The Guns of “Overlord”

On June 5, 1944, Nazi Germany was in control of most of France. The French people lived in fear of the brutal German soldiers who occupied their country. But there was hope. The French Resistance, also known as the Maquis, caused the Germans endless setbacks. In the east, millions of Soviet soldiers prepared to charge across Eastern Europe, drawing large numbers of German resources to the Eastern Front. In the south, Italy had switched sides, and the Germans found themselves in a second front against American and English soldiers. Finally, across the English Channel, a powerful force created German Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s worst nightmare: a Third Front.

In England, an alliance including the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Poland and other nations amassed a large military force and were prepared to launch a great offensive to liberate Western Europe. While the German command was distracted by a fake army miles away, thousands of Marines, paratroopers, pilots, other soldiers and equipment were prepared for battle. The date for the offensive was supposed to have happened on June 5, but the weather forced them to change it to the next day. So on June 6, 1944, one of the greatest invasions in history began. Just after midnight, thousands of American, British and Canadian paratroopers landed across northern France, causing chaos for the Germans stationed there. This was D-Day, the first day of Operation Overlord. This was a campaign to invade Fortress Europe, liberate northern France and open the door to enter the heart of Nazi Germany. On August 24, American and French soldiers entered Paris. “Operation Overlord” officially ended on August 30, with Canadian troops entering Rouen to cheering crowds.

On November 9, 2018, “Overlord” was released in the United States. The movie tells the fictional story of a group of American paratroopers dropped behind German lines on D-Day. They stumble upon a secret German facility experimenting on human beings with a strange serum. The film was produced by J. J. Abrams and stars Jovan Adepo from the new “Star Wars” movies and Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell.

The Allies used a number of different firearms, but the following are the ones that were used in the movie.

M1903 Springfield Rifle is one of America’s most successful rifles. It was adopted in 1903 in response to the mixed performance of the Krag-Jorgensen Rifle. The M1903 first saw service in World War I and did well in the trenches. Even after the American Armed forces adopted the M1 Garand, the M1903 and other variants of the gun served on until the Vietnam War.

The M1903 in the “Overlord” movie is actually a variant of the rifle called the M1903A4. The main differences between the M1903 and M1903A3 guns are that the sights on the A3 were moved to the rear of the receiver, some of the parts are stamped, and many had two-groove barrels. The main difference on the M1903A4 is its sights were removed and replaced with mounts for a sniper scope. While it was a good infantry rifle, it did comparatively poorly as a sniper rifle. The gun holds five .30-06 rounds in an internal magazine like other bolt-action rifles and has a range of 1000m or more.

One of the most famous weapons of World War II was the M1 Garand. It was first produced in 1934 and saw service in dozens of conflicts across the world. It loads eight .30-06 (7.62x63mm) rounds that are loaded into the gun through the top using a clip. One problem the gun had was that the clip would cause a ping sound when it injected with the last round. Despite this minor flaw, the M1 Garand was a good rifle and was well liked by the soldiers who carried it.

Another rifle made famous in World War II was the M1 Carbine. It was produced for officers and tank crews, as well as paratroopers. From a distance, it looks like a lighter version of the M1 Garand. It shoots .30 Carbine (7.62x33mm) from 15- and 30-round magazines, with the M2 full-auto version at a rate of 750 rounds per minute. It was very light and had a range of 300 yards. There was actually a special M1A1 variant which had a folding buttstock for paratroopers. Sadly, that is not the model that was used in the movie.

The story behind the M1 Carbine is interesting. The gas piston was designed by David “Carbine” Williams, who had been sent to jail for the murder of a deputy. However, he showed such a talent for mechanical engineering that even the widow of the deputy who was killed agreed to his release to help serve his country.

I did not see “Overlord,” but from what I heard, the movie was well-received from critics. If movies like “Overlord” are your cup of tea, by all means go enjoy this film.

Special Note: June 6, 2019, will be the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. There will be ceremonies throughout Normandy, and it is likely that this will be the last time for many of the real soldiers who took part in it to be there. I have signed up for a tour and will be there to report on it. If you have any interest in going, it would be a good idea to start looking into it now.

On April 29 through May 1, 2011, the National Rifle Association (NRA) held its 140th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The official attendance of 71,139 is the second largest NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits on record for the longest running shooting and hunting show in the world. With a record braking 559 exhibitors, the exhibit hall was packed with NRA members the entire weekend, many of whom traveled from all over the country to attend the event. Additionally, most seminars and workshops were standing room only.

In addition to the industry display booths, and in conjunction with the show in their own exhibit area, are displays of rare, historic and interesting collector firearms sponsored by NRA affiliated clubs. This year, there were 26 gun collector affiliates that participated with displays in this 51st year of awards competition. These gun collector groups take great pride in their displays in not only presenting weapons of rarity and historical note, but in the professional looking displays as well. While the NRA primarily focuses on shooting and hunting, they are well aware of the value of collecting and displaying significant weapons to the public to educate them on the history and the roll collecting plays within the gun culture. The competition between the affiliated clubs and their displays is intense.

In recognition of this, the NRA awards medals and certificates in a number of different categories. These include:

• Best Arms Awards – Each year a maximum of ten sterling silver numbered medallions are awarded to those collector arms judged best on display (and not necessarily will ten be awarded). Firearms are judged on their individual quality, condition, originality, collector importance and historical value.
• Certificates of Recognition – In 1981, the NRA Gun Collectors Committee authorized an award for unique displays of items related to firearms. Up to ten certificates are normally awarded in any one calendar year. An item which has received a Certificate of Recognition is not eligible for this award in subsequent years.
• Best Educational Display Awards – In 1962, the Gun Collectors Committee authorized the Best Educational Group Awards to recognize outstanding displays that creatively and effectively present a well-organized theme. The committee has divided the Best Educational Display Awards into four categories: Antique Arms (pre-1898), Classic Arms (1898, 50 years prior to the show), Contemporary Arms (50 years prior to the show to current) and Combined Arms (collections that represent a mixture of more than one category.) Emphasis is placed on recognition of those exhibits that best inform the NRA members and general public of the historical, technical and cultural aspects of firearms and related items.
• The National Firearms Museum’s Spirit of Collecting Award.
• The Best Miniature Arms Awards – Each year, since 1987, sterling silver numbered medallions have been awarded to those miniature arms judged best on display. In 1998, the Collectors Committee decided to heighten competition for this award by presenting only three medals each year.
• The NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy – This sterling silver bowl is a perpetual trophy awarded for the display judged best of each year’s Annual Meeting and Exhibits. The winning organization’s name is engraved on the trophy and the organization receives a miniature of the trophy to retain. This is the top honor and the award all strive for.

World renowned Thompson submachine gun collector and author Tracie Hill is the force behind bringing the validity and legitimacy of collecting and displaying historic machine guns to the forefront of the NRA community. For so many years, machine guns were taboo at the NRA show and considered “evil” within the NRA hierarchy and by many even within the general NRA membership. His efforts have truly enlightened all that collecting historic classic machine guns is just as legitimate as collecting any other historical firearm and he has done it in a most profound and professional way.

He broke the ice within the NRA and the NRA Collectors Committee with exhibits of the iconic Thompson submachine gun winning awards from the judges, and the public, and winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy and a number of Best Arms awards beginning in 1998. Under the sponsorships of several NRA affiliated organizations over the years that include the Thompson Collectors Association, the Dallas Arms Collectors and The American Thompson Association, he has been responsible for winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy six times.

With the success of having displayed, and winning multiple awards, for Thompson exhibits, it was decided to become ambassadors of the Class III world and bring to display some of the other wonderful and historic collections that exist. The first foray into other machine gun exhibits was in 2006 when the Thompson Collectors Association and the Dallas Arms Collectors sponsored a Maxim machine gun exhibit at the NRA show in Milwaukee that won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver Best Arm medallion for a Colt Model of 1904 Maxim. (See Small Arms Review, Vol. 9, No. 12, September 2006.)

In 2011 in Pittsburgh, under the sponsorship of The American Thompson Association, they presented an exhibit entitled The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning. The 30×10 feet exhibit featured a Colt Automatic Gun Model 1914 on a Marine Light Landing Carriage, a New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun on a Model of 1917 tripod mounted on an M1 machine gun cart, a Winchester Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) Model of 1918, a Colt Browning M2 .50 caliber water-cooled mounted on an M3 anti-aircraft mount, a Buffalo Arms .30 caliber ANM2, an Inland Arms M1919A6, a GM/Frigidaire .50 caliber M2 HB on a M3 tripod and a twice-size cut-a-way of a .30 caliber Browning. Accompanying the display of the firearms were lighted display cases that contained tools, manuals, accoutrements, medals, awards and ephemera relating to the guns with explanatory signage for everything present. Additionally, a professionally printed 8-page handout describing all the weapons on display was freely distributed to all show attendees that expressed an interest. The response by those attending the show was overwhelmingly positive with many thanking us for bringing such a collection and making it available for close-up viewing.

These displays are not slapped together at the last minute. A full year of planning is required to establish what and how the display will be presented: what guns, accessories, accoutrements, historical information, signage, handouts, glass cases, lighting, overall theme, etc., all has to be thought through and decided upon well before the start of the show. This collection of Browning machine guns came from the Robert Segel collection with additional pieces from David Albert and Phil Askew. Helping set up the display and staffing it during the show answering questions and highlighting the historical aspects were David Albert, Richard Vensel, Jackie Vensel, Tom Davis, Phil Askew, Bill Yenglin, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel, Tom Rasch, Tracie Hill and Thomas Hill. The human element and the truly enthusiastic volunteers set a high standard for that very much helped guarantee a successful presentation to the public.

The exhibit of The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning won the top honor of the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver medallion for one of the Best Arms at the show for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun, serial number 6, on a Model of 1917 tripod. The medallion is numbered and registered to the gun and stays forever with the gun should it ever be sold.

It should be noted that as sponsor of the exhibit, this is the third time The American Thompson Association has won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy. But even more importantly, with the displays of Thompsons, Maxims and Browning machine guns over the last 13 years, machine gun collecting has been recognized and accepted within the main stream gun collecting fraternity as the historic, relevant and legitimate endeavor that it is with the stigma of being “evil” finally disappearing.

Miniature 1/3 Scale MG 34

Another machine gun also won an award at the 140th NRA Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh. The Miniature Arms Society, a recognized NRA collector affiliated organization, had a display showing many fine examples of the art and craft of miniature arms makers. These are not toys but a testament to the skill of making actual working miniatures that fully represent their full-size brethren except in a diminutive size. The judges award just three sterling silver medallions each year to those miniatures that represent the height of the art. Robert Segel, a Miniature Arms Society member, submitted a fully functional 1/3 scale German MG 34 light machine gun on fully functional Lafette, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006, and won one of the Best Miniature Arms sterling silver medallions. The medallions are numbered and registered to that gun and if the gun is ever sold, the medallion must go with it.

Miniature Arms Society (MAS) president Wayne Driskill (left) and MAS member Robert Segel display the 1/3 scale MG 34 that was submitted for judging.

The fully functional MG 34 in 1/3 scale, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006 on fully functional Lafette is displayed with the numbered and registered NRA sterling silver medallion for Best Miniature Firearm. It is one of three awarded to miniature arms.

Tracie Hill, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel and The American Thompson Association president Tom Davis accept the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and silver bowl during the NRA Gun Collectors Committee awards presentation ceremonies. (Lloyd Hill)

Back at the display after the awards presentations, (left to right) Tracie Hill, Phil Askew, Tom Davis, Jennifer Segel, Robert Segel and David Albert proudly display the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy, silver bowl, and silver Best Arm medallion.

Robert Segel accepts a numbered and registered sterling silver medallion for one of the ten BEST ARMS on display during the awards ceremony for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 Browning water-cooled machine gun.

In June of this year Tom Laemlein sent me an advanced copy of his latest Book, The Browning Automatic Rifle produced by Armor Plate Press. I had had a small part in the production of the Book. I was surprised by a Photo on P.13 of the Book captioned: “#14 – A U.S. Congressman takes his turn with the BAR on the Congress Heights Range in late spring, 1918.”Had I seen this photo I could have corrected the date, as it was Feb.27, 1918, I immediately recognized the Place and the People by their web gear. I felt strongly the face and figure were also familiar, none other than John Moses Browning, Himself. From the snow on the ground it is Mid Winter at best. My own Book had a statement to the effect that John Browning was not present at the Demonstration. That does not preclude his arrival after it was over to evaluate the First Public showing of Winchester’s early Production.

How does one prove beyond a shadow of a doubt a Photograph that is almost 100 years old? There exist three Publications that covered the Event. Two of them have been meticulously examined by the Author. The first was, “Arms and the Man,” the early version of the NRA’s Magazine, the “American Rifleman.” The second, a Hearst Publication was sent to the Author in the late summer, this year. The third was ,”Vanity Fair.” What positive statements can one make regarding this historic photograph? It is obviously a man in his sixties, of great height, six foot or greater. He knows proper firing techniques, having complete control and is comfortable with the BAR. He has a slight paunch from years behind a desk or drawing board. He is well dressed with a hat identical to JMB’s favorite hat. From his vest there appears to be a single large linked Gold chain similar to one seen in contemporary photographs of the great man. He appears to be clean-shaven, but since he has white hair it is difficult to see his chin or mustache due to his proper weld on the butt stock. Even his nose is obscured; more is the pity, since noses are a Positive ID point. Which brings us to his ears another positive indicator; all of the Browning brothers have a unique dimple in the lower lobe of their ears.

The photograph in question was sent to The Cody Museum and to the Railroad Museum in Ogden Utah. No one there could positively prove or disprove the identity as John Moses Browning. This author would very much like to have it authenticated, as this would be the only photograph that was not posed and he is firing his greatest rifle in History. To this end, I will offer an Autographed, one of two hundred series of, Rock in a Hard Place to the first one who can either prove or disprove the authenticity of this photograph as being John Moses Browning, or not!

One of the prime movers behind the scenes in the production of the BAR was Edwin Pugsley. He was a giant of a man and as CEO of Winchester attended to the details of production and experimental firearms. Not much has been written about him except in the book on the BAR, Rock in a Hard Place. In it is described how Mr. Pugsley took the only prototype that Colt had to Winchester to make production drawings over a single weekend. Only a man of Pugsley’s stature could have pulled an entire engineering staff together to accomplish such a massive and precise undertaking. Edwin had joined the staff as an engineer in 1911 and rose through the ranks to eventually become president and CEO of WRA.

A little known but amusing anecdote of Mr. Pugsley is that a neighbor of his, Charles Addams, a noted writer and cartoonist for the New Yorker magazine, immortalized Edwin Pugsley in the campy, creepy classic cartoon The Addams Family. Pugsley became the mundane and morose son of Morticia and Gomez Addams. Though amused, Edwin was far more proud of his award winning design work on a sundial, which today sits beautifully in a garden at Old Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.

Pugsley’s genius in addition to working on difficult production problems was dealing with other design genius’ and their weird and irascible behavior. He ran interference with David Marshall “Carbine” Williams on the M1 Carbine. He also worked with Elmer Keith on the M70 – he was not a problem but a legend in his own time. Pugsley was a man of strong character with genius abilities, but was also an artistic thoughtful man. A true Renaissance man whose guidance of Winchester and their products live in the classic weapons we all know.

One of Mr. Pugsley’s and “Marsh” Williams’ designs did not make it to production, though it should have.

The Winchester Automatic Rifle: the WAR

In 1943, work began on a possible replacement for the venerable BAR. In mid 1944, the army published requirements for the possible replacement. This would be a difficult task since the BAR was such a unique and respected weapon.

Winchester led the way in this program with the T-20 series; the modified M1 Garands. The whole Garand series of T-20s with a BAR magazine was entirely too light for the full auto role, a fact that was rediscovered in the late fifty’s with the M14 and M15. The whole T-20 story is well illustrated and told in WHB Smith’s classic Small Arms of the World, Eighth Edition.

What is glossed over, without photo or explanation, was the “in house “Winchester designed WAR (Winchester Automatic Rifle): a spinoff of the G30R program attributed to David Marsh Williams of M1 Carbine fame. In fact, it looks rather like an M1 on steroids. Utilizing the famous tappet system so successful in the carbine, it also has elements of John Garand’s famous rifle. This is not farfetched since Winchester was a prime contractor on M1 rifles.

The WAR story became reality to this author on July 12, 1996 when Steven Beatty, Curator of the Springfield Armory Museum NHS held one of these gingerly in his hands, serial number 12. He proudly proclaimed, “All the major sources say that ten of these were fabricated. Even Winchester doesn’t have this one.”

From the photos you can see that it has a slightly curved 20-round magazine and a spindly bipod. It utilizes a turning bolt and a cammed operating rod similar to the M1 Carbine. It is selective fire with a lever located on the top left hand side of the receiver – sure to get hot after a few rounds.

Obviously, this rifle would not stand the abuse the BAR will, but it would have made a beautiful sporting rifle. The only good source of information on this fascinating but obscure rifle was written by Konrad Schreier, Jr. for Armax, the Journal of the Cody Firearms Museum in 1990.

Between 1946-1953 French forces in Indo China made great use of American World War II weaponry including the BAR. By the time they left, many BAR’s had been captured from them. Also, Communist China supplied BAR’s that they had captured from the US in the Korean Conflict.

The world held its breath in 1954 with the great battle at Dien Bien Phu. At that time Ho’s forces were armed with everything from World War II Japanese rifles to BAR’s captured from the French. We should have learned from the defeat of the French, who had the toughest troops in Indo China at the time.

From 1959 to 1961 our involvement in the conflict was only clandestine under the auspices of the CIA, the successor of the OSS. By 1961 American Special Forces began the slide into Southeast Asia that lead to our costliest war both in logistics and in world prestige.

The Viet Cong, who supplanted the Viet Minh, used the BAR as effectively as Edson’s Raiders did during World War II. Mounting it on the bow of a rubber boat or a sampan gave the mobile firepower for which the BAR was intended.

Most of my stories come from Vets with fond remembrance of the BAR. One spoke highly of the diminutive Montagnard who saved his life with his agile use of the heavy weapon. Another story involved a pilot flying a Navy Sea Stallion Helicopter on an air sea rescue of a downed aircraft crew. On their way back to base they were hit by AA fire from a Dshk-38 that caused engine failure from the 12.7x108mm round. They auto-gyroed down safely and began the overland trek to the base. They were eventually ambushed from a VC position reinforced with logs. The pilot’s “bail out” gun was a BAR. He made short work of the enemy with well-placed bursts that drilled on through the log barriers. Don’t tell him the BAR was obsolete.

Most BAR’s were employed by ARVN troops under South Vietnam command, but they were reluctant to use them because they were heavy and drew fire. Most photos show them with the weapon carried on their shoulders, muzzle forward.

One e-mail I received related how much the Montagnards loved the BAR. The rifles were issued by the 5th Group Special Forces and had been reconditioned by their armories in Pleiku. The Montagnards were tough, loyal fighters. I did some contract work in Cambodia in 1966-68, and was amazed to see the agility and ease with which they handled the 20-pound weapon.

Another Vet remembered BAR’s aboard the Carrier USS Valley Forge. Possibly these BAR’s were in 7.62x51mm NATO since the US Navy was the last US force to officially have it in their inventory. To accomplish this of course the rifle had to be re-barreled. Since the NATO cartridge is shortened, the magazine-well had to be modified to accept an entirely new magazine that was similar but not identical to the M-14. In addition, the ejection port was elongated and the gas port enlarged to increase the amount of gas pressure impinging upon the piston. This led to the T-34 BAR as described in Springfield Armory Publication, Notes on Development for project TS 2-2015 dated March 16,1949.

Though the M60 was the primary GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) during the Vietnam War, the BAR was often the primary MG of the diminutive ARVN troops, again proving the BAR was best issued to a smaller man, as he made a smaller target.

By James L. Ballou

When the North Korean Army crossed the 38th parallel on 25 June 1950, the United States was just as unprepared for War as on 7 December 1941. Demobilization and downsizing had weakened the post World War II armies to an anemic force incapable of stemming the flow of the enemy.

Fortunately, the supply lines were much shorter for the defenders, the Eighth Army under General Walton H. Walker, General of the Army. Japan lies less that two hundred miles south of Korea. This offered an ideal staging area for the strategic response of the fifteen nations making up the NATO alliance.

General of the Armies Douglas Mc Arthur was firmly ensconced in Japan, an American Shogun, as well as supreme commander of US Armed Forces; he was also the Military Governor of Japan.

In his after action report, Infantry Operations and Weapons Use in Korea, S.L.A. Marshall stated early on that problems arose with reconditioned BAR’s. It seems that Mc Arthur had allowed the Japanese to do depot maintenance on WW II BAR’s. They neglected to replace the operating springs, which resulted in failure to feed. A recent phone conversation with James Sheehan from Dracut Massachusetts, a veteran of the 25th infantry division, confirmed the fact that he remembers many hours of BAR fire with a high expenditure of ammunition while he was in Korea. He was told that they were testing all BAR’s sent from Japan. It is nice to be able to corroborate legends as historical fact.

The UN forces in Korea, particularly the US Marines, demanded more BAR’s, hence an order was placed for 61,000 units from the Royal Typewriter Company in Hartford Connecticut. Though often referred to as Royal McBee, this was not the case as all parts are marked ROT .The serial numbers range from 653,000 to 885,000, all attempts to track down the production were met without success.

Royal would not even admit that they produced the M1A1 stock for the paratrooper stocks for our carbines. Political correctness lead to many denials. Though 61,000 were produced, most ended up in the UK. The movie “Saving Private Ryan” was made entirely with ROT BAR’s.

Royal Typewriter made much use of investment castings and utilized the Arma Steel technique developed by the Saginaw Malleable Iron Division General Motors in 1943. This not only cut costs but also hastened production.

The tactical use of the BAR reached its zenith in the Korean Police Action. There are more stories of reverence reaching total awe to come out of the campaign. One such story is of a young Marine from Beverly, Massachusetts who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on the night of September 16th 1951. Corporal Joseph R. Vittori held off enemy hordes attacking his position, firing more than a thousand rounds of ammunition killing more than forty of the enemy before he was fatally wounded. Corporal Vittori volunteered to remain behind while his battalion withdrew from a hill in Korea. He placed several BAR’s strategically located on the crest of the hill: He ran from between positions firing his BAR’s, making the enemy think that the hill was occupied by a larger force. Thus allowing his fellow Marines to withdraw safely.

In the citation signed by President Harry S. Truman, he described Vittori as “A hero among Marine heroes”. It is not a coincidence that so many men used the “Rock” of the BAR to accomplish heroic deeds.

Note: All material is taken from the research of the book Rock in a Hard Place.

By Robert Bruce

“The pattern of machine gun operation in Korea is highly unconventional and contrary to the book, but the ground permits of nothing else. Good fields of fire for the machine gun are rarely met…[this] deprives the weapon of its normal tactical power and persuasion, and throws an extra load on the mortars, the BARs, and the riflemen.” Operations Research Office Report R-13, Oct 1951

John M. Browning’s water-cooled .30 caliber M1917 machine gun was introduced late in WWI and was still going strong during the Korean War more than 30 years later. His air cooled, belt-fed thirties, fielded in the late 1920’s initially for cavalry use, also served in “The Forgotten War.” Built on the same receiver but dispensing with the cumbersome and often impractical water jacket, they were considerably lighter yet still capable of sustained fire. This last characteristic was to prove indispensable against massed formations of Chinese attackers.

BARs vs. BMGs

The remarkable Browning Automatic Rifle, also a late WWI development, is unquestionably one of the most highly praised infantry arms in combat accounts from WWII and the Korean War. Not much bigger than the Garand rifle and weighing only about 20 pounds, this selective fire shoulder weapon was highly portable, accurate, dependable under all weather conditions and hard-hitting. Able to punch out powerful .30-06 bullets at a cyclic rate of some 550 rpm to a maximum effective range in excess of 500 yards, its only significant limitations came from 20 round magazine feed and lack of sustained fire capability.

So, because of the tendency of both North Korean and Communist Chinese to utilize “human wave” assault tactics, vastly outnumbered units of the US Army and Marines counted on belt-fed Brownings of .30 and .50 caliber to even the odds of survival. (A separate feature by Robert Bruce on the .50 cal. M2HB M2 is included in this issue – Editor).

The M1917A1 water cooled .30 cal., capable of almost continuous fire limited only to supplies of ammunition and water, was theoretically ideal for this task and could be found in the weapons mix of every infantry battalion. But, as previously stated, this multi man crewed 95 pound system was found to be impractical due primarily to excessive weight and its need for skilled and frequent attention.

In contrast, the M1919A4, an air-cooled version of this same gun, weighed considerably less at about 50 lbs. on an M2 tripod. Its maximum effective range and cyclic rate of fire were essentially the same as that of the heavier gun with the added benefit of dispensing with water for the jacket (and anti-freeze in winter) plus all the special parts, tools and skills needed to keep the water from seeping out without locking up the barrel. Broken down into three main loads of gun, tripod and a good supply of ammunition, the A4 system was far more easily humped up and down the jagged ridges that characterized much of the Korean countryside. Problem solved, right?

“The interrogations indicate that in the mind of the average gunner “firing in short bursts” is about synonymous with lifting the finger from the trigger for a few seconds at frequent intervals rather than resting the gun at all times when there are no manifest targets and no compelling tactical reasons for firing. This affords no relief to the weapon as far as over-heating is concerned, and it does not conserve ammunition.” ORO-R-13

There is no free lunch, however, and the A4 Browning had its own limitations. In addition to the need for frequent cleaning and proper lubrication that varied depending on weather conditions, the air cooled gun would overheat rather quickly from prolonged firing. Despite having a heavier barrel that acted as a heat sink and radiator, only about 1 belt – 250 rounds — could be fired in a minute before a too-long pause for cool down or panic barrel change was necessary. Since swapping barrels was a several minute exercise that also required careful setting of headspace, this was often a life-threatening problem.

Combat Crapout

“Not less surprising is the percentage of failure in machine gun fire at some time during the course of the average engagement because of mechanical trouble of one kind or another, faulty handling by the crew, etc.” ORO-R-13

Interviews with Eighth Army troops following combat action in the winter of 1950-51 suggested a failure rate for air-cooled thirties in excess of twenty percent. Various reasons were both observed and theorized, including poor mechanical training, neglect of regular and proper cleaning of the guns, and failure to keep ammo clean and correctly seated in the cloth or metallic belts. None of these, by the way, is inherent in Browning’s excellent design that – in the proper hands – is highly regarded for combat efficiency.

The ORO report cites an average figure for company-sized infantry units of just two guns in operation per engagement and, all too frequently, not even one gun was working. When these luckless GIs experienced a total loss of their base of fire belt feds in the heat of an assault or defense, the full burden of firepower was thrown primarily on BARs and M1s. Fortunately, both the auto rifles and the Garands were almost invariably up and running no matter how hostile the weather or their handling.

Epilogue

Disappointment with combat utility of the A4 and A6 Brownings in Korea led to postwar development of the M60 General Purpose Machine Gun. Fielding of the new “Sixty” and its companion, the selective fire M14, was nearly complete when America began sending combat units to yet another Asian misadventure. This time it was Vietnam.

Primary References

FM23-55 and TM 9-2005

Brig. Gen. S.L.A. Marshall, “Commentary on Infantry Operations and Weapons Usage in Korea; Winter of 1950-51,” Johns Hopkins University, Operations Research Office Report ORO-R-13, Oct 27, 1951

For the serious student of firearms accurate and comprehensive works on the weapons in question are a must. When it comes to “accurate and comprehensive” Collector Grade Publications leads the way. All the other works from this publishing house have been most impressive in their content. This latest offering is no exception, it is superbly researched, written, and illustrated.

Covering the Browning Automatic Rifle, Mr. Ballou offers a comprehensive in-depth look at the B.A.R. from concept to current semi-auto copies. Starting with John Moses Browning himself, the book slowly unwinds this devastating gun’s long history. From gearing up for World War I, into the trenches, post war development, gangster use during the Roaring 20’s, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam this book covers it all. It offers a looks at the weapon itself in all its different models and variations along with their ancillary gear. The changes made over time to “improve” the B.A.R. as it gained weight are well documented. But this book offers much more than that. It offers substantial insight into the men who carried, fought with, and sometimes died with the B.A.R.. Combat reports abound, as do comments by users about what they thought of the weapon, and how quickly they tossed the bipod into the nearest ditch. Foreign variations are not ignored, and even models for the Police and FBI are covered, as are modifications performed by such notorious criminals as Clyde Barrows.

To be frank, $80 is a lot of cash for a book. However this is not your run of the mill firearms book. Extremely well illustrated it covers the B.A.R. from A to Z. If you want information on the Browning Automatic Rifle, this is your one stop shopping. I highly recommend this work, the amount of research that went into putting it together must have been staggering. If you love B.A.R.’s you’ll love this book.

1900 Luger, US Test Trials
By Michael Reese II
Published by Pioneer Press
Union City, Tennessee 38261
Library of Congress # 71-117532
Price $6.00 plus $4.50 shipping and handling
105 pages
Reviewed by Stephen Stuart

One of the most sought after variations of the Luger handgun is the 1901 US test specimens. Early in the spring of 1901 two test Lugers were bought and tested through the United States Board of Ordnance and Fortifications under Lieutenant Colonel Frank H. Phipps. After an initial test of these two pistols, he ordered a field trial to be conducted. This field trial would include a thousand model 1900 pistols, 200,000 round of ammunition and extra magazines. The first shipment arrived in October 1901.

This test trial of the Luger handgun came up with mixed results. Some commands like the pistol, others did not. These trials proceeded until finally DWM, the manufacturer of the Luger handgun stopped the trials. Some arms historians have pondered the question why they stopped the trials. Many believe that DWM would no longer put up with the requests of the US Ordnance Department. Still some say it was because DWM knew that the Luger was going to be accepted by the German Military in large numbers. In Mr. Reese’s book, 1900 Luger, he provides insight into the trials of the 1900 Luger by providing the test results of these pistols for the reader to discern what is fact and fiction. Included in the test are photos of actual surviving specimens and some of the holsters specially produced for them by Rock Island Arsenal.

Even though the photos are sometimes of poor quality and the Xeroxing of documents are a little fuzzy, the book as a whole is well worth the six bucks. It gives the reader insight into the minds of the Luger testers almost ninety years ago in their own words. It is also a wonderful piece of reference by providing the serial numbers of all the pieces actually tested. Even with some of the problems in printing I found this a worthy edition to my reference library.

The Official Soviet 7.62 mm Handgun Manual
Translation by
Major James F. Gebhardt,
U.S. Army (Ret.)
Paladin Press
P.O. Box 1307
Boulder, CO 80306
1-800-392-2400
ISBN 0-87364-907-9
$20.00 plus S&H
104 pp
Reviewed by David M. Fortier

Underneath the title it says “Instructions for use and maintenance of the Nagant 7.62 mm Revolver Type 1895 and the Tokarev 7.62 mm Semi-Automatic Pistol Type 1933” and that’s exactly what this book is. Here is a translation of the original Soviet handgun manual for these two combat pistols. The Nagant served from its adoption in 1895 to the end of the Great Patriotic War in front line Soviet service. The Tokarev served from its adoption in 1930, through its simplification in 1933, until it was replaced by the PM Makarov in the early 1950’s. Like all Soviet weapons these two handguns earned a reputation for being tough and reliable no matter the abuse they were subjected to.

Now with large quantities of these handguns in the United States there is an English translation of the Soviet manual available to the American shooter. Piece by piece identification and explanation of each parts function is given. Step by step disassembly and then assembly of the Nagant and Tokarev is given. Trouble shooting and repair work is taught. Accessories and cleaning equipment are covered, as well as ammunition. The Soviet military method of sighting the weapons in is detailed, as well as cleaning, and maintenance. The deployment of the handguns in combat is explained, not only with and without the use of cover, but even from horseback!

Anyone who owns a Nagant or Tokarev will find this manual informative and useful. The drawings (original Soviet)are excellent. The translation is extremely good and reads perfectly. Now you can have the information directly from the source on how to use and maintain your Nagant or Tokarev pistol.

By James L. Ballou

My book is finished, five years and a host of friends have produced a 500-page tome that I hope will be well received by my friends and colleagues. Rock in a Hard Place, the story of the Browning Automatic Rifle can be found on the bookshelves and is available from the usual sources. There is a list of 150 people that contributed to my book, but I would like to thank all who contributed materials and support to my work.

Contrary to my opening sentence, my research is not finished, it is still a work in progress.

Many questions remained unanswered, and whole sections are missing. The sad thing is much valuable historical material has been destroyed or ignored by the companies involved. There is a dearth of material on Royal TypeWriter who produced 61,000 BAR’s during the Korean War. Why were some BAR’s marked BOSTICH? The best I could find was that BOSTICH was a division of Stanley Tool who made magazines and bolt parts. Did they recondition some BAR’s or did they subcontract receivers? I still would like to answer these questions.

So I am appealing to you RKI’s out there to fill in the blanks. I had a 20th Chapter in my manuscript called “Number Games” where I tried to establish the serial number ranges of all six major manufactures. Accounting for overlapping and large gaps from over two hundred examples, I tried to establish the ranges from extrapolation.

A couple of ground rules. Serial number one has no validity as everyone produced one. Note that Colt started at 12,701. Often there will be overlapping and a suffix will be added. Next, anything ending in 000 will probably be a special piece reserved for presentation.

I am enclosing my estimation of the serial number assignment, in the hopes that you, my friends, will clarify and solidify the list.

One personal mystery I would like answered, is why was the leather scabbard produced to accommodate the BAR without the bipod and how was it mounted in a vehicle?

It is up to you, “The precious remnants” of the “greatest generation” to answer these enigmas. My book was written not only to record the saga of the BAR, but also to pay homage to the brave men who used the BAR to make the world “safe for democracy”.

Researching the caliber’s of the BAR produced some rather interesting results. The 280/30 story of the British assault weapon cartridge is well documented in my book. Not mentioned is the startling find by Stan Andrewski of a 7.62 x 39 Belgian BAR. Also, not mentioned from Brophy’s book on Marlin Firearms is a special .22 caliber training BAR produced and state by the US Marine Corp. This was a fully automatic .22 Long Rifle in BAR configuration demonstrated in August of 1956 by Tom Robinson at Quantico, Virginia. Though not adopted, it was a great idea.

Finally, Professor Ed Libby, who offers a unique insight into this controversy, mentions the Japanese BAR in 6.5mm or 7.mm.

The truth often comes out of controversy. I eagerly seek comments, objections and additions.

James L. Ballou
90 Lafayette Rd.
Salisbury, MA 01952
978-465-5561
jimballou@hotmail.com

THE SECRET OF THE ROCK

I first wrote about the BAR for the old Machine Gun News in 1996, “The B.A.R.: USA’s First S.A.W.” I stated, “In its initial conception, the BAR fired from the closed bolt, and ejected from the top.” Though I was skeptical, I dutifully reported this fact. Many questions troubled my mind; I could not see how the firing pin could be struck after the bolt was closed. Many years went by as I researched the book, Rock in a Hard Place. I consulted all of the greatest minds in the business to no avail. Then, I presented the problem to Bill Vallerand whom I describe as “our national treasure.” Bill has forgotten more about BAR’s than I will ever know when I “wrote the book on them.” He was as baffled as I was.

So, like any good reporter we must go to the source. I spoke to the one man who had access to the primary source, the prototype, Mr. Byron L. Lewis of the Union Station Depot, Browning Museum in Ogden, Utah. This was the “Mother Lode.” He was able to remove the Number 1 gun from its display case and lay hands on the “Holy Grail.” His superiors would not let him detail strip the gun, more the pity. In an historic phone call, I spoke to Byron as he handled the very rifle. Three times he pulled the operating handle back and the bolt would not stay back. Then I asked him to pull the trigger. A loud “click” ensued. The hammer now hit the firing pin! The number one prototype fired from the closed bolt.

The mystery and secret still remained hidden; how did John Browning get the mechanical delay necessary to strike the firing pin?

The book was published and I eagerly awaited Bill Vallerand’s call to hear his reaction. “Gooood!” was his reply and we went over it page by page looking for mistakes.

I then directed him to page 135, figure 149. It then struck me like a lightening bolt! The operating slide is in two parts and the hammer has a slot and not a hole. There are two distinct movements of the parts of the operating slide. This is the secret of the ROCK.

This Aberdeen Proving Ground photo supplied by Robert W. Faris dated August 23, 1938 must be an experimental closed bolt-firing B.A.R. based upon John Browning’s original prototype.