the four divisions. In WWI a US Division was approximately 27,000 men. This roughly comes to one BAR per 36 men or one per platoon. Sergeant J. W. Oppitz, Private J.G. Rhodes and Private J. N. Wright of E Company, 313th Infantry, 79th Division were the first to use the BAR in combat on 22 September 1918 in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive near Avocourt, France.
In the fall of 1918 the three manufacturers had contracts to produce 288,174 M1918 BARs. With the Armistice signed and put into effect on 11 November 1918, 52,238 BARs had been delivered. Winchester delivered 26,000, Marlin-Rockwell – 16,000, and Colt – 9,000 of these 48,082 had arrived overseas. Contracts were immediately reduced to 186,000. Later this number was further reduced to 102,174. At its height, 3,878 BARs were being produced weekly at a cost of about $215 per weapon with accessories.
The Model 1918 BAR weighed 16 lbs. It was gas operated, open bolt fed from a 20 round detachable box magazine and could fire either semi-automatically or full-automatic at a rate of approximately 550 rounds per minute.
In June 1938 the M1918 BAR was upgraded with several features for its continued service in the US Armed Forces. Designated the M1918A2 changes included adding a flip up butt plate which would allow the stock to rest on the shoulder in the prone position, a monopod stock rest attachment to allow the stock to rest on the ground at a height for a soldier to position in the defense aimed at a position in low visibility/night conditions, stock was changed from wood to bakelite, the front and rear sights and guard upgraded, fore stock shortened and lightened, magazine guide improvements, changed semiauto fire to slow fire at 330 rounds per minute, and the addition of a bipod. The changes resulted in a weight increase to 20 lbs. M1918 BARs produced in WWI could be upgraded to the M1918A2 standard.
With Americas entry in WWII, production of the M1918A2 BAR was in demand. The New England Small Arms Corporation received the first contract and had intended to use the WWI tools that had been in storage at Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal. However, once the tools were set up, it was discovered that 90% of the tools were unusable as is and would require some level of repair. Further, some tools were so outdated in manufacturing processes that new more efficient tools would need to be developed before production could begin. As a result, the first M1918A2 BARs were not delivered until January 1943. In August 1942, the Ordnance Department now wanted 100,000 produced at a rate of 5,000 to 8,000 a month. One company would no longer be able to meet the demands so International Business Machines (IBM) was awarded contracts to begin production as well. By July 1943 the two manufacturers were meeting the demand. The last M1918A2 BARs would be delivered in July 1945 for a total of 188,380 (20,017 would be produced by IBM and 168,363 would be produced by New England Arms) during WWII.
The BAR continued to perform exceptionally well in WWII. Instead of one per platoon as seen in WWI, they were issued one per squad. Reports from the front praised the dependability of the BAR and frequently recommended that there be two per (12 man) squad. Although the changes made to the BAR were intended to improve its use, Soldiers in the field often discarded the monopod and bipod to lighten the weapon and to keep these items from getting caught on brush.
The BAR continued service in the Korean War and new contracts were awarded to the Royal Typewriter Company. Royal typewriter would produce 61,000 M1918A2 BARs. In 1957 it was officially superseded by the M60 machine gun, but a few BARs did see limited service in Vietnam.
The T4 handle was not initially issued with the rifle but was later adopted on 21 December 1944 and could be retro fitted. Originally issued with a leather sling, canvas slings were provided as replacements.
Left side of receiver shows the take down pins and the charging handle. The select fire lever has three positions F, A, S, F – is full automatic at a rate of 550 rounds per minute, A – formerly on the M1918 was semiautomatic fire but on the M1918A2 it became the slow automatic fire at 330 rounds per minute and with proper trigger control could still be fired semiauto. The S – is the safe position. Note that there is a button between the A and S that must be pushed to place the weapon on safe. This prevents the Soldier in battle from accidentally putting it on safe in the heat of battle. You do not have to push the button to go from safe to Automatic fire. The wings on the forward part of the trigger aid in guiding the magazine in and keeping it properly seated. The magazine release is inside on the front wall of the trigger guard.
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