At the end of the World War I, that “War to End All Wars,” there were many lessons learned about the weapons and threats that would be encountered. This was a new kind of war; machine guns, armored vehicles, aircraft, Zeppelins, and underwater craft were among the evolving threats. The U.S. military called once again on the great John Moses Browning, weapon designer extraordinaire, to produce a new heavy machine gun round to counter the new threats. There are different theories on how Browning arrived at the .50 BMG cartridge; one camp believes he simply upsized the U.S. 30.06 cartridge; another that he scaled up the German 1918 13.2x92mm anti-tank cartridge. In truth, it was a combination of both. By 1921, Browning had developed the .50 BMG cartridge as well as the M2 machine gun and its link system; these are still in use today, a century later. There are improvements, of course. The guns went from water-cooled to air cooled, and refinements were made to the cocking system and mounts, but this long-lived system is still on the front lines around the world today.

As an aside, gunners are taught to reach up under the retracting charging handle and pull it to the rear, as opposed to reaching over the top, wrist behind the handle. It’s widely believed this method gives better leverage, but that’s not the real reason. Browning’s first designs had a “bottle” charging handle that was directly in the bolt and traveled with the bolt, and if the operator reached over the top to charge and the cartridge fired, it could break the operator’s wrist in recoil. The retracting charging handle was designed to separate the functions. There is a stud that is in the bolt, and the new charging system pulls that to the rear. If there is an accidental firing while the operator holds the handle, the bolt goes to the rear, but the handle is disconnected. No broken wrist. In the ensuing century, there have been many modifications such as this, but the core system, the M2 Heavy Barrel machine gun, “Ma Deuce,” is still with us.

The major issue with the system, the biggest operator malfunction, and an issue since day one, is that the barrel is removed and installed by the operators in the field and need to be properly gauged before firing. This requires a set of headspace and timing gauges, as well as proper training. It also takes a significant amount of time to do this properly, especially under pressure in combat. Threading the barrel in and out, and headspacing and timing as needed, is an operator distraction. Most machine gunners know their guns, and develop little tricks to shortcut the system. But unless they’ve been taught to “read the brass” and properly headspace and time the gun, those shortcuts don’t equal proper field performance.

Enter the quick-change barrel (QCB) concept. There have been many attempts at this, a few successful. All share two things; first, interrupted threads where the barrel locks to the extension, and second, a method of guiding the barrel in correctly and rotating into position, which is done with a pin.

What style of QCB system is in our inventory?

This is a very important question for those in procurement who already have some M2 QCB machine guns in their inventory.

Essentially, whether the pin is on the barrel or on the barrel support designates what basic style of QCB you have. The U.S. DoD-adopted system is the M2A1, and the pin is on the barrel with a guiding slot in the barrel support. The other systems where the pin is part of the barrel support and the guiding slot is in the barrel are variants of the M2A2. Look to the photos to further identify which system you have if you are matching new orders or adding support parts.

The strength of the pins used in all systems are an issue, and how to repair them if damaged. The basic M2A1 pin diameter is .376 inches, and it is installed into the barrel as shown in the M2A1 photos. The M2A2 pin diameter is .446 and it is a replaceable part in the barrel support. So, if damaged, this is easily repaired at the depot level. For the M2A1, they use a TIG system to install the guidance pin in the barrel well. Because of the apparent issue with M2A1, barrel pins being damaged by exuberant and perhaps not so observant operators, U.S. Ordnance can repair existing barrels by installing a new stud, but they’ve also come up with a solution for government consideration. A pin of the same diameter and height is used, but it has a wider base and a not so radical 90-degree angle at its base. It has a much more supportive radius, and is more robust and should limit the damage done by improper assembly of the M2A1 systems. The M2A2 and M2A2-N do not suffer from an issue here, as stated, the guidance pin is replaceable in the barrel support.

As another aside, if the barrel guidance pin is removed from the barrel support of the M2A2 system, regular M2HB barrels can be used in the system for in an emergency or training scenario.

Manroy Engineering, FN Herstal, General Dynamics, Ohio Ordnance Works, and U.S. Ordnance have all been manufacturers of variants of QCB. I’ve had the pleasure of working with all of the above over the years, testing the firearms, and there are many fine products. That said, on my recent visit to U.S. Ordnance in the Reno, Nevada area, I confirmed that US Ordnance is in production and support of all of the QCB variants, and is the U.S. DoD contractor supplying the U.S. M2A1 to the U.S. military and allies with foreign military sales or private purchase contract ability. They can fill orders for new guns, provide rebuilds, and repair/support parts with almost any .50 BMG variant. Thus, this report has focused on information gained at the U.S. Ordnance facility.

During the tour of its manufacturing facility, U.S. Ordnance employee Beaux Armand explained the full testing procedure. Most impressive is the requirement to build ten guns, run them through all gauging, testing and cleaning, then completely disassemble all ten, mix the parts and then gauge and test again. All ten guns must pass this rigorous acceptance testing. More about the gauging is in the accompanying photos and captions. 

We at SADJ hope this look into the QCB world of .50 caliber machine guns helps you to understand what’s on the market, properly identify what may be in your inventory, and answer the questions you might have. I’m available regarding serious enquiries on technical issues, as always, at info@chipotlepublishing.com. U.S. Ordnance can be contacted for further information at sales@usord.com.

M9 spare barrel cover and barrel assembled to barrel extension. The cover was designed to hold the entire assembly so that the barrel and barrel extension could be changed as a unit. (Charles Brown)

By Charles Brown

Canvas or fabric items created by or for various branches of the Army Services are an interesting study in themselves. While some of the accessories for the M1919A4 had other applications, the spare barrel cover and bolt case were weapon specific.

The variety is staggering as was the quantity in which they were produced during WWII. Both the spare barrel cover first produced in 1936 and bolt case in 1934 are quite common even today.

The M9 spare barrel cover is one of the items mentioned repeatedly in the 1941 Standard Nomenclature List for the M1919s. It was authorized as an accessory under the Equipment section for the M2 and M2A1, M3 tanks, M1, M2 and M3 scout cars, pack transport and ground and
train defense units.

Way back in February 1923, the Ordnance Committee took up Item 2684 concerning covers for machine guns and spare barrels. The Committee recommended that the Chief of Cavalry’s request for the expenditure of $198 for the fabrication of “34 machine gun covers and 24 spare barrel covers (experimental) under the supervision of Lt. Col. Albert E. Phillips, Cavalry, at Jeffersonville, Indiana” be approved. These covers were to be used in the testing of the Phillips standard pack saddles being developed at the Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot. The Phillips pack saddle was adopted in 1924 after testing by Cavalry, Infantry and Mountain Artillery units.

So far the author has not been able to locate the drawings used to produce “spare barrel covers” mentioned in the Ordnance Committee Minutes.

It strains belief that the Chief of Cavalry, usually a Major General, had to get the blessing of the Ordnance Committee to spend $198 but then again, it was the interwar period with the Congress and the public longing for a return to pre-war isolationism, their near pathological fear of militarism and the desire for a defense establishment run on the cheap.

Col. Phillips was part of the Calvary Branch that built upon one of the lessons of WWI; namely that saber charges against a machine gun armed enemy weren’t going to cut it, no pun intended, but there were not quite ready to abandon the horse due to tradition and the perceived unreliability of motorized transport.

With horse mounted charges out of the picture this left the cavalry with the jobs of screening, scouting and becoming mounted infantry equipped with pack transported automatic weapons. The M3 Machine Gun Hanger for the M1919 series of weapons and the M8 Machine Gun Ammunition Hanger were also developed as attachments for the Phillips standard pack saddle.

The original design drawing of the M9 barrel cover dates from February 1936, which is near the time line of two events: the transfer of engineering and manufacturing responsibilities for the .30 caliber Browning ground guns from Springfield Armory to the Rock Island Arsenal caused by Springfield’s preoccupation with getting the M1 rifle into production and the growing feeling in the Army, especially the Cavalry, that a standard air cooled machine gun and light weight tripod, something missing from their TO&E, would change combat power for the better.

The M9 was designed to carry the barrel and the barrel extension assembled as a unit. This method of carry would speed up barrel changing and the required head spacing whenever barrel, barrel extension, bolt or lock frame was changed.

The M9’s original design reminds the author of the off told story of the military’s purchase of a $2,000 toilet seat. The lower end of the cover was lined with asbestos cloth and the upper part including the closure flap with latigo leather. Apparently the theory was that the hot barrel would not char the asbestos cloth and the leather prevented wear from the edges of the barrel extension. The linings added material expense, manufacturing cost and needless complexity to what was essentially a simple canvas bag with a fastener. The 1941 cost of a lined M9 spare barrel cover was $2.90 with the leather and asbestos linings accounting for $1.10.

After the U.S. entered WWII great emphasis was placed on material conservation and the simplification of manufacturing, which increased production and lowered cost while minimally affecting the utility of the item.

One pre-war change to the barrel cover was lightening the weight of the binding material; this may have been done because the lighter weight binding was a commercially available standard.

In March of 1942 the asbestos and leather linings were dropped in favor of a double thickness of No. 4 Olive Drab Cotton Duck, which was the original specification. In 1942, asbestos was not considered to be a significant health hazard and it was used in everything from brake linings to pipe lagging.

Regardless of the fact that these design changes occurred over 70 years ago, the lined barrel covers are surprisingly common. As with many WWII canvas products the dye shade of the material varies along with the binding.

No attempt was made match the binding color to the body resulting in some variation in appearance. The color of the body can vary considerably as the Army changed colors at least twice, but apparently used whatever material color at hand. The closure flap is secured with a “lift the dot” fastener.

The double thickness of cotton duck was stitched together in several places to prevent separation of the plies and add a little rigidity.
Typically, covers are stenciled or stamped “COVER, SPARE BARREL, M9-D30674” in ½ inch letters and various fonts were used. Most of those observed by the author are neither maker nor MRT (mildew resistant treatment) marked or have any sort of inspection markings.

The CASE, Spare Bolt, M2 dates from June 1, 1934, and the original drawing makes no mention of any previous versions that may have been left over from the WWI era Class and Division drawings for the Model of 1917 Browning or other weapons although the bolt assembly is common to the Model of 1917/M1917A1 and the various M1919 models. The case was fabricated from OD cotton duck with bound exposed edges and stitched together with No. 25 linen thread, 8 stitches to the inch. The closure flap was secured with a simple snap fastener. The face of the cover body was stamped or stenciled with ½ inch letters “BOLT”. The 1941 price of the M2 case was $.80.

The original drawing for the M2 has a “List of Contents” block that lists “Bolt, Feed, Assembly” with no drawing number or piece mark as the contents. Apparently there may be a nomenclature difference between the bolt assembly, which is the bolt and recoil plate, and bolt feed assembly, which the author presumes to be a bolt assembly with all the operational parts, cocking lever and pin, sear and sear spring, firing pin and spring, driving spring and rod and extractor assembly installed.

The M2 case was a convenient way to carry this field replacement component in useable condition in the field especially because the extractor assembly is readily dislodged and could easily be lost in a combat situation. Later versions of the drawing show just “Bolt Assembly” and list the drawing number B147299, which is just the bolt with the recoil plate installed. In the author’s view, attempting to assemble a complete bolt to return a malfunctioning weapon to service in combat conditions seems a little farfetched.

The M2 case appears in various dye-shade combinations like most other WWII era canvas goods and as with other fabric field items received MRT preservation after about mid 1944. Those cases with MRT mildew-proofing often have the treatment contractor’s name.

Although with a little care the case and bolt could be carried in the top of the M9 spare barrel cover by the machine gun section gunner along with the M2 tripod mount, the author does not know with much if any certainly if that was the prescribed method of transport.

After the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen confirmed the Republic of China on 10 October 1911 and China then embarked on 40-plus years of internal struggle and war. During the 1920s China was embroiled in a civil war between the Chinese Communist forces led by Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) led by Chiang Kai-shek, who took control of the Kuomintang Party and the army during 1926. With China embroiled in a bitter civil war, Japan saw the opportunity to advance on Manchuria in northeast China during 1931. Manchuria was easily taken and occupied by the Japanese until the end of World War II. The Japanese attacked again on 7 July 1937, troops poured into China, attempting to occupy the five Western provinces. Chiang Kai Shek was caught between fighting the Communist Chinese and the Japanese; he focused on defeating his Chinese rivals.

During World War II, the United States became allied with the Chinese Nationalists and provided massive military aid through the United States’ Lend Lease Program to assist China in defeating the Japanese. The Chinese were supplied with large amounts of U.S. small arms. The wartime plan of the U.S. was to assist China in becoming a strong ally and a stabilizing force in Asia after the war. When World War II ended the Chinese civil war intensified, eventually resulting in a Communist victory in 1949. The Nationalist government left the mainland and settled on the island of Formosa (Taiwan) located off of the southeast coast of the mainland. Communist leader Mao Tse-tung renamed mainland China the Peoples Republic of China.

The Chinese Type 36 Submachine Gun

After the end of World War II and the U.S. Lend Lease Programs, the Chinese began to copy and manufacture weapons of both Soviet and U.S. designs. One of the U.S. weapons they copied was the U.S. M3A1 submachine gun, commonly known by its nickname “Grease Gun.” The M3 and the product-improved M3A1 were first designed and fielded by the United States during World War II. The first Chinese M3A1 clone produced on mainland China was adopted in 1947 and thus designated as the Type 36. The designation came from the Chinese Republic calendar year that started in 1911 when the Republic of China was established by Sun Yat Sen. The Chinese .45 caliber Type 36, manufactured at the Shenyang 90th Arsenal, near Mukden, China was a near exact copy of the U.S. made M3A1, except for the Chinese markings on the magazine housing. Reportedly fewer than 10,000 Type 36 submachine guns were produced before Communist forces overran the factory.

The Chinese Type 37 Submachine Gun

Like the Chinese Type 36, the Type 37 was a very close copy of the U.S. M3A1 submachine gun, except the Type 37 was chambered for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. The Type 37 was manufactured at Mainland China’s 60th Jin Ling Arsenal located in the city of Nanking, China, then the capital city of the Nationalist Chinese. The Type 37 designation of the weapon indicates that it was adopted and manufactured during 1948.

The 9mm Type 37 submachine gun differed only slightly from the Type 36, and was basically a conversion of the .45 caliber Type 36 model. To facilitate the 9mm cartridge, the barrel was extended 8mm further out of the rear of the barrel nut than a standard .45 caliber barrel. This was necessary to reliably feed the shorter 9mm round into the barrel’s chamber. The rear of the 9mm barrel is slightly larger near the receiver end where it is pressed into the muzzle nut. The bolt is similar to the .45 model, except the bolt face was recessed 8mm further to compensate for the portion of the barrel protruding rearward. To feed the Type 37, a copy of the British Sten magazine was used. To permit the 9mm magazine to fit into the magazine well a three-sided magazine adapter was fabricated from a piece of .030 of an inch thick spring steel. The adapter was held in place by two metal tangs on each side. The standard M3A1 magazine release was used. To remove the 9mm magazine adapter the release button must be removed. The adapter is identical to that used in the World War II U.S. 9mm Grease Gun conversion kit, except there are no caliber or drawing numbers present.

The Type 37 was only manufactured for a brief period before the Communists overran the city of Nanking during April of 1949. Prior to the Communist takeover of the Arsenal, the Nationalist Chinese fled to Formosa taking most of the manufacturing equipment with them. Once settled on Formosa, production of the 9mm Type 37 resumed and redesignated as the Type 39. The submachine guns manufactured on Formosa are marked with the logo of the new ordnance department established there, the Combined Service Forces.

Brief History of the M3 and M3A1 Grease Gun

As early as 1939 the United States Ordnance Department had set a number of requirements for a new weapon to replace the expensive Thompson submachine gun.

U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber 45, M2

There were extensive trials held at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland to test and evaluate foreign and domestic submachine gun designs, which could meet or exceed the Ordnance Department’s requirements. One of the George Hyde designs was considered for adoption early in 1942 as a substitute standard to begin replacement of the Thompson submachine gun. The weapon was selected as a direct result of testing at Aberdeen and was one of several designs submitted by Mr. Hyde. Several prototypes were tested before a final model successfully passed the service test. In April of 1942 the United States adopted the weapon as the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M2. The Marlin Firearms Company was chosen to manufacture the M2.

There were many problems encountered with the production of the M2, and there were still some flaws in the basic design. Several of the M2’s internal parts were designed to be manufactured by powder metallurgy technology and a difficult time with the manufacturing process was encountered partially because of the aforementioned process. The technology was not advanced enough at the time to successfully utilize the method. The parts then had to be redesigned for machining from steel bar stock and this added substantial man-hours to the M2 production time.

While solving problems with the M2 submachine gun were being addressed, the prototype T-20 (M3) submachine gun was tested and evaluated; the weapon had all of the characteristics that the Ordnance Department was looking for. In an Ordnance Committee meeting held in November 1942 it was reported that, “The development of a caliber .45 submachine gun and a 9mm submachine gun: The requirements for these two weapons have been met by the development of a caliber .45 machine pistol which can be converted to 9mm operation by changing the barrel and bolt.”

The T-15 and T-20 Submachine Guns

The select-fire T15 was the prototype of what would become the M3 submachine gun. Like the M2 submachine gun it was designed by George Hyde. The T15 weapon used no critical metals and required a minimum of time-consuming machining. Except for the barrel and bolt assembly the entire weapon was constructed from simple sheet metal stampings. The bolt was designed to ride on two steel rods that were secured by two holes stamped into the rear of the receiver. The rod and bolt assembly was held in place by the barrel that simply was screwed into the front of the receiver. The bolt would slide on the two steel rods never contacting the inside of the receiver. This kept the moving parts impervious to dirt, making it an extremely reliable design. As the project progressed, there were a few changes. One was a lower cyclic rate, and a full automatic only operation. The new prototype weapon was designated the T-20.

The U.S. M3 Submachine Gun

U.S. Army Ordnance R&D officer Réne Studler recruited General Motors to assist with the T-20 development. Fredrick Sampson, chief engineer of GM’s Inland Division was assigned to the project. After a brief, but thorough evaluation of the T20 prototypes, the T20 was officially adopted as the U.S. Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, M3. The M3 – T20 prototype had an overall score of 95 out of a possible 100 in the Aberdeen test, higher than any previous weapon tested. The time period between the conception and production of the M3 submachine gun was an unprecedented seven months. The project was authorized in October 1942 with five working prototypes available for testing by November 1942, and the M3 was adopted by the United States Army on Christmas Eve 1942. The M2 submachine gun contract was canceled when the M3 submachine gun went into production. The initial cost of the M3 was $17.93 per unit, minus the bolt assembly. The contract for the M3 bolts was awarded to the Buffalo Arms Company at a cost of $2.58 per piece.

The U.S. M3A1 Submachine Gun

After the M3 was in service for a period of time the Ordnance Department felt that most of the problems with the weapon design had surfaced and they set requirements for improving the initial design. One of the biggest problem areas with the M3 was with the cocking handle and its related parts. A new bolt was designed that was cocked by the finger of the operator, eliminating the need for a cocking handle. An enlarged ejection port was also needed to incorporate the new style bolt. The new model was standardized as the M3A1 December 1944 and the M3 was then classified as substitute standard. Other improvements and changes incorporated in the M3A1 were: A larger oil container that was contained inside the pistol grip, a new stock design that served as a cleaning rod and a magazine loading tool. The stock could also be used as a wrench to remove a tight barrel, a new barrel nut that had “flats” machined on it so a wrench (or the stock) could be used to easily remove it. The rear guide rod retainer was redesigned so it would clear the ejector, allowing the bolt assembly to be removed from the receiver without removing the ejector housing. Guide Lamp production ceased in August 1945, after manufacturing 606,694 M3 and 82,281 M3A1 submachine guns. An additional 33,227 M3A1 models were manufactured by Ithaca in 1955-1956. The Ithaca M3A1 was nearly identical to the World War II M3A1 weapons manufactured by Guide Lamp. The M3A1 remained the standard U.S. submachine gun until 1957. In addition to China, the M3A1 design was copied and manufactured in Argentina as the P.A.M. 1.

(Special thanks to The United States Marine Corps National Museum, Triangle, Virginia, Mr. Al Houde, Arms Curator, United States Marine Corps National Museum, Quantico, VA, and Mr. Dolf Goldsmith, Texas. The Type 37 submachine gun photographed for this article courtesy of the United States Marine Corps National Museum, Triangle, VA.)

In 1933, F.N. Herstal manufactured under license the Heinneman submachine gun, which was presented to several countries in Europe. The weapon had a complex mechanism with a lateral toggle-joint system of locking; working like the Luger pistol. Belgium was not interested in it and it adopted a local copy of the Schmeisser MP 28/II submachine gun, under the name of Machine Gun Model 1934, and was manufactured under license by Pieper.

After WWII, Belgian troops were primarily equipped with English material and particularly with Sten submachine guns and to a lesser extent with the American Thompson.

With the beginning of the 1950s, Belgium, which had just adopted the semiautomatic SAFN 49 rifle, also wished to bring into service a national designed submachine gun. Several models were put to test:

• Many prototypes from F.N.,
• Submachine gun RAN, designed by Vitold Porebski in 1954 and manufactured by Repousmetal in Brussels,
• Submachine gun Racour, a copy of the Sten Mk II, realized in 1952,
• Submachine gun M.I. 53, an improved variation of the Sten Mk II manufactured by Imperia in Nessonvaux, close to Liege,
• Submachine gun Vigneron.

After several trials, the Belgian Army chose the Vigneron. It was designed by retired Belgium Army Colonel Georges Vigneron. The invention is covered by the Belgian patent No. 502.942 and 156.000 and the gun was manufactured by Précision Liegeoise S.A. in Herstal.

The initial version adopted in 1952 was designated as the M1. The weapon has a Z shaped metal wire stock, a peep rear sight, no protection for the front sight, and no selector. It was replaced two years later by an improved version designated Mitraillette Vigneron M2. All the Vignerons whose serial number is higher than 21,300 are of the M2 type and the earlier M1 models were modified and a 2 was struck overprinting the 1, which appeared in the marking designation.

Description

The receiver is made of a 34 mm steel tube, threaded at both ends. At the front is a screwed ring that retains the barrel. The barrel is tapered with cooling ribs to the back part and a compensator at the muzzle. The front sight is hooded for protection. The barrel is 9mm and has six right-hand grooves. The rear of the receiver is sealed by a screwed plug.

A sleeve consisting of the magazine housing is welded over the receiver. It contains the ejection port which has a folding cover that can be automatically opened when the bolt moves either in the closing or opening position.

A lion, the symbol of the Belgian Army, is located on the right side of the magazine housing. Markings on the left side of the magazine housing are:

• ABL (for Armée Belge or Belgian Legeer) 52 (or year of manufacture)
• VIG M2
• Serial number

The magazine was derived from that of the MP 40. As there was an abundance of MP 40 magazines left over from the war, they could be used as well. The magazine is retained by a transverse push rod.

The cocking handle is located on the left side of the gun. The pistol grip contains the trigger mechanism and has two synthetic material grips. The side faces of the grips are checkered and marked with CMH. Just above the trigger one can read on the left face of the trigger pack Systeme Vigneron. The trigger pack contains a grip safety, connected to a bolt stop by a rod, the trigger, a connection lever, sear, and a rotary selector switch on the left side with R for single shot, A for automatic and S for safety.

On each side of the trigger pack just below where it meets the receiver tube are two tubes with a transverse push rod to receive the two branches of the stock. The stock is of the trombone type, with two stems and can be adjusted to four positions. The right stem is longer than the left and is flattened at its end to be used as a cleaning-rod.

The bolt is cylindrical with integrated firing pin. The recoil spring is comprised of 16 whorls and the diameter of the first third of the spring is smaller than the remainder.

The front post sight is protected by a hood and the rear aperture sight is set for shooting at 50 meters.

The weapon is parkerized and painted black. Accessories include a sling in khaki fabric, loading tool, blank firing barrel, and a sleeve for the launching the Energa grenades.

Disassembly

Remove the magazine and clear the gun. Take off the stock. Unscrew the barrel ring to separate this element from the receiver. Unscrew the rear plug and remove the recoil spring. Extract the bolt from the receiver tube. Remove the grip. Reassembly is carried out in the reverse order.

Distribution

The Vigneron submachine gun was used by the Belgian Army, up to the 1980s. It was also used in the former Belgian colony of Congo by the police force (named Force Publique), then by the various factions which clashed in ex-Belgian Congo, Katanga and Zaire.

Further Experimental Prototypes

Colonel Vigneron continued his research and developed improved versions of the M2 submachine gun (correspondence with the author in the 1970s):

• Submachine gun “X”. This modification was covered by Belgian patent No. 675.720 and is a simplified version of the M2 model and is characterized by a reduced number of parts (18 instead of 40). Additionally, the safety lever is placed on the left in front of the trigger, the selector is on the right and the sights are mounted on the receiver.
• Recoilless submachine gun, invention covered by Belgian patent No. 738.604. This unique gun was provided with a gas exhaust system to reduce the recoil.

None of these weapons were produced in series.

Vigneron M2

Ammunition: 9mm Luger
Overall length: 0.887 m (34.92 inches)
Length with stock folded: 0.612 m (24.1 inches)
Barrel length: 0.305 m (12 inches)
Weight without magazine: 3 kg (6.61 pounds)
Magazine capacity: 32-rounds
Cyclic rate: 500 rpm

U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 Model of 1903

The U.S. M1903 Rifle was designed and adopted to replace the Krag-Jorgensen rifle and its .30-40 cartridge. Adopted on June 19, 1903, the M1903 Rifle was chambered for the Model of 1903, .30 Government Cartridge (.30-03), which had a 220-grain round-nose projectile. The Model of 1903 Rifle was only in service a short period of time before some changes were made. One of the most prominent upgrades was the rechambering for the improved Model of 1906 cartridge, which had a lighter, spitzer-type projectile and an improved powder. A newly designed M1905 rear sight was also added. The rifles were manufactured by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal from 1903 until 1914. Production was quickly resumed during 1917 with the U.S. entry into World War I.

The M1903 Rifle in .30-06 caliber remained the standard service weapon of the U.S. until the adoption of the M1 Rifle in 1936. During World War II, production of the M1 Garand was not able to keep up with the wartime demand. Thus, Remington Arms was awarded a contract to resume manufacture of the M1903 Rifle. During production, there were many new features implemented into the original design of the ’03 rifle to speed up production. These rifles were designated as the M1903 (Modified). Subsequently, more improvements were made resulting in the M1903-A3 model, which was adopted on May 21, 1942. The 03-A3 had many stamped parts, a new receiver mounted aperture rear sight and a longer hand guard. The L.C. Smith & Corona Company was awarded a contract in February of 1942 to supplement production. The M1903 and its variants remained in service until declared obsolete on July 24, 1947.

U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1904

The U.S. Maxim Model of 1904 was the first rifle caliber heavy machine gun approved for use as the standard service type by the U.S. Army in 1904. The Army was interested in the Maxim as early as 1887 and procured examples of the “World Standard” Maxim Model 1889 and Model 1900 for evaluation. After sporadic testing, the Chief of Ordnance finally gave approval for adoption in 1904. The first order for 50 guns and tripods were manufactured by Vickers, Sons & Maxim (VSM) in England in the U.S. caliber .30-03.

The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the United States and enlisted Colt to manufacture the gun. Problems arose and it was several years before Colt could begin production. In the meantime, another forty guns were ordered from VSM. Colt finally began production in 1908. By 1908, the service cartridge had changed from the .30-03 to the .30-06. The ninety guns produced by VSM were all converted to the new service cartridge while all the Colt guns were manufactured in .30-06. Colt produced 197 guns, and with VSM’s 90 guns, total production of the Model of 1904 was 287 guns. Colt never produced any tripods. All the tripods were made by VSM and wheeled carriage mounts were produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The Model of 1904 saw a brief service life, quickly being declared obsolete by 1915, yet was widely used and saw service in such distant outposts as the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Central and South America. The gun never saw active combat service, particularly in World War I, being relegated to training purposes.

U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909

The Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 is commonly referred to in the U.S. as the “Benet-Mercie.” Laurence Benet was an American engineer who worked for the Hotchkiss Company in Paris, France. He, along with another Hotchkiss engineer named Henri Mercie, collaborated to develop an air cooled, gas operated, lightweight machine gun based on the Hotchkiss Model 1900 heavy machine gun design. The Model 1909 differed from heavy machine guns in that it weighed just 30 pounds and was fitted with a wooden stock with elevation gear and a bipod. It was mechanically modified as to how the breech closed and the feedway and feed mechanism were changed. The gun also had a barrel changing ability, unique at that time. The number of parts to the gun were reduced to just twenty five.

The French adopted the French made Hotchkiss gun in 8mm Lebel and the British adopted it in .303. in 1909 and was known on the Continent as the “Hotchkiss Portative.” That same year, the U.S. Army, after lengthy trials, adopted it as service issue as the Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 and ordered 29 guns from Hotchkiss. The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the U.S. The rights were secured and Colt and the Springfield Armory were contracted to produce the American version in .30-06. Over the next several years, both manufacturers combined produced approximately 670 guns. The Model of 1909 was issued for service with the Model of 1908 Warner & Swasey telescopic musket sight, originally used for sharpshooter use with the Model 1903 Springfield rifle.

The Model of 1909 was issued to U.S. infantry and cavalry troops from 1909 to 1918 and saw limited tactical use in the landing at Vera Cruz in 1913, all along the Mexican border in 1916 and was used in the defense of Columbus, New Mexico against the sneak attack by Poncho Villa in 1916. Though the British and French “Hotchkiss Portative” version was widely used in World War I, the U.S. “Benet-Mercie” was relegated to training use. It was declared obsolete in 1918 and ultimately replaced by the far superior M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle.

Model 1914 Colt Automatic Gun

Invented and designed by John Browning, the Colt Model 1895 Automatic gun was the world’s first practical gas-actuated machine gun. Using a gas-impingement system that operated against a lever that traveled downward and backward in a 170-degree arc underneath the gun, it affectionately became known as “The Potato Digger.” Colt manufactured the gun and was extremely successful in selling the gun world wide in a variety of calibers. The U.S. Navy purchased fifty guns in 1897 in 6mm Lee and another 150 guns in 1898. These guns were used as secondary armament on ships and with naval landing parties and with the U.S. Marines. The gun was also used with some degree of success in the Philippines, the Boxer Rebellion, Mexican border war and the Spanish-American War.

The U.S. Army ordered 100 guns for testing and training in .30-40 Krag. Upon the recommendation of a joint Army-Navy board of 1898 for standardizing arms and ammunition, the Navy rechambered their 6mm Lee to .30-40 Krag, and then they all were changed to .30-03 and ultimately to .30-06. Though the Army, Navy and Marines all used the Colt Model 1895; only the Navy officially adopted the weapon. The Army just continued to buy it commercially as they deemed necessary eventually buying 2,800 guns during World War I. The “Model” designation was a name used by Colt and did not represent acceptance as issue by the Army.

In 1914, Colt modified the Model of 1895 by replacing the heavy, thick permanent barrel with a finned barrel that was easily changeable and became the Model of 1914. It was this version and its variants that ultimately saw use in World War I by a number of Allied nations though relegated as secondary armament and training by the U.S. The gun was used with three types of tripods, basically differing only in height.

U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915

The U.S. began to realize how vastly under-armed in automatic weapons it was and started a new series of tests in 1913 and field trials in 1914. The new, improved version of the Maxim gun, now called the Vickers, was the clear winner. The new British Vickers was redesigned internally to maximize space within the receiver box by inverting the toggle joint and lock, and the overall weight of the gun was substantially reduced; all without sacrificing reliability. In 1915, the Board of Ordnance unanimously approved the type for the Army as the Model of 1915 chambered for the .30-06 cartridge. They immediately placed an order for 125 guns to be made by Colt and in 1916 placed an additional order for 4,000 even though the first order had not yet even been made. When the U.S. entered World War I in April, 1917, not a single Colt Vickers M1915 had been delivered due to production problems at Colt.

Colt made Vickers guns finally became available in late 1917. By mid 1918, Colt Vickers started to be shipped overseas. The first twelve divisions arriving in France were issued the French Hotchkiss Model of 1914. The next ten divisions that sailed for France in May and June of 1918 were equipped with the Colt Vickers. By August, 1918, thirteen divisions were using the Colt Vickers. In all, 12,125 Vickers Model of 1915 ground guns were produced by Colt.

At the end of World War I, the remaining inventory of Colt Vickers were put into storage and held in reserve. They were ultimately sent to Great Britain under Lend-Lease to help guard against German invasion during World War II, especially after the huge losses of equipment at Dunkirk, while British production fought to rearm the British Army. After World War II, the U.S. did not want the guns returned and the British destroyed the remaining inventory.

U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

John Browning continued to experiment with different machine gun designs after the introduction of his first machine gun, the Model of 1895 Automatic Gun. He developed a short-recoil, water-cooled gun in 1900 and patented it in 1901. There was no government interest in this prototype and he ceased work on it until 1910 when he made further modifications and improvements to it. Again, there was no governmental interest in the gun.

As the U.S. was being drawn into World War I, the Ordnance Board urgently requested designs for new machine guns. Browning took his heavy water-cooled machine gun along with his new Browning Automatic Rifle to be tested in February, 1917. Both guns tested exceptionally well and the BAR was ordered immediately. As war broke out, another official test occurred in May, 1917. The genius of John Browning shone through with the simplicity of design, reliability and ease of maintenance. Browning’s heavy machine gun was adopted as the Model of 1917 chambered for the .30-06 service cartridge and ordered into production with contracts being awarded to New England Westinghouse, Remington and Colt.

30,089 M1917 Brownings were sent to France before the war ended with 1,168 guns actually being used in the front lines. The first instance of combat usage was in September, 1918 in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne, where, in wet and muddy conditions, the new Browning guns performed exceptionally well with one company firing 10,000 rounds per gun.

The Browning M1917 was to replace the variety of machine guns in American use (British Mk I Vickers, U.S. Vickers Model of 1915 and French Hotchkiss Model of 1914) but the war ended two months later so the Browning actually saw limited use. Yet, Browning’s design was so brilliant that the M1917 and its subsequent variants soldiered on in the U.S. inventory for another fifty years.

U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

Colonel Isaac Lewis began development of the Lewis gun in 1910 based upon a previous design by Samuel McClean. Lewis presented his gun for formal testing in 1912 to the Ordnance Board, which included a “stunt” by firing the gun from an airplane – the first time a machine gun had ever been fired from an aircraft. The Ordnance Board took a dim view of the “stunt” and during the rest of the trials took particular efforts to find fault with the gun and rejected it claiming it was no better than the already approved Model of 1909 Benet-Mercie.

Lewis then went to Europe where his gun was warmly received and went into production in 1913 at Armes Automatiques Lewis in Liege, Belgium and at the Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) Company in Birmingham, England. Belgium was soon overrun by Germany in 1914 and production continued at BSA who eventually produced 145, 397 Lewis guns during World War I in the British .303 caliber. The gun was widely used to great effect throughout the war.

Savage Arms Company of Utica, New York began producing Lewis guns for a Canadian contract in .303 and the U.S. Army procured 350 guns (in .303) for use in 1916 along the Mexican border. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army still harbored a grudge against Lewis and his gun that dated back to 1912. The U.S. Navy, however, held no such animosity and purchased 6,000 Lewis guns from Savage for the U.S. Marines chambered in .30-06 and it was designated as the Model of 1917. Upon arriving in France, the 5th Regiment of the Marines attached to the 2nd Division, who had been issued and trained with the Model of 1917, had their Lewis guns taken away and were issued the French Hotchkiss M1914 and Chauchat M1915 machine guns. The American .30-06 Lewis guns were turned over to the Aviation Services. The Army in due course purchased 2,500 M1917 Lewis guns but they relegated them to U.S. training. U.S. Model of 1917 Lewis guns saw little or no infantry combat during the war. After the war, the Army discarded the Lewis gun though the Navy and Marine Corps kept it in their inventory until the 1930s.

Marlin Machine Gun Model of 1917/18

As World War I heated up, orders for the Colt M1914 increased as well. Colt entered into an agreement with Marlin Arms Company on manufacturing the M1914. Marlin’s designer, Carl Swebilius, worked out an improvement to the operating system that changed Browning’s original “Gas Hammer” style lever action to a straight piston arrangement. The Marlin guns, with the exception of a small run of M1917 trainers, were no longer “Diggers,” the piston in tube arrangement ran along the bottom of the barrel and applied the energy to the bolt system.

This change made Browning’s system easier to adapt into aircraft and vehicles; thus, the M1917 and M1918 Marlin Aircraft Machine Gun designations, and the M1917 Marlin Tank Machine Gun designation. Unfortunately, changing to a straight line piston changed the impulse time and energy, and the early guns had trouble in extraction tearing case rims. Adjustments were made to the design, but not before negative publicity occurred. Marlin had taken the position that the ammunition the Army had did not have strong enough cases and the Army said that the Marlin guns had to work with ammunition that was fielded. In the end, the Marlin M1917 type guns were relegated to aircraft use where there was more control on ammunition quality. Some of the Marlin guns had aluminum radiators on the barrels similar to the Lewis M1917, but most had a bare barrel.

The Marlin M1917 and M1918 machine guns did see combat in U.S. use. During World War II, may were shipped to England for their naval defense.

There were an additional 2,816 of the Marlin Model 1917 that are virtually identical to the Model of 1914 “Potato Digger” made by Colt. These were for training in the U.S. Army, and the main difference was in the location of the belt feed opening.

U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917

The U.S M1917 rifle was originally produced as the Pattern 14, .303 caliber “Enfield” for the British. Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I, the British negotiated several contracts with the U.S. firms of Remington, Winchester and Eddystone (a Remington subsidiary), to produce the P14. Collectively, 1.2 million of the Pattern 14 rifles were made from 1916 to 1917.

Upon the United States’ entry into World War I, the U.S. Army faced a service rifle shortage. With the British contracts completed, instead of having the companies retool for the M1903 rifle, the War Department decided to make a few design changes and rechamber the P14 to the U.S. M1906 rimless .30-06 round and the new rifle was ready for production. The U.S. M1917 rifle was officially adopted in April 1917. There were over 2.4 million manufactured from 1917 to 1919 at a cost of $26.00 per weapon.

When World War I ended, the M1917 rifles were prudently placed into storage, after having been rebuilt by various U.S. arsenals. When World War II broke out in Europe, the U.S. and her Allies again faced critical shortages of small arms. The M1917 rifles were pulled from storage and issued to rear echelon soldiers and for training. After the war in October, 1945, the U.S. Army declared the M1917 rifle obsolete. While the U.S. M1917 rifle was more utilitarian then glamorous, it did everything it was intended to do.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

As the U.S. was being drawn into the First World War, the Ordnance Board met in May, 1917 to consider for adoption designs for light machine guns and automatic rifles. John Browning had been previously working on a gas-operated, magazine fed, true automatic rifle design and submitted it to the board. It was unanimously accepted by the Ordnance Board and requested that production begin immediately at Colt who had secured the rights. However, Colt was already at peak production and requested approval from the Board for delay in production while they built a new facility in Meriden, Connecticut. Due to the immediate need, the request was denied and the lead manufacturer became the Winchester Company.

The initial contract with Winchester called for 25,000 BARs. They were in full production by June, 1918 delivering 4,000 guns and in July were turning out 9,000 BARs. Colt and Marlin-Rockwell also began production shortly after Winchester got into full production.

By July of 1918, the BAR began to arrive in France and the first unit to receive them was the U.S. Army’s 79th Division and they immediately exchanged their woefully inadequate French M1915 Chauchat machine rifles with the new BAR and began training. In the September 1918 battle of the Meuse-Argonne, the BAR was used extensively. World War I only lasted another two months before ending in November, 1918. Thus, while the BAR was the state-of the-art weapon, it saw limited combat service. Nevertheless, the M1918 BAR was such a fine weapon that it remained as the standard U.S. service automatic rifle after the war and production continued after the war. Of the total 102,125 M1918 BARs produced, Winchester made 47,123, Marlin-Rockwell 39,002 and Colt 16,000.

U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

The U.S. was ill-equipped when it entered World War I in 1917 and was particularly lacking in automatic weapons. With less than 1,100 automatic weapons in inventory, consisting of four types in two different calibers, these guns were needed in the U.S. for training the new army. When U.S. divisions arrived in France, they had no automatic weapons.

The French, at war since 1914, had an arms industry in full force. Thus, U.S. troops in eighteen divisions were issued the French Model 1914 Hotchkiss heavy machine gun and the Model 1915 Chauchat automatic rifle: both chambered in 8mm Lebel. The French quickly developed the Chauchat to fill the immediate wartime need of France and consisted of fabricated steel tubing of standard sizes and stampings. The only parts requiring extensive machining were the barrel and bolt. The long-recoil operation, cheap materials, unorthodox enclosed design and hurried production produced a gun that had poor reliability and worse accuracy. But, it was all that was available.

To help alleviate a two-cartridge supply nightmare, the U.S. asked the French manufacturer, C.S.R.G., to produce the gun in .30-06. Good idea, bad execution. The gun was simple in its design and conversion was easy: change the barrel, replace the semicircular magazine with a detachable box magazine, change the angle of the bipod and change the graduations on the rear sight. However, the already poor reliability of the gun went from bad to worse.

The more powerful, straight cased, rimless .30-06 cartridge was very difficult to extract. With its violent action, the M1918 Chauchat tore the cartridges instead of extracting them and the more powerful .30-06 caused major stress on all the working parts causing failures. Additionally, the gun heated up very quickly causing the action to freeze until it had cooled. Due to the enclosed design, clearing stoppages and jams was almost impossible. The gun, in a single word, was awful.

The U.S. nevertheless quickly adopted it as the Chauchat Model of 1918 and bought and paid for 25,000; taking delivery of 19,241. There is no record of M1918s being used in combat and were relegated to training use. They were so bad, that immediately after the war, the U.S. ordered them to be destroyed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1

In the rush to supply American troops in World War I, deficiencies in design and manufacturing methods of the Model of 1917 manifested itself quickly in operational use. Many of the problems stemmed from the lack of, or improper heat treating of, key internal parts that included the bolt, barrel extension, accelerator, firing pin, trigger and extractor. Inaccurate manufacturing tolerances also contributed to leaking water jackets at the muzzle cap. The most severe problem was due to the pounding of the breech lock on the breech lock cam causing cracks in the receiver side and bottom plates.

As early as 1919, steps were taken to remedy these problems; the most obvious being welding or riveting a “U” stirrup under the bottom plate and extending up each side of the receiver to strengthen the receiver box. A program was initiated by Rock Island Arsenal in 1936 to covert all Model of 1917 guns with upgrades. Changes included a large, new-manufactured reinforced bottom plate that extended up the sides of the receiver and riveted in place, a new belt feed lever, an improved top cover latch that also incorporated a hold open feature and a new rear sight graduated in yards for the M1 ball cartridge (original Model of 1917 sights were in meters). This improved version of the Model of 1917 was designated as the M1917A1. (The “Model of” designation for U.S. arms was dropped in 1939 and replaced with the letter “M”.)

During World War II, more changes occurred to the M1917A1 that included an improved bolt, the bronze end cap and trunnion replaced by steel, the steam tube assembly was strengthened and the rear leaf sight graduated for the now standard M2 ball cartridge. While almost all Model of 1917s were ultimately converted to the A1 specifications, production resumed from 1936 to 1945 with 55,859 M1917A1s being produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The M1917A1 was used extensively in both theaters of operation during World War II and continued service throughout the Korean War and the beginning stages of Vietnam.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2

During the interwar period, many attempts were made to improve on the M1918 BAR. The M1918A1 and the M1922 were made in very small quantity, with the basic addition of a bipod being the most obvious change. In 1938-39, serious work was begun on what became the Browning Automatic Rifle, Model of 1918A2. The initial experiments with the bipod were expanded upon, and the bipod placement was moved to the front of the barrel utilizing a new flash hider to secure it. The bipod allowed full rotation of the barrel, which made up somewhat for the loss of traverse due to the forward location.

A second addition was that of a pistol grip which extends slightly below the trigger. The method of firing was changed from select fire, (semiautomatic and fully automatic) in the Model of 1918, to dual rate of fire in the Model of 1918A2. This rate reducing mechanism was initially based on the Belgian FN-D BAR trigger group but was later adapted to a US design. Magazine guides were also added to the front of the trigger guard. The fore end was shortened and a heat shield was added, all to help the cooling process. There was a hinged buttplate to add support from the operator’s shoulder, and the new buttstock design allowed for a monopod stock rest.

Production of the M1918A2 was initially performed by upgrading M1918 and M1918A1 BARs. M1918A2 new manufacturing was started in January of 1943. The M1918A2 BAR served in the US military forces throughout World War II, Korea, and well into the Vietnam War. M1918A2s are still seen in various inventories around the world, obsolete though they are.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4

The success of John Browning’s designs is evident in the proliferation of Browning machine guns used by U.S. and other forces around the world. The end of World War I and the advent of more mobile military forces led firearms designers to confront new problems of portability, and the use of tanks and aircraft compounded this. Browning’s basic design for the M1917 series had morphed from water-cooled to air-cooled as early as 1918, and the first models of 1919 Browning machine guns were basically for aircraft use.

The most prolific of the air-cooled Browning machine guns in rifle caliber was the M1919A4. This final variant was designed as either a flexible mount unit for tank use, or for mounting on the M2 tripod with traverse & elevation mechanism and pintle. Production began with the adoption of the M1919A4 in 1935. At that time, all M1919A2 and other earlier variants were started onto a rebuild program to have the longer 24 inch heavy barrel as well as other modifications. By 1939 the elongated slots in the barrel jacket were changed to the quickly recognizable pattern of 5/8 inch diameter holes.

The M1919A4 served well into the Vietnam War for U.S. forces and is still in use today in various armies around the world, primarily in South and Central America and Africa, although most have been replaced with more modern weapons. The M1919A4 was fielded in .30-06, but it has been issued to various armies in 8mm Mauser, 7.62×51 NATO, 7.65 Argentine, and others.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6

The Browning M1919A6 was conceived as a stop-gap measure to fill a void between the M1919A4 and the BAR. The BAR, while relatively light and portable, did not have the capability of sustained firepower. The M1919A4, while perfectly adequate, lacked the ability to be quickly set up and employed and still required the use of a tripod for stability.

The Infantry Board in 1942 investigated many light machine guns of the time, including the German MG42. While a number of designs were submitted, wartime shortages, production constraints and immediate need precluded the design and production of a superior weapon versus modifying a current production weapon to fill the need. (A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.) Reminiscent of Germany’s decision in World War I to develop a light machine gun from an already existing production gun (the MG08/15 from the MG08), the Infantry Board decided to make modifications to the Browning M1919A4 machine gun.

Beginning in 1943, the gun was standardized as the M1919A6 and featured a removable shoulder stock, a lighter barrel with a different barrel bushing to accommodate a bipod and was fitted with a carrying handle. The gun weighed 12.5 pounds lighter than the M1919A4 mounted on its M2 tripod, and was easily transportable and set up by one man. Other than these relatively minor modifications, the gun was mechanically identical to the M1919A4.

Production of the M1919A6 was by the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors, who produced 43,479 M1919A6s. A number of M1919A4s were also converted to the M1919A6 configuration. The gun saw wide service in the last two years of World War II and continued to see service through the Korean War and the early years of Vietnam.

U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1

Development of the M1 rifle began in 1919. Limited funds and the conflicting ideas of many of those involved caused the program to drag on until 1936, when a suitable prototype finally emerged. Original prototype rifles were chambered for a .276 caliber cartridge. However, the weapons were soon changed over to the existing, standard U.S. 30-06 round by order of General Douglas MacArthur. The decision was due in part to the large stockpiles of the ammunition that remained from the First World War. The basic M1 design was continually refined until 1940 when large-scale production finally began.

The gas operated, semiautomatic M1 rifle was the inspiration of John C. Garand, who designed the weapon while employed by the Springfield Armory. During World War II, the M1 rifle was manufactured by Springfield Armory and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Approximately 4,040,802 M1 rifles were manufactured from 1937 to 1945. The remarkable M1 design was to have a service life extending long past the conclusion of World War II.

In 1950, the outbreak of hostilities in Korea brought the World War II M1 out of pending retirement. A dwindling supply of rifles dictated that additional M1s would be needed and production resumed. During the Korean Conflict M1 rifles were manufactured by International Harvester, Harrington & Richardson and the Springfield Armory. During the1950s era, approximately 1,427,970 additional M1 rifles were produced, and many more WWII era rifles refurbished. The last M1 rifle was manufactured in 1957.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2

Immediately following World War I, experiments began on making a high speed air-cooled Browning machine gun variant for aircraft use. The original high speed guns were designed by Colt, and these included the M1918, M1918A1, M1919, and MG40. Each model had its problems, leading to the next variant. Part of the problem was that in going to the newer more powerful M2 .30-06 service cartridge, the cyclic rates went up by percentages in the 20% range. At 1,000 rpm, problem occurrences were magnified.

The final variant of the high speed Browning machine gun is commonly referred to as the “Aircraft Gun” or the “M2”. The prefix “AN” simply stands for “Army-Navy.” There were two basic models of the M2: Fixed or Flexible. The M2 Fixed gun was forward firing only, mounted in the wings or cowling, for remote firing by the pilot on an aircraft. The M2 Flexible gun had a spade grip assembly and was mounted so that an air gunner could engage targets within his traverse area.

The M2 guns were designed so that they could be switched out for feeding from either the right or left sides. This also allowed for the use of a twin mount. Twin M2 Browning machine guns firing at 1,200 rpm each made for a very impressive increase in hit probability in air battles.

The M1941 Johnson Rifle

Designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., the M1941 Johnson was unique for a rifle caliber semiautomatic weapon because it was recoil operated rather than the more commonly used gas operating system. This unique feature made the Johnson rifle easy to manufacture and less prone to gas fouling. The weapon also featured a 10 round rotary magazine that could be topped off with additional rounds. The nomenclature M1941 was a commercial designation as there were no Johnson rifles manufactured under U.S. contracts.

The Johnson Automatics Company subcontracted with the Universal Windings Company to manufacture the weapon at their factory complex located in Cranston, Rhode Island. The company would be known as the Cranston Arms Company. Approximately 30,000 Johnson Rifles were manufactured before production ceased in early 1943.

Although the Marine Corps had chosen the M1 Garand, few M1 rifles were available as wartime demand far exceeded the supply. One feature of the Johnson rifle that the Marines liked was it could be easily broken down. This was considered an asset for their newly formed “Paramarine” battalions where the rifles could be easily carried when disassembled. The Marines procured a limited number of the Johnson rifles for issue to the 1st Parachute Battalion in 1942.

Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun

Invented and designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., it was his intent that the M1941 Johnson LMG replace the BAR. Despite the light machine gun designation, it really was an automatic rifle like the BAR. Notwithstanding the name game, the M1941 LMG had many unique features. Chambered for the M2 .30-06 cartridge, it had a straight line stock which decreased muzzle rise during full automatic fire; necessitating a high front sight. It was light weight at only about 13 pounds and was very accurate in the semiautomatic mode as it fired from a closed bolt, yet in full automatic mode, fired from an open bolt to assist in cooling and preventing cook-offs from a hot barrel. The magazine well was also unique in that the 20-round box magazine could be topped-off by the addition of single rounds through the right side of the receiver or by five round stripper clips. Additionally, the feed lips were a machined part of the receiver rather than being part of the magazine and thus not subject to deformation. The M1941 LMG also employed a quick change barrel.

The M1941 Johnson light machine gun was never officially adopted by the U.S. but was used by selected units of the Marines and Army. Because BARs were in short supply, the U.S. Marines obtained a small quantity of M1941 LMGs primarily intended for use by airborne units and Marine Raiders which saw combat use in the South Pacific. The Army also acquired some M1941 LMGs for issue to the Army’s First Special Service Force, the OSS and there are unconfirmed reports that they were also used by some Army Rangers.

Though some 10,000 M1941 LMGs were produced by Cranston Arms Company, only a relative few (less than 3 percent) were used by the U.S. with the bulk originally ordered by the Dutch for use in the Dutch East Indies. At the fall of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese, the remaining guns of the contract were embargoed so as not to fall into Japanese hands and is the reason a number of guns were available to the U.S. as needed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37

The .30 caliber M37 machine gun was a post World War II machine gun variation designed as a secondary weapon for use on combat vehicles and tanks. The M37 differed from the M1919A4 in that it could be fed from either the right or left side by repositioning of a few parts. The top cover also had a new type latch that could be opened from either side. The M37 was generally used as a fixed tank weapon, but was also utilized in the flexible role, primarily by the U.S. Marine Corps. When used in the flexible role, rear sights were added and the weapon was used on the M2 tripod. Among other improvements, the M37 featured a chromed trunnion block, barrel and booster. Many of the parts of the M37 were redesigned and not readily interchangeable with the M1919A4 machine gun. Rock Island Arsenal and Saco-Lowell Shops manufactured the M37 machine gun from 1953 to 1969. The M37C variation was similar to the M37, but used an electric solenoid to fire the weapon, and rather than manually charged, it used a hydraulic system to perform the task. The M37C was used in early helicopter applications, as well as being fitted in the U.S. M48 and M60 tanks.

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt action
Overall length: 43.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist right hand 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 8.69 pounds
Magazine: Integral, 5 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade.
Rear: M1903 ladder type, M1903-A3 stamped, aperture type .
Production: Pre-WWII approximately 1,704,779. During WWII 1,415,593
Manufacturers:
    World War I: (M1903) Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal.
    World War II: (M1903-A4) Remington Arms, L.C. Smith & Corona

Model: U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: 30 lbs.
Overall length: 48.5 inches
Barrel length: 25.1 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 30-round metal feed strip
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,800 yards Warner & Swasey M1908 telescopic sight
Production: 670
Manufacturer: Colt, Springfield Armory

Model: U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs. Tripod: 50 lbs.
Overall length: 43 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 12,125
Manufacturer: Colt

Model: U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1904
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 57.5 lbs. Tripod: 80 lbs.
Overall length: 44 inches
Barrel length: 28.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 287
Manufacturer: Vickers, Sons & Maxim, Colt

Model: M1914 Colt Automatic Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas impingement system
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 35 lbs. Tripod: 56 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 25,000
Manufacturer: Colt, Marlin-Rockwell

Model: U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 25.5 lbs. Bipod: 3 lbs.
Overall length: 51 inches
Barrel length: 26.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 47-round rotating pan magazine
Sights: Front: Blade protected by ears.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,100 yards
Production: 8,500
Manufacturer: Savage Arms Co.

Model: U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 30 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,800 meters
Production: Approximately 72,000. Wartime 42,750
Manufacturer: New England Westinghouse, Remington, Colt.

Model: U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt-action
Overall length: 46.25 inches
Barrel length: 26 inches, twist: left hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.187 pounds
Magazine: 5 rounds integral box type
Sights: Front: protected blade
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable ladder sight
Production: Approximately 2.4 million
Manufacturers: Remington, Winchester, Eddystone

Model: U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, long-recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19 lbs.
Overall length: 45.5 inches
Barrel length: 17 inches
Cyclic rate: 300 rounds per minute
Feed: 16-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: V-notch tangent
Production: 19,241
Manufacturer: C.S.R.G. (Chauchat, Sutter, Ribeyrolle & Gladiator

Model: Marlin Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917/18
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated straight piston
Cooled: Air
Weight: 25.0 lbs.
Overall length: 40 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 600 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front and rear sights varied by model and application. Ground guns had similar sights to theColt M1914. Other mountings used a variety of aircraft and anti-aircraft sights.
Production: 1917 (Navy): 1,605; 1917/18
Aircraft: 38,000
Manufacturer: Marlin Arms Corporation, Marlin-RockwellCompany

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30,Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 15.5 lbs.
Overall length: 47 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 102,125
Manufacturer: Winchester, Marlin-Rockwell, Colt

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 33 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 55,859
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19.4 lbs.
Overall length: 47.8 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 300-450/ 500-650 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 249,380 total new production as A2
Manufacturer: New England Small Arms (NESA), 168,363; IBM Corporation, 20,017; Royal Typewriter Company, 61,000

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs.
Overall length: 53 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 43,479
Manufacturer: Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2 Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 23.0 lbs
Overall length: 39.9 inches
Barrel length: 23.9 inches
Cyclic rate: 1,200 rounds per minute
Feed: disintegrating links Sights: Varied according to mounting
Production: Brown-Lipe-Chapin 33,311; Buffalo
Arms Co. 96,822; Savage 14,800; Colt 49,681
Manufacturer: Brown-Lipe-Chapin Div. General Motors, Buffalo Arms Company, Savage Arms, Corporation. Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg.

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 31 lbs. Tripod: 14 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt or disintegrating links
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 31,596; Saginaw 367,853; Buffalo 38,300. Total production of all M1919A4 variants from 1939 to 1945: 441,494.
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors, Buffalo Arms Co

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, gas operated
Overall length: 43.6-inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist: right hand, 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Magazine: 8 round enbloc clip
Sights: Front: Blade with protective ears
Rear: Aperture
Production: Approximately 5,468,772
Manufacturers: World War II: Springfield Armory, Winchester Korean War era: Harrington & Richardson, International Harvester, Springfield Armory

Model: M1941 Johnson Rifle
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 45.87 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Feed: Internal rotary type, 10 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 30,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full Automatic, semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 42 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 13 pounds
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Magazine: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: Folding aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 10,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 31 lbs.
Overall length: 41.75 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-550 rounds per minute
Feed: Disintegrating links
Sights: Added for C Front: Folding blade
Added for C Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 7,340; Saco, unknown
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saco-Lowell Shops

“The supply of weapons and ammunition is most difficult, particularly at the time the unit is established, but this problem can always be solved eventually. Guerilla bands that originate in the people are furnished with revolvers, pistols, bird guns, spears, big swords, and land mines and mortars of local manufacture. Other elementary weapons are added and as many new type rifles as are available are distributed. After a period of resistance, it is possible to increase the supply of equipment by capturing it from the enemy.– Mao Tse-Tung, Yu Chi Chan (Guerilla Warfare)

I was reading Mao’s old handbook on guerilla warfare, written in 1937 and translated by Brigadier General Samuel B. Griffith (who also performed the best translation I have seen on Master Sun Tzu’s The Art of War), and was struck by the agelessness of the above passage. It was interesting to note how in other passages, Mao quotes such diverse Western luminaries as Von Clausewitz and Lenin in his book. A significant part of the book is devoted to the tedious details of operating and supplying a hidden army, and that has much in common with the minutiae of the supply chain in modern armies that are far from home. It also has much in common with the guerilla tactics that our soldiers are facing in Iraq and Afghanistan today. Uncle Ho followed The Chairman’s recipes in Vietnam, and perhaps every rebel group has followed it as well. Combining these teachings with the violent capabilities of modern terrorist doctrine makes for a potent threat. Identifying the resources of the insurgents goes beyond simply finding their weapons caches; without food or other supplies, the terrorists and insurgents lose effectiveness.

It is to the great benefit of the modern soldier to have a thorough understanding of the weapons and tactics used by his enemy, and the archives of SAR are certainly a good place to start that education.

Q-I am a subscriber to Small Arms Review and recently received an interesting request from a friend in the UK for some information about the replacement of .50 BMG barrels during combat operations in WWII. My friend is the curator of a small museum at an RAF station, an enthusiastic shooter (when he can be, under current UK law), and an avid collector of militaria. When I read his question I thought you might be able to provide some references or anecdotal information to send to him.

Now for his technical question. “Last week I visited what was the MOD Pattern Room, which you will remember as a truly fantastic collection of firearms. I was shown two sectioned barrels of Browning 0.5″ M3 machine guns which had been seriously eroded and damaged by prolonged sustained automatic fire. I was informed that the root problem was such that barrels had to be changed after 180 rounds continuous automatic fire on the ground gun and after 150 rounds on the aircraft version.” What my friend wishes to know is: How did the USAAF cope with this problem in WW II when each B17 carried 10 or more of these guns? Did they change all barrels automatically after each sortie? Or, did the armorers have a quick check method to ensure that a barrel was sound?”

A- The short answer is that armorers could tell what needed to be changed out by the ammunition expended on return or with periodic checks of keyholing. The rule of thumb was that if more than 4% of the rounds keyholed at short range, the barrel was shot out. The bases you refer to in the UK had firing pits off the sides of the runways where the armorers could have the gunners test their weapons into large dirt piles. Some of these are still in use today in the UK as firing ranges.

There is more to the story though. All of the guns in the U.S. Army Air Force aircraft early on during the war were the M2 AC variant (AC stands for Air Craft), which was a relatively high speed gun with a rate of fire around 850 rpm. The later guns in 1945 were of the M3 AC-Basic configuration, which had a much higher rate of fire at 1,150 to 1,200 rpm. One of the prime differences from M2 to M3 was in the lining of the barrel. Both guns had lighter barrels than the venerable M2HB whose rate of fire was in the 500 rpm range. As you have noted in your question, there is a difference in the recommended barrel change frequency related to use.

First, let’s look at the mid-war (1943) manual recommendations:

TM 9-225 Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, Aircraft, Basic Section 9-d Permissible bursts of automatic fire.

Aircraft machine guns are air-cooled. As guns are mounted at present, there is little difference in the rate of cooling whether the gun is fired on the ground or in the air. Because of the absence of an efficient cooling medium, the temperature of the barrel of a caliber .50 aircraft machine gun rises rapidly during firing. The longer the burst, the higher the temperature attained. The progressive heating of the barrel gives rise to several effects: (Lists four different ones)…

(2) For firing during training, a maximum burst of 75 rounds may be fired from a cool gun. Approximately 1 minute after firing a 75-round burst, firing may be resumed and a 20-round burst may be fired and repeated each minute thereafter.

(3) Combat firing is unrestricted, but bursts of longer duration than 75-rounds (5 second bursts) decrease accuracy and may lead to a stoppage due to overheating. Furthermore, the barrel will probably have to be scrapped, since a brand new barrel can be ruined by a prolonged burst of one half minute duration. (The manual continues with description of problems in synchronized guns and propellers.)

From this description in the manual, it is clear that the early barrels were considered trashed at about 450 rounds continuous fire. The armorers could tell how much firing was done by the rounds expended and asking the gunners what the burst ratio was – was it all at once in a furious fight, or more stretched out over several engagements. Ground testing was also done to function check the guns, and the armorer could tell about keyholing at this point.

Obviously, the barrels couldn’t be changed during the flight, and as noted in section 3, combat firing was unrestricted. There was no Pollyanna wishful thinking that anyone in combat would do other than put the hammer down in a fight. Barrels were changed out as needed, indicated by the type of fire they went through. Spare barrel supply was a big issue on the M2 AC guns.

The M3 AC-Basic .50 caliber machine gun had a much higher rate of fire, but the barrels were stellite lined and had a much longer life. Chromium plating was also introduced. The incidence of barrel destruction due to prolonged bursts went down, but armorers still had to watch carefully for keyholing and a degradation of accuracy. There was no point in sending out a plane where the gunners couldn’t hit their targets.

Of perhaps more interest to civilian shooters is the danger from long bursts. I have included a picture of a barrel that came from a civilian shoot where the shooter stood on the trigger so long that the barrel heated up to the point of reaching an elastic state. On a scale of good and bad, this is a “Bad” thing. As the metal reaches super high temperatures, the pressure of the expanding gases behind the projectile make the barrel appear to “pulse” white hot with each projectile moving down the bore. While this may make for the colorful combat stories frequently told of Ma Deuce in the fighting against the attacking Chinese human waves during the Korean War, it is a sign of the system reaching critical failure. This particular barrel failed at a shoot, and the projectile split the barrel and exited the side of the barrel jacket. Fortunately, no one was injured and the owner of the gun gave me the barrel to keep at LMO’s classroom as an example of what can go wrong. I am hoping this picture is a wake up call for recreational shooters as to what the real problems are with long bursts out of these air-cooled machine guns. Slow down a bit, and be safer, or buy a water-cooled machine gun for your prolonged bursts. You want one anyway, so here’s your excuse to get one. “Honey, I have to buy a 1917A1 because Raffica says that it isn’t safe or smart to shoot long bursts out of my air-cooled guns anymore. It’s about more safety for the children.” That should work.

Q-Do you have a cut off number for pre ban Mini-14 rifles? I want to make a side folder out of my Mini-14.

A- This isn’t really a relevant concern anymore. The so-called Clinton Assault Weapons Ban “sunsetted” in 2004 and went away after ten uneventful and inconsequential years. Like most feel-good legislation, it accomplished nothing other than annoying legitimate firearms owners and giving the regulatory agencies more incomprehensible, technical law to have to deal with. For historical purposes, here are the Ruger manufacturing dates, but today you can take any Mini-14 and put any stock on it as long as you keep it within Title I regulations with a barrel over 16 inches and an overall length over 26 inches. Remember that you may have state or local laws to contend with as well. Anything under that and you have to file a Form 1 to make a Short Barreled Rifle before you make it. This shouldn’t have any effect on your desire to put a folder on a standard Mini-14. This list also doesn’t address which model of Mini-14 was made, rifle, folder, or GB. I have also never been able to determine if there is a misprint in this list as the 1993 serial number range is the same on the Mini-14 and the Ranch Rifle, but this is the best info we have ever had on these dates.

Ruger Manufacture Dates

Q-I have an original low serial number AR-15 that is full auto with ArmaLite markings and I want to make sure I have the right magazine for it for my display. Which one would be correct?

A- This is a tough one, because you didn’t give me the serial number range on the rifle or tell me if it said “Colt” on it as well. Since it is marked ArmaLite AR-15 and is an original gun, then it has to be earlier than the Model 602. Most of the later guns would be correct with any aluminum bodied 20 or 30-round magazine, or the steel bodied 20-rounders. I suspect from your comment that it is a “low serial number” that you have one of the very early guns. This would be worth taking a look at the first two magazines that were made. The Colt Model 601, referred to as an “01”, was marked both Colt and ArmaLite. After the Model 601, the magazine wells only had “Colt” on them and up until the Model 614, they had “AR-15” as a model designation with other markings to indicate “O1” or “614” etc. The first guns were only marked with “ArmaLite”. If, in fact, you have a very early gun that is only marked Armalite, you have a truly special gun. See me after class, we need to talk.

Q-I am in Iraq and have found an AK magazine that looks different. It has a grey color paint and a large rib on the back, and it won’t fit into any of the AKs we have found. It is definitely 7.62×39 caliber. Is this for some odd Iraqi weapon?

A- You didn’t state where you were serving, so I can’t give you any feedback on other groups in your area, but from your description this is for the Czech VZ58 select fire rifle. There are three ways this magazine could have gotten to Iraq and into your hands. There is a contingent of soldiers from the Czech Republic on duty with the Multi National Force, and they have a hospital operation in Basra among other presence. Czech soldiers may be armed with the VZ58, as well as other more modern weapons like their homegrown AK74 variant. The Iraq government had procured some VZ58s at one time, not a primary weapon, but in testing. One of these that had been pimped up with a chrome finish was captured in the Battle of Fallujah. Astute reader, Iraq War vet and long time Rafficarian Andrew Clyde wrote in to us, and the picture of that little chromed out gem appeared in Raffica SAR Volume 8 Number 11. To further complicate the tracking on this magazine, there are a lot of VZ58s floating around on the world market, very inexpensively. We never were able to final track where that chromed example found in Fallujah came from, but our conjecture is that it was a palace guard model. So the exact source of your oddball magazine is ambiguous at best, but it does belong in-country.

I once had a set of VZ58s that were bring-backs from the Vietnam War purportedly taken from an NVA officer, and these were Amnesty registered so they were fully transferable. VZ58s have shown up in numerous places, and will continue to do so. SAR has covered these rifles in the past, as well as the American made semi-automatic VZ2000 from Ohio Ordnance Works, and the Czech offered VZ58S.

Q-I have been told the correct tripod for my M60 is the M122 and that it looks exactly like the tripod for the 1919A4. Is there a difference?

A- The one for the 1919 is marked M2, and the one for the M60 is marked M122. They are essentially the same and are interchangeable, but for technical and historical accuracy, your M60 should be mounted on an M122 marked tripod. There were many of the old 1919A4 tripods designated the “M2” that were remarked as “M122” and no further work was done to them. The primary differences in the shooting platforms are in the pintle and Traverse & Elevation mechanisms (T&E). Some of the later M122s had a smoother transition from the legs to the feet, appearing to be made from one piece and not welded. The best ID is from the photos accompanying this answer.

Send questions to:
Raffica
sareview@aol.com
Or mail to Small Arms Review Attn Raffica
631 N. Stephanie St #562
Henderson, NV 89014

“Excluding dueling (since it is forbidden in most countries and appears to be declining in favor even in those countries in which it is permitted tacitly or otherwise), there seem to be two primary and quite distinct uses for the pistol. The first of those uses is for target shooting (i.e. deliberate shooting with a view to getting all shots in the ten-ring on a stationary target). Its second use is as a weapon of combat.” – Shooting to Live, Captain William Ewart Fairbairn & Captain Eric Anthony Sykes, 1942

Yes, that Fairbairn & Sykes. The book originated out of their experiences in the Shanghai Municipal Police where Captain Fairbairn was Assistant Commissioner and Captain Sykes was the Officer in Charge of the Snipers Unit. Fascinating book, very down to earth and a good read if you can find a copy. Not really a coffee table book, however, depending on your houseguests. I couldn’t resist bringing their dueling comments to the readers; it is always interesting to see the context of different times. “Declining in favor” indeed. One of my lawyer friends thinks dueling should be brought back for many small claims court cases. I suspect dueling might be beneficial in resolving some of the differences of opinion in the firearms press. We could of course require that the duelers had to use whatever weapon they thought was the best…. This might make for some good field testing and future articles – by the winners.

Onward to the questions

Q – I was reading “Raffica”(Volume 9, Number 1) and saw your mention of the Beretta M57 magazine – where you talked about people converting the San Cristobal magazine to .50 caliber. I don’t have any idea of what either magazine is, but the .50 caliber conversion sounds interesting. I would like more information on this.

A- First of all, there wasn’t a .50 caliber Browning conversion done on these magazines. That would defy the laws of physics. There were a few people who wanted the San Cristobal magazines for .30 caliber carbine conversion mags, as these are very robust and reliable compared to M1 magazines. However, they do not fit into the M1/M2 carbine magazine well. I am not aware of what firearm they were working on. One discussion was using these magazines to convert M16s to .30 carbine, but I never heard any more on that project. The most intriguing discussion was using the San Cristobal magazines for a .50 Action Express conversion of the AR15 rifle. That one caught my attention. I believe 10-12 rounds of .50 AE will fit in the San Cristobal magazine and single stack present the rounds quite nicely.

The San Cristobal carbine is a select fire weapon utilizing two triggers. The influence of the Beretta engineers who worked on the project is evident in that part of the weapon, but the rest is pure Hungarian due to the designer’s background who was Hungarian. The Cristobal M2, as it is correctly called, predated the Beretta M57 by a few years. It appears that the Beretta engineers who worked in the Dominican Republic on the project took some ideas back to Beretta and cross bred the M1 carbine, the Cristobal M2, and the previous Beretta submachine guns and ended up with the Beretta M57.

We had a few thousand of these San Cristobal magazines at LMO in the late 1980s and early 90s. We might even have some left though I didn’t have time to look. I know that Bob Landies at Ohio Ordnance Works had some on the tables at Knob Creek, and Gun Parts Corporation was selling these at one time. John Bush had some as well. These were usually about $25 each.

Model: San Cristobal Carbine
Manufacturer: Dominican Republic
Notes: The marking on floorplate, 896-57, is an individual number, not a lot number. Interestingly, most San Cristobal magazines have unique numbers on them that are unrelated to the weapon serial numbers.

Category: RDS2B (Rifle caliber, Double column, Straight, presents 2 Rounds, Box Magazine)

Caliber: .30 Carbine (7.62x33mm)
Capacity: 30 rounds
OA Length: 7 15/16 inches
Backstrap: 7 15/16 inches
Max. Width: 1.040 inches
Body Width: 0.842 inches
Max. Depth: 1.870 inches
Body Depth: 1.870 inches
Construction: steel

Q –I have read a number of descriptions of the De Lisle carbine, and saw the phrase “Bolt Deadener” written there. However, I have not been able to find any information on this. Is it a new bolt face, or something in the barrel?

A – The integrally suppressed, heavily modified Enfield bolt action rifles known as the “De Lisle Carbines” are the subject of much speculation and interest. Very few were made for World War II Special Operations. Estimates run from the factory-recorded amount of production guns of 130 made, to several hundred total due to much higher serial numbers having been observed. This was, after all, a clandestine weapon and it would make sense for there to be unrecorded numbers produced, which adds to the intrigue. For such a small quantity made, there are certainly enough stories and associated lore. This is a subject deserving much more than just a Raffica question, and SAR will be returning to this with more in-depth articles in the future.

To your precise question, the “Bolt Deadener” is not a new bolt or bolt face, it is simply a wedge of softer material strategically placed in the bolt handle so that when the bolt is closed, there is no noticeable “Click” as the bolt handle contacts the receiver.

Most of the modern replicas have chosen not to do this, in fact I have not seen US replicas with this feature. When someone is operational in the theatre that the De Lisle was designed for, that little “Click” could give away a position and cost the mission as well as the life of the operator.

Q –The subject of the YAK-B that was mentioned in Raffica has me very interested. Your comments that the bolt has rollers and the receiver is a straight tube are interesting. Can you elaborate?

A – Yes, I think we can satisfy your interest with a couple of pictures. For new readers, the YAK-B series is the Russian model that is often mistaken for an M134 Minigun from a distance, or from someone unfamiliar with the M134. It is a very different mechanism.

The receiver is a straight tube, and the cam tracks are not cast and milled in like the ones in the complex US gun’s receiver. The cam tracks are bolted into place and are removable for replacement. The bolts have rollers that enable the smooth operation of the gun.

Send questions to:
Raffica
sareview@aol.com
Or mail to Small Arms Review
Attn Raffica
631 N. Stephanie St #562
Henderson, NV 89014

This is the story of how one pair of Browning M2 fifty-caliber machine guns ended up in the NFA registry. There are many other stories similar to this, and many more guns like these sitting in a basement, garage or attic of a veteran or his widow. This story starts in Honolulu, circa 1965. A young commercial diver joins the US Navy, and is stationed at Pearl Harbor on the USS Goldsborough, a guided missile frigate home ported at Pearl Harbor. Upon joining the Navy, the young man would come to learn that his skills as a diver would be well appreciated, and lead us directly into this tale.

O’ahu during World War Two was a beehive of activity. Over 75 active military installations existed across the Hawaiian Islands allowing thousands of sailors, soldiers, and Marines to protect the United States from the threat of Japanese invasion. Part of the force protection included regular aircraft patrols surrounding the Hawaiian Islands and identification of any perceived threat following the attack at Pearl Harbor. As a result, patrols of the Pacific Ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands by P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft were common.

Sometime in 1942, a P-40 Warhawk prepared for take-off at Mokuleia Airfield on the North Shore of O’ahu. What appeared to be another routine patrol soon turned out to be anything but normal. As the plane took off, it immediately experienced a mechanical event serious enough to force the pilot to bail out of the aircraft. Luckily, the pilot was safely recovered. The P-40 Warhawk settled in 15 feet of water just off the coast of O’ahu, and within sight of Mokuleia Airfield. Use of North Shore beaches during World War Two was not at all like what the present day tourist may experience. The beaches of O’ahu near military installations were off limits to civilians, and on-going active military operations prevented the recovery of an otherwise broken and useless fighter plane sitting in 15 feet of water. As a result, the aircraft would sit and wait; forgotten until 1965.

Fast forward to 1965. Being stationed at Pearl Harbor had its advantages for the thousands of sailors, and Marines stationed there. Waikiki was an easy 20 minute drive, the North Shore of O’ahu beckoned with beautiful beaches, and the weather was much better than the winters experienced in much of the continental United States.

While snorkeling on the North Shore near the Mokuleia Airfield on the Fourth of July, 1965, the forgotten P-40 Warhawk Fighter was discovered in 15 feet of water by a group of sailors from the USS Goldsborough. As a commercial diver prior to entering the Navy, our hero (who has requested that he not be identified by name) was contacted and asked to check out the wreck. Upon further exploration, the cockpit, engine, and part of the right wing were all that was left of the aircraft after twenty-three years of sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor. The pilot’s seat was clearly visible within the cockpit, and most importantly, all six .50 caliber Browning machineguns were still present.

Using only a mask and snorkel, our young diver managed to recover three of the Browning fifty-caliber machine guns. One of the Browning machineguns was jolted out of the aircraft upon crash landing, and was discovered resting upon the ocean floor. As expected, this gun was covered in coral and in poor condition due to exposure to the salt water of the Pacific Ocean. The other five guns however, were still bolted within the aircraft’s wings. After spending 23 years under water, the aluminum wings of the aircraft were fairly brittle, and our diver was able to recover all five machineguns from the aircraft. Surprisingly, the aluminum of the aircraft wings protected the Brownings, and the guns experienced very little corrosion, despite spending such a long period of time underwater.

As the sun set into the Pacific Ocean on the Fourth of July weekend of 1965, our diver was able to recover three of the six guns from the wreck. Consider that while using only a mask and snorkel, the young diver carried the guns underwater from the site of the wreck to shore, dropping the guns to the ocean floor each time he needed to come to the surface for air. At the end of the day, the young diver was exhausted, and unable to recover the remaining three guns. As a result, he stashed the remaining three guns under a nearby coral reef for retrieval at a future date.

Upon return, the remaining three guns were gone. Perhaps a bystander saw the young diver’s treasure and recovered the remaining three guns. Perhaps the ocean currents covered the guns in sand and prevented their subsequent recovery. In either case, we know for sure that only three of the six guns were recovered from the wreck by the diver. Of the three guns recovered, two were functional and taken from the wing of the P-40 aircraft. The third gun was discovered lying on the ocean floor; it was covered in coral and in poor condition.

Upon return to the USS Goldsborough, the young diver discovered that the powder was still dry within the cartridges, the primers still live, and that two of the guns and ammunition were still functional despite the long period spent under the ocean. The ammunition within the guns possessed manufacturing dates of 1941 and 1942. After test firing a few rounds, the guns were put away, with little thought of registering them with the Alcohol Tax Unit, (ATU) a unit of Internal Revenue Service, and predecessor of the modern day Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).

Word of the recovery spread within the Navy community at Pearl Harbor, and before long, an ATU agent was requesting permission to board the USS Goldsborough. Upon examination of the Brownings, the ATU agent informed the young diver that the guns would need to be registered, pursuant to the 1934 NFA Act. In 1965, two-hundred dollars was a lot of money, and registering the guns with the ATU was going to be more than the young diver could afford, given his military salary. The ATU agent offered a solution. Because the coral-covered Browning was clearly not functional, the ATU agent indicated that it did not need to be registered. However, because the other two Brownings were clearly functional, the guns could be deactivated, and registered for five dollars a piece. Given the diver’s situation, one cannot blame him for electing to deactivate the Brownings and pay ten dollars instead of paying four hundred dollars to possess live guns. The Brownings were taken to the machinist area on board the USS Goldsborough, where the original Form 1 notes that the guns were acquired on July 5, 1965. The Form 1 continues but noting that the guns were deactivated by “plugging barrel with steel pin and welding same, steel pin put through rear barrel into barrel extension which locks head space, steel pin placed into firing pin chamber, and back plate welded to receiver.” The Form 1, dated January 18, 1966, was approved by ATU on February 16, 1966.

The young diver ended his military service and settled into the Portland, Oregon area, with the Brownings safely stored in his garage. Little thought was given to them until 2003, when a mutual friend to the author told an incredible story about how an old-timer had recovered three Browning machineguns from the Pacific Ocean and had an amazing story to tell. Negotiations to buy the Brownings commenced, and the two functional guns were sold. The young diver, now retired and in his mid 60’s, had no desire to sell the remaining coral encrusted Browning, as it served as a reminder of his service in the Navy, his underwater adventure, and his time spent stationed at Pearl Harbor in the mid 1960’s.

The guns are currently being repaired, and have been reactivated on ATF Form 1’s. Given the historic tale connected with these guns, the current owner intends to keep the guns together as a pair, in their original aircraft configuration.

About a week went by and I was thinking about what he had said, and I thought it would be fun to try shooting my mortar this way. So to the back yard I went with my mortar. The first and second rds. I shot landed about were I wanted them. Then came the third round. Of course I was feeling pretty confident until I dropped the round in the barrel and flinched. I watched in slow motion as the round went almost straight up and to the left. If it would have gone to the right it would not have mattered, but to the left was my house, and to make matters worse, my wife was inside. The only positive thing I could think of was that it would not hit the end of the house she was in. It missed the house and I decided shooting mortars in the back yard was a bad idea. However, I now I had the justification to buy something no mortar owner should be without so I could continue shooting safely in the back yard – a Subcaliber Mortar Trainer Device 3-F-8. This device was developed and procured by the Office of Naval Research Special Devices Center for the National Guard. There were four manufacturers: Folsom Arms (F.A.), Groov-Pin Corp. (G.P.C.), Topping Bros. (T.B.), and Waldes Kohinoor (W.K.). The kit consists of 20 subcaliber projectiles, a subcaliber insert barrel, 3 different barrel spacers,( 60mm, 81mm and a special spring steel adapter spacer is provided so this kit will also fit the larger 4.2 mortars) a pull through cleaning brush, a small cleaning brush and rod, retaining rings, rubber O ring, retaining ring removal tool, breech hole cleaner, hexagonal key and 3 spare fins. This is all contained in an olive drab wooden box. The box is approx. 31in. long by 10.in wide and 4.in. deep. There is a center tray that holds the projectiles and subcaliber barrel. The rest of the kit goes in the bottom of the box. The subcaliber barrel is approx. 26 3/4 long. It has a fixed firing pin in the end cap, which unscrews. The end cap and firing pin go into the base of the unit barrel approximately 4 1/2 inches. There are two 1/2-inch vent holes at the base to vent air out of the bottom of the subcaliber barrel into the mortar tube and out through the holes in the cover adapter when a projectile is dropped in the barrel, so the projectile will hit the firing pin hard enough to fire the primer.

The projectiles are 6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. They consist of 8 parts. They are fired with a 22 caliber blank. There are 5 different gas bleed off settings for different ranges. In the nose of the projectile you can place another 22 blank. It has an inertia firing pin so when it hits on the nose it will fire the blank and the blast will vent through 2 holes on opposite sides of the nose. However, the projectile has to hit on a hard surface to fire the blank. The blank that goes into the nose was made by Winchester Arms, stock no. W22 BL. This is a 22 short with a black powder charge made for spotting. Winchester also made the original 22. cal. launching blanks, they came in a white box approx. 1 1/2 by 1 3/4 in. The box is marked “40 Propellants Sub Caliber Mortar Trainer Device 3-F-8” (I have 1 box marked 3-F-8A-1 I do not know if there is any difference). I use CCI 22 short blanks (Be very careful with using blanks that are more powerful. I had aprojectile blow up in the barrel). I use the smallest gas port, it launches it about 25 yards. If yougo any further it is easy to lose them, and it is quicker for the kids to run out and retrieve them if they are closer in. In the manual it states this device may be used on ranges up to 150 feet in Armories or Outdoors. When using you occasionally have a dud round. I have found it is easier to remove the subcaliber barrel and unscrew the end cap and the projectile is usually right there. Always keep the tube pointed in a safe direction, don’t get yourself or your hand in front of it, and observe safe timing of about 60 seconds after a “dud” round before you remove it. If you unhitch the barrel from the base plate to dump it out, it usually will not come out. In order to help prevent duds you have to clean the inside of the projectile base where the firing pin slides inside, as well as the outside of the chamberwhere the 22 blank goes after every shot. In order to stop damage to the nose chamber of the projectile you should keep a 22 snap cap in it while in use or the inertia firing pin will hit on the edge of the chamber damaging the chamber. Plus that will help keep dirt out of the unit. The manual I have was made in September 1953. These training kits are getting very rare and are usually not complete. So if you are lucky enough to own one be careful when used, you probably will not be able to find any spare parts. If you treat it with respect, you will have years of fun ahead of you.

By Robert Bruce

“The Marine criticism is even more harsh than that of the Army. From top to bottom, 1st Marine Division takes the dim view of this weapon; their experience with it during the Chosin Reservoir operation was the final blow to confidence. They want it either eliminated or made into a dependable weapon.” Operations Research Office Report R-13, Oct 1951

The compact, lightweight, semiautomatic M1 Carbine, born in 1941, had served the Marines reasonably well in the Pacific island-hopping campaign of WWII. The Army was generally pleased as well, although the “Baby Garand’s” lack of stopping power was one major factor in preventing it from replacing the .45 pistol as originally intended. So, what happened to destroy the little Winchester-designed rifle’s reputation in the Korean War? Selective Fire

Although the Army’s original specifications for what was to become the M1 Carbine called for semi and full auto capability, this last was dropped in the interests of simplicity and wartime pressure in order to field the maximum number in the shortest time. However, in 1944 when things began to look up for the allies, the first production-line full auto M2 versions began to reach the troops in Europe and the Pacific.

This was cleverly contrived so that only minor modifications were needed to the existing semiauto carbine to allow application of a few add-on parts. The most notable of these are the selector and the disconnector lever that, as long as the trigger is held back, allow the hammer to keep falling after each round is fired.

For whatever reasons, the best known official reports recapping weapons performance in WWII are not notably critical of the new selective fire carbine. Rather, they tend to list in general the whole family’s inherent shortcomings such as being about as powerful as a pistol and about as handy as a rifle. Not exactly a ringing endorsement….

Despite these and other problems the weapon was serviceable for its intended purpose and tremendous numbers had been produced of all versions including the folding stock M1A1 paratrooper model. Consequently, the postwar US Armed Forces had thoroughly integrated them into their small arms mix with particular emphasis on arming those troops whose duties are not primarily as riflemen. Notably, this included troops of artillery, combat engineers, signal and other supporting units.

“The carbine is a handy weapon for the individual whose duties take him to the line only occasionally, for rear area troops dealing with minor threats to their local security, and for minor escort and convoy duties where there is a danger of being jumped suddenly and at close range.” ORO-R-13

Reliability Problems

So far, so good, but almost as soon as the Korean War began reports of serious problems with the carbine started flooding in from Army and Marine units.

“Since being made full automatic, it is hyper-sensitive. In hot weather, even small amounts of dust and moisture together will cause it to misfire. In cold weather, it is more sensitive to frost than any other weapon, and more difficult to lubricate in such a way that it will remain operative.” ORO-R-13

The carbine’s catalog of Korean War woes goes on and on including lack of controllability in fast (750 rpm) full auto fire and feed problems with the relatively new 30 round “banana clip.” These blued sheet metal mags were also denounced for unwelcome contributions to chamber fouling caused by a tendency to rust at the feed lips so that crud would be dragged along with the ammo as the weapon cycled.

Perhaps most distressing is the carry-over of justified criticism from WWII experience denouncing the short rifle as underpowered and inaccurate at moderate distances. Numerous combat accounts provide chilling testimony to the lack of stopping power of the carbine’s puny110 grain full metal jacketed bullet.

“But the main reason my men lost confidence in the carbine was because they would put a bullet right in a Chink’s chest at 25 yards range, and he wouldn’t stop. This happened to me. The bullet struck home; the man simply winced and kept on coming.” 1st Lieutenant Joseph R. Fisher, 1st Marine Regiment (ORO-R-13)

Faint Praise

To be fair, there are also many instances on record attesting to the carbine’s combat utility. Interestingly, a number of those officers and men who gave the ORO task force some of the worst stories observed among their peers were themselves quite fond of their own “pet” carbines that were said to perform without problems. Perhaps they took better care or were just lucky to have particularly good ones. Also, many of the less fortunate troops interviewed would readily admit that the weapon was not intended to fill the role of the Garand or the submachine gun, but, properly maintained and used, served well on patrol and other situations.

Night Stalker

The small, light, handy carbine was a natural choice for Ordnance when the time came to field the infrared Sniperscope in quantity. This night vision weapon sight was based on the German “Vampir” (vampire) program, encountered in the closing months of WWII. Fortunately for our guys, this had been steadily developed in the years following so it was ready for issue in Korea where night combat with persistent enemy infiltration was the rule.

Because the range of this relatively primitive apparatus was limited to about 125 yards and its weight was a formidable 32 pounds, it made sense to use the carbine as its primary platform. As such, the selective fire M2 was chosen and modified by installation of a sight tube mounting bracket on top and attachment of a foregrip with switch assembly. Once these external changes had been made the carbine was then designated as an M3.

Although touted as equally useful in attack or defense, it is not surprising that the Sniperscope/Carbine combo showed greatest utility on forward observation posts where extra batteries could be stockpiled and a sandbag rest would be available. There, despite the considerable weight penalty and somewhat ungainly handling, its ability to pierce the blackest night to detect probing enemies was a godsend.

Primary References

FM23-7 and TM 5-9342

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 Larry Ruth, “War Baby” Vol I and II, Collector Grade Publications, 1993