From Bicycles to Ribeyrolles’ Automatic Weapons

As early as September 1914, the French government moved to Bordeaux and set up an ambitious strategic plan to exert all the potential of the French industry so as to produce small arms, ammunition, provide furniture, energy and workers for a wartime economy.

Later, production was dispatched to all factories according to their production capacities. At first, production of 75mm shells was the main production throughout WWI.

Concerning small arms, many factories were designed to produce various parts such as: cars, bicycles, plumbing, hardware or locksmith accessories, sewing machines, photographic material, electric components, etc., from far or near pertaining to mechanical works. Few factories produced complete guns: Darne produced the Lewis light machine guns for aircraft and so did “Gladiator.”

These factories were ordered to produce the M1915 light machine gun, developed by Jacques Louis Chauchat and Charles Sutter. The Gladiator factory was founded by Alexandre Darracq and Jean Auroc in Le-Pré-Saint-Gervais, a small city in the East of Paris. It produced bicycles and cars.

We don’t know why Gladiator was chosen to produce the Chauchat, but the factory had all the required equipment to produce crude small arms, using a few milled parts, except for the bolt and barrel extension. The bolt housing was made out of a tube, the frame was manufactured with shaper tooling and riveted, and barrels came from discarded Lebel rifles. Between 1915 and 1918, Gladiator manufactured 250,000 M1915 Chauchat LMGs. Production was organized by Paul Ribeyrolles, technical manager of the factory.

Paul Ribeyrolles’ Invention

In 1917, the French Army adopted a semi-automatic rifle presented as an improved Lebel, but it used only a few parts of the old rifle. This model was designed by Chauchat, Sutter and Ribeyrolles. Paul Ribeyrolles worked on other projects, which did not pass the prototype status: an automatic weapon intended for the protection of tanks, firing through a port and a machine carbine shooting an intermediate caliber cartridge.

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These guns are not well known:

• One file exists in the Archive Armament Center in Chatellerault (former MAC factory);
• One model is now owned by the Musée de l’Armée in Paris (access not possible for individual researchers).
• In the MAS factory collection— One negative picture on glass was found in a garbage can many years ago at the Bourges Proving Ground;
• At least two reports about a test of these weapons made for French, American and British observers in July 1918 and 1919; a copy of these were sent to me by the late Herbert Woodend, former curator of the MOD Pattern Room.

Ribeyrolles Submachine Guns

Jacques-Louis Chauchat died in 1917, and in 1918, Paul Ribeyrolles, perhaps with the help of Charles Sutter, developed a gun he called a “machine pistol.” It was designed to be used by a tank crew for short range defense. They developed the gun that Americans would design 60 years later as a Firing Port Weapon. It was made with the frame and locking system of an M1917 semi-automatic rifle. The stock was replaced by a pistol grip. A shortened barrel was fitted with a muzzle brake made with the recoil booster of a Vickers aircraft machine gun. The rear sight came from a Springfield M1903 rifle. The gas cylinder was also shortened and shifted to the right. A safety lever was on the left side, but there is no selector.

The first trials took place in 1918 with a gun loaded with a special eight-shot Mannlicher Berthier loading clip, but the piston broke during the test in October 1918. Other trials took place a few months later with a new model that had an aluminum frame fitted with pistol grips. The barrel and gas cylinder were slightly longer. The gun had no sights and could be fitted with a scope. The use of mixed ball and tracer bullets was recommended. It received a 20-shot Chauchat magazine. Tests went on until July 1919 with good results, but the gun was too powerful for the intended purpose.

Ribeyrolles Automatic Rifle

The Ribeyrolles Automatic Rifle is the first French assault rifle. It shoots an intermediate “wildcat” cartridge obtained from a .351 Winchester (used by the French Air Force in WWI), necked down to 8mm (.32 inches) and fitted with an armor-piercing Lebel bullet.

The weapon was first presented at the Versailles Proving ground in Satory Camp on July 6, 1918. Later in 1921, it was tested again at the Commissions d’Expériences des Armes, Engins et Munitions du camp de Chalons (Small Arms and ammunition proving center in Chalons-sur-Marne, East of Paris, in the Champagne area). It was delivered with three magazines and 3,000 cartridges. The idea of an intermediate caliber cartridge was interesting, but 20 years were necessary to come back to the idea!

The Ribeyrolles automatic rifle looks like a carbine; the stock features a pistol grip. The cylindrical frame is made out of a tube, with a rear plug. Cocking lever and ejection port are on the right. Bolts are made of two cylindrical parts with linear hammer and a small diameter recoil spring inserted in a tube. The barrel is covered by a handguard and fixed by a swivel band and a forward band. Action is blowback. A bipod (from the Chauchat M1915 LMG) is fixed under the forend, and the M07/15 Berthier rifle (or Lebel) bayonet can be used.

A selector located on the right side, allows single shot, safety and burst. Shooting and ballistics did not provide good results:

• Single shot firing of 75 cartridges led to 53 malfunctions;
• When shooting eight bursts, only one could be stopped at will by the shooter;
• Accuracy beyond 400 meters (438 yards) was insufficient.

The tests were stopped, the gun was too heavy for an individual weapon, and its efficiency was too poor for a light machine gun. Moreover, there was no program for this type of small arm or doctrine for its tactical use. Although the gun was not approved, it exerted some influence which was later picked up by arms designers such as the STA 1924 submachine gun. The STA 1924 includes the same design, including the bipod. Later, its design was copied by the M2 Cristobal carbine developed in the Dominican Republic.

The ammunition was to be very similar to the future 7.92mm Kurz and 7.62mm Kalashnikov, or the .300 Whisper and .300 AAA Blackout.

Ribeyrolles was probably ahead of his time—yet way too early!

The 8mm Ribeyrolles Cartridge

The 8mm Ribeyrolles cartridge is made from a necked down .351 Winchester S.L. case, fitted with an 8mm armor-piercing bullet with a steel core and a blackened gilding metal jacket. Weight was 9.56g (150 grains). The load was 0.9g (14 grains) of ballistite, an old smokeless powder.

The first cartridges were made at the Gladiator factory, but later for the July 6, 1918 trials, 3,000 cartridges were loaded by the Vincennes ammunition plant. For the Camp de Chalons test, more than 3,000 cartridges were loaded by Vincennes in 1921.

The development of the cartridge was completed, and the gun was built with an old 8mm Lebel or Berthier barrel with a twist for 8mm Lebel cartridge. The lighter bullet available in this caliber was the armor-piercing bullet, but a particular lighter and shorter bullet was made.

The choice of powder was not the best, ballistite could be favorably replaced by a more speedy powder. Neither the bullet velocity nor the trajectory was known, but we can compare with other similar loads.

Paul Ribeyrolles

Paul Ribeyrolles was born in Paris on December 12, 1874. He entered the Arts et Métiers high engineer school in Chalons-sur-Marne in 1891. He was technical manager for the Gladiator factory located at 76 Grande Rue at Le-Pré-Saint-Gervais, near Paris.

The Gladiator company manufactured bicycles and cars for the French market. In 1896, the company was bought by British investors, and the automobile division manufactured cars sold in Great Britain.

During WWI, the French War Ministry ordered the production of the Chauchat LMG, through a contract signed on October 20, 1915. Gladiator made 227,190 M1915s for the French Army (8mm Lebel) and later, 20,754 others for the U.S. Army (.30-06). Ribeyrolles died in Paris on July 11, 1947.

Despite Its High Cost, Millions Were Made for the U.S. and the Allies in WWII

The Thompson submachine gun was conceived by U.S. Army General John Thompson as a weapon to assault and clear out enemy trenches during World War I. Thompson formed the Auto-Ordnance Corporation to develop his submachine gun. World War I ended before the weapon went into production. After the post-war design was finalized, Auto-Ordnance, which had no facilities for mass production, subcontracted with Colt to manufacture the Thompson submachine gun. A total of 15,000 Thompson submachine guns were produced by Colt from 1921 to 1922. Sales were very disappointing; for all intents and purposes the concept was a failure though criminals of the day recognized the Thompson’s value. Police departments began to purchase Thompsons just so they would not be outgunned by gangsters. Many gangland shootings made the headlines in all the newspapers; the Thompson submachine gun was getting a very tainted reputation.

By early 1939 when it appeared World War II was imminent, the Thompson submachine gun was nearly 20 years old. An entrepreneur by the name of Russell Maguire sensed that there would be a need for weapons when war came. Through some dubious tactics, Mr. Maguire was able to gain controlling interest in the floundering Auto-Ordnance Corporation.

World War II was a more fluid conflict than World War I had been. It would be a war where the submachine gun would play a significant role. Despite the design being over 20 years old, it was the only proven weapon that could be fielded quickly. However, once again Auto-Ordnance had no manufacturing capabilities. A forward-thinking Russell Maguire contracted with the Savage Arms Company to manufacture the Thompson for Auto-Ordnance. The first Thompsons made by Savage were similar to those made by Colt. Savage delivered the first completed guns to Auto-Ordnance in April 1940. Savage also manufactured many parts to supply Auto-Ordnance’s own factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut, that began manufacturing the M1928A1 model in August 1941.

The British Army, despite their resistance to what they referred to as “gangster guns,” was one of the first customers to order Thompsons. At this point, the United States had not yet entered the war. The United States was forced to enter World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The U.S. Army began quickly growing, and weapons were needed to arm soldiers and Marines.

The U.S. government had on several occasions voiced concern over the .45 caliber submachine gun’s high price, which was costing the government the same as a Browning belt-fed machine gun. Savage and Auto-Ordnance were both aware that the Ordnance Department was seeking a less expensive submachine gun to replace the Thompson.

In November 1941, the engineering staff at Savage began conducting a study of how the M1928A1 model Thompson could be simplified. The engineers were looking for ways to decrease cost and increase production. Consuming much of the manufacturing effort was the receiver, more specifically, the rails inside of the receiver that the bronze Blish lock traveled on. The three-piece bolt/lock/actuator of the 1928 model was also labor intensive to manufacture. The engineers at Savage doubted that the locking device was necessary.

A Less Complex Submachine Gun

In late February 1942, a “simplified” prototype Thompson submachine gun conceived by Savage was ready to be submitted to the Ordnance Department for testing. The bolt assembly was a very simple rectangular block of steel. This allowed the receiver to be redesigned for easier manufacture and its width reduced. The inside of the receiver simply had a rectangular channel milled into it to accommodate the bolt. The bolt had been redesigned with two sear notches. This allowed the weapon’s safety lever to be engaged when the bolt was in the forward position on an empty chamber. Since drum-type magazines had proven unsuitable for military use, the new receivers eliminated the lateral slots on the sides of the magazine well for accommodating them.

Savage shipped the new weapon to Russell Maguire at the Auto-Ordnance Corporation headquarters. The Savage Corporation told Auto-Ordnance that it was submitting the redesigned Thompson, “Without any claims for compensation, reimbursement, royalty or patent interest.” The Auto-Ordnance engineering staff examined the new design and then submitted it to the Ordnance Department in March 1942. The new Thompson was sent to Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing and evaluation. After a few government recommended alterations to the prototype were made, the new Thompson was recommended for adoption as “Submachine Gun, Caliber .45 M1” on March 24, 1942.

The pilot rod for the recoil spring was simplified for easier manufacture and was held in place by a new type buffer. The M1’s pilot rod was made longer than those for the 1928 design to completely contain the spring. The M1’s pilot rod and buffer lessened the possibility of damaging the recoil spring during assembly and disassembly; a problem often encountered with the 1928 models.

The M1 featured a smooth barrel without the radial cooling fins or a threaded muzzle for a compensator. The rear sight installed on early production M1 Thompsons was the same simple unprotected “L” type. This design proved to be easily damaged and was replaced by a similar sight but with protective side “ears.”

By July 1942, Savage began delivery of the first new Thompson model, now designated as the M1 Submachine Gun. The Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport and Savage Arms factories both began production of the Thompson M1 model in July 1942. However, due to many technical problems experienced by the Bridgeport factory with the change over from the M1928A1 model, the actual manufacture of their M1s was delayed by several months.

While in July 1942, Savage had turned out 48,000 guns, Auto-Ordnance was struggling to meet its scheduled production mark. Contributing to the production delays were problems in deliveries of materials, equipment and tooling authorized by the government for M1 production.

After the M1 production finally commenced at Auto-Ordnance’s Bridgeport plant, more problems were encountered. The Springfield Ordnance District refused to accept any of the Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport-manufactured M1s because of the increase in their full-auto cyclic rate over the M1928A1 model. Officials from Washington, the district ordnance office and Auto-Ordnance engineers conducted studies and tests, all failing to provide a correction for the condition. Finally, on December 9, 1942, official notice from the Ordnance Department in Washington gave the district permission to waive the rate-of-fire requirement and accept the Bridgeport M1 guns. In the interim, the M1 Thompsons being produced at Savage were being accepted in large quantities by the Rochester Ordnance District without any problems.

The M1A1 Model

The Savage Arms Company continued attempts to further simplify the design by experimenting with a fixed firing pin model. The prototype was originally fitted with an M1 type bolt with a firing pin fixed in an extended or “in battery” position. The firing pin, spring, hammer and hammer pin were omitted. Later the “fixed” separate firing pin was eliminated and replaced by a fixed “firing pin” machined onto the bolt face.

The Springfield Ordnance District was notified that manufacture of a fixed firing pin bolt for use in the M1 submachine gun was authorized. In order to distinguish between submachine guns equipped with separate firing pins and fixed firing pins, the submachine guns fitted with the fixed firing pin would be designated as “Gun, Submachine, Caliber .45, Thompson M1A1” (A1= Alteration 1).

By the time the Springfield Ordnance District began accepting the M1s made at the Bridgeport plant, the new Thompson M1A1 model had replaced the M1. Most of Auto-Ordnance M1 Thompsons were then upgraded to the M1A1 configuration and the A1 designation added by hand stamping “A1” on the receiver.

On earlier models, the forward motion of the bolt was stopped by the front of the bolt cavity in the receiver, a major factor in determining the length of the chamber. To increase reliability the cylindrical protrusion at the front of the M1A1 bolt was increased by .028-inch. With the longer front shank, the bolt’s forward motion was stopped by the cartridge seated in the barrel’s chamber unless the chamber was empty. The redesign ensured that the fixed firing pin would strike the primer with greater force, reducing misfires. However, the downside to the fixed firing pin design was that it increased the chance of an out of battery discharge of a cartridge.

The cost for Savage to manufacture an M1 was $23.44. On February 24, 1942, Savage agreed to a contract to manufacture the M1 model for Auto-Ordnance at the cost of $36.37 per unit, providing Savage with a profit of $12.93 per gun. Auto-Ordnance then charged the U.S. government $43.00 for an M1 model and $42.94 for the M1A1 version, although the prices and profits varied slightly from contract to contract.

Serial Numbers

Unlike the 1928 Thompsons, the manufacturer’s initials, “AO” or “S,” were not used as a serial number prefix on the M1 series. To identify who made a particular M1 or M1A1 Thompson, the manufacturer stamped their code letters on the bottom of the receiver where the front grip mount is fitted. The letters used were “S,” which indicated Savage manufacture, or “A.O.C.” for weapons made at the Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport plant. As on the previous M1928A1 model, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation name and Bridgeport address are present on the receiver’s right side, regardless of who manufactured the weapon. Another change noted in the M1/M1A1 Thompson was the spelling of the word “caliber” on the receiver. The word was changed from the early spelling of “CALIBRE” to the U.S.-recognized spelling, “CALIBER.”

Savage-manufactured M1 and M1A1s were stamped with the Army Inspector of Ordnance’s initials of the Rochester, NY, Ordnance District. AIOs of the Rochester District were Lt. Colonel Ray L. Bowlin, using stamp “RLB,” and Colonel Frank J. Atwood, using stamp “FJA.” The Bowlin RLB marking is found only on the early M1 Thompsons. All Savage M1 and M1A1 submachine gun receivers and frames were also marked with the encircled “GEG” acceptance stamp of Auto-Ordnance’s civilian inspector at Savage’s factory, George E. Goll.

M1 and M1A1 Thompsons produced at the Auto-Ordnance plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, would have the acceptance stamp of the Army Inspector of Ordnance of the Springfield District. Very early M1s would be marked with the stamp “WB”—Colonel Waldemar Broberg. Later production would be marked with the “GHD” stamp—Colonel Guy H. Drewery.

There have been many M1A1 trigger frames documented that do not have serial numbers. During repairs and rebuilds, the frames and receivers were often mismatched. This caused a lot of confusion when the weapons were stored in racks, and the frame number was mistakenly recorded instead of the receiver serial number. U.S. Ordnance specification AXS-725, dated January 7, 1943, called for a serial number to be marked, “Only on the receiver.” Subsequently, M1A1 frames manufactured after that date had no serial numbers applied. Arsenals were instructed to obliterate or remove serial numbers from the frames of the M1/M1A1 Thompsons. Due to the depth of the markings, the practice was soon discontinued.

M1’s and M1A1’s Final Days

In January 1943, the Ordnance Department announced to the Auto-Ordnance Corporation that the Thompson was going to be replaced by the newly developed U.S. M3 submachine gun. After the Ordnance Department’s official adoption of the M3 submachine gun, Thompson production was scheduled to be concluded in July 1943. Plans were made to begin tapering off production of the weapon. In April 1943, 62,948 M1A1 guns were manufactured; this was reduced to 55,000 in May and 51,667 in June. This left only 5,000 guns remaining to be manufactured in July 1943 from existing contracts. Authority was then received from the Ordnance Department in June to procure an additional 60,000 weapons by the end of August. Before the end of August, more orders for the Thompson gun were received from Washington. A total of approximately 119,091 additional Thompson M1A1 models were to be manufactured, providing continuance of production through December 1943. At the end of December, there were enough parts remaining to assemble approximately 4,500 additional guns. In January 1944 authorization was granted to complete the remaining guns by February 15, 1944. Production briefly resumed in February, completing a total of 4,092 additional guns. On February 15, 1944, the very last M1A1 Thompson submachine gun was accepted by the government via contract W-478-ORD-1949.

The Savage Arms Corporation manufactured an estimated total of 464,800 M1 and M1A1 model Thompsons, while the Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport plant turned out an estimated 249,555 M1s and M1A1s. A presentation-grade M1A1 Thompson was made by Savage. The serial number represented the total number of 1928 and M1/M1A1 Thompson submachine guns made by Savage: 1,244,194 from April 1940 until February 15, 1944. The number does not include the Thompsons made by Auto-Ordnance’s Bridgeport factory.

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Article excerpted from the book American Thunder III, available from Chipotle Publishing LLC.

Special thanks to Curator Alex MacKenzie and the entire staff at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site.
Springfield Armory National Historic Site
Springfield, MA
413-271-3976
www.nps.gov/spar

Finnish elite shooter badge for machine gun. This Finnish badge was issued to “Vailo-Ampuja” or “Elite Shooter” machine gunners. The first of these badges was issued in 1933 (March 6) and continued being issued until the end of World War II. A very scarce two-piece badge because it has a gilt Maxim machine gun inside a white metal wreath meaning it was issued to someone on the permanent staff. Outside edges have civil guards influence with branches of the evergreen tree. Screw-post back.

African Gold Coast Territorial Force machine gun officer’s silver plate collar badge (circa 1920s-1930s). White metal trumpeting elephant atop gold colored banner with “G.C.T.F” to center atop silver-plated crossed Vickers machine guns. Rear maker marked “Firmin London” with two lugs to the rear. The Gold Coast was a British colony in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.

Glass souvenir of the 2/ 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion on the occasion of the Fifth Australia Wide Reunion in Adelaide in 1982. Clear glass with gold rim. Approximately 5 inches high. Rear of glass has famous poem In Memory of Fallen Comrades: “They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” “LEST WE FORGET.” The 1st Machine Gun Battalion was a World War I raised unit in 1918 and part of the Australian Imperial Force consisting of four machine gun companies fighting in the final days of the war. The unit was disbanded in mid-1919 during the demobilization of the AIF after the war. The second 1st Machine Gun Battalion was raised for service during World War II as part of the 6th Division seeing service in the Middle East, Egypt, Greece, Crete, Syria and Palestine. It later fought a defensive role in the New Guinea campaign and the Borneo campaign. The battalion was disbanded in early 1946.

Indian Army Sikhs Machine Gun Corps other ranks brass cap badge. The five-pointed star affixed to the top denotes instructor. Two lugs to the rear.

Malta-assigned other ranks machine gun section brass cap badge. Machine Gun Corps insignia with Malta banner below. Slider to rear.

Pair of Italian officer’s silver cufflinks for the 42nd Infantry Regiment. Crown to top with “42” in center with crossed rifles and water-cooled FIAT Revelli M1914 machine gun below. Each cufflink and connecting bar marked “800” indicating silver content of 80%.

Canadian veteran’s blazer patch for the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Machine Gun Regiment. Green thistle and wreath with purple embroidery and bullion-stitched lettering on black felt. Though this unit existed in Canada for a long time, it was under this “M.G.” designation for only a little less than 10 months in World War II. This unit was placed on active service on Sept. 1, 1939, as the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (M.G.). It then mobilized on May 24, 1940, as the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (having been switched from machine gun to regular infantry, the M.G. designation was dropped from its insignia). Battle record included the Normandy Landing, Authie, Chambois, Boulogne, Breskens Pocket, the Rhine and Northwest Europe.

German Reichswehr period (end of World War I in 1918 and the rise of the Third Reich in 1933) 0/5 liter pottery beer stein marked, “19. Bayer. Inf. Rgt. 1. Batl. 4. (M.G.) Komp” and “Weihnachten 1930” (19th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 4th Machine Gun Company and Christmas 1930). The central image is of a German soldier training with the MG08 (Maschinengewehr 08) mounted on the sled mount. Pewter hinged lid with relief helmet and acorn leaves. Maker marked on bottom Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach.

The Top Secret Pedersen Device installed in a Mark I U.S. 1903 Rifle.

By Frank Iannamico

World War I began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. The underlying cause of the war was a complex series of political, territorial and economic problems. The stage for war was set on June 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Within weeks, the major powers were at war, and the conflict quickly spread around the world. Initially the United Kingdom, France and the Russian Empire were fighting with the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. Before long Italy and Japan joined the Allies while the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers.

By early 1915, the fighting had reached an impasse on the Western Front. Artillery barrages, along with water-cooled machine guns, made crossing open ground impossible. Massed infantry advances on enemy positions became suicidal. Armies had not developed infantry tactics for breaching entrenched positions without suffering heavy casualties. However, new offensive weapons, such as gas warfare and the tank designed to break the stalemate began to appear on the battle field.

On 2 April 1917, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked a special joint session of Congress to declare war on the German Empire. On 6 April 1917, Congress declared war on Germany on the grounds that Germany violated U.S. neutrality by attacking international shipping.

The United States’ Secret Weapon

Development of the Pedersen Device began in late 1916 at the Remington Arms Division in Ilion, New York by John D. Pedersen aided by long-time associate and tool designer Oliver H. Loomis. By the spring of 1918 a working prototype was ready. Pedersen contacted the Army’s Chief of Ordnance William Crozier to arrange a demonstration of his Device. Mr. Pedersen was well-known and respected by the Army Ordnance Office and his request was granted. The demonstration was held on 8 October 1917 in Washington, DC at the Congressional Heights rifle range, with only a few high ranking officers and Congressmen invited to attend. On the firing line Mr. Pedersen produced a modified 1903 bolt-action rifle (reportedly serial number 789300 owned by Pedersen) and began to fire the weapon in its original .30-06 configuration. He then removed the rifle’s bolt and replaced it with a strange object, which was removed from a scabbard attached to his belt. Pedersen inserted a magazine into the rifle and began to fire 40 rounds semiautomatically down-range in rapid succession. Those witnessing the demonstration were duly impressed by the volume of fire produced by Pedersen’s Device. A few months later one of the Devices was shipped to France for evaluation by General Pershing. On 9 December 1917 a board was convened at Langres, France to evaluate Pedersen’s “secret weapon.” The Device was tested for accuracy, penetration, rate of fire and reliability. It was quickly determined that turning the 1903 rifle into a short range rapid-firing semiautomatic weapon, while retaining its bolt-action ability to fire at long range targets had merit.

Convinced of its potential, General Pershing requested 100,000 of the Devices and modified 1903 rifles to use them. The initial order was placed with Remington Arms Company on 26 March 1918. To conceal the true purpose of the top-secret Device it was designated as the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918, after its official adoption.

Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918 Mark I

One of the secret weapons of World War I developed by U.S. arms designer J.D. Pedersen was a device designed to convert the issue U.S. 1903 bolt action service rifle into a semiautomatic weapon. The device was a blow-back design that fired specially developed .30 caliber pistol rounds semiautomatically from a modified 1903 rifle. The “barrel” of the Device was in the shape of a .30-06 cartridge that fit into the 1903 rifle to fill the chamber. The “barrel” of the Device had an internal chamber for the small cartridge, and was rifled with lands and grooves to start the bullet spinning as it entered the 1903’s barrel. The device was designed to replace the 1903’s bolt and could be installed by the soldier in the field in as little as 15 seconds. The Device and its scabbard weighed 2.12 pounds. The rifle could just as easily be restored to function in its original .30-06 configuration by removing the device and installing the original bolt assembly.

The Magazine

The Pedersen Device fed from a double-stack, double-feed 40-round magazine that extended vertically from the 1903’s receiver, and was positioned at a 45-degree angle so that the rifle’s sights could be used. The magazine was retained in the Pedersen Device by two spring actuated fingers that engaged projections on the magazine. The sheet-metal magazine’s body had strengthening ribs pressed into its side.

The back of the magazine that faced the soldier firing the weapon had a series of holes, in 5-round increments, designed to indicate the number of rounds in the magazine. A loaded magazine weighed 1-pound. Soldiers were to be issued ten magazines for a total of 400 rounds, carried in two canvas pouches attached to the cartridge belt. Production of the 40-round magazines was subcontracted out to the Oneida Limited, Mount Vernon Silversmiths and an unknown contractor using the manufacturers’ code TP. An estimated 1.6 million magazines were manufactured for the Pedersen Device.

The stamped steel magazines had a 40-round capacity. The back had “witness” holes in 5-round increments. The contractor’s initials M.V.C. are stamped at the top. The magazines for the M1917 Rifle’s Mark II Device were slightly different.

Accoutrements

There were several accessories designed to be issued with the Pedersen Device. To carry the Device itself a stamped metal scabbard, with a hinged top secured by a wire bale, was provided. Hooks were used to attach the scabbard to the metal eyelets in the cartridge belt. A canvas pouch was also supplied to contain and store the 03’s bolt when the Device was installed in the rifle. A 5-cell canvas magazine pouch was designed to hold the magazines. Two or three pouches were to be carried attached to the cartridge belt. The magazine pouches were produced at the Rock Island Arsenal and ink-stamped R.I.A. and date of manufacture. Two identical stamped steel wrenches were provided to adjust the Device’s barrel to ensure a snug fit in the host rifle. The complete Pedersen Device, accessories and ten loaded 40-round magazines added 14-pounds to the soldier’s basic equipment.

Caliber .30 Auto-Pistol, Ball Cartridge, Model of 1918

Ammunition for the Pedersen Device was a comparatively small .30 caliber pistol round with an 80 grain bullet and a 3.5 grain powder charge. Fired from a Pedersen Device in a 1903 Rifle the bullet had a muzzle velocity of 1,300 feet per second, though far less powerful than the M1906 .30-06 service cartridge, it was estimated that the 80 grain bullet would be lethal at ranges up to 400 yards. The primary advantage of the Pedersen Device was of course volume of fire.

The cartridges were produced by the Remington Arms Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Most of the brass cartridge cases were manufactured at Remington’s Hoboken, New Jersey plant and then shipped to their Bridgeport factory for loading and packing. The rounds were packed 40 to a box (the Device’s magazines each hold 40-rounds) 5 boxes to a carton. Cloth bandoleers were produced to hold three of the 200 round cartons. The cartridge cases were head-stamped: RA 18, RA H18, RA 19 or RA H19. RA=Remington Arms, H=Hoboken, New Jersey plant 18 or 19 the year of production.

An experimental cartridge for the Pedersen Device was developed to enhance its lethality. The cartridge featured a 90 grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1,490 feet per second, but the round’s overall length was too long to fit in the original magazines.

The 1903 Mark I Rifle

Modifications to the standard issue M1903 Rifle to the Mark I configuration required to accommodate the Pedersen Device included the following:

• Receiver: The receiver had an oval port milled out of the left side to line up with the ejection port of the Pedersen device allowing the spent case to be ejected from the Device and the rifle. The receiver ring was roll-marked with the Mark I nomenclature to indicate the
• rifle’s modifications.
• Sear: The sear was modified to include a pivoting trip lever designed to trigger the Pedersen Device.
• Trigger: The 03’s trigger was altered with a light relief cut on its rear upper surface to allow function of the Mark I’s trip lever.
• Cut Off: The magazine cut-off was redesigned to secure the Device in the rifle. The body of the cut-off was relieved to engage machined cuts in the Device securing it when the lever was placed in the “off” position. There were two different types of cut-off alterations.
• Early production had two retention grooves while later manufacture only had one.
• Cut-Off Spindle: The cut-off spindle was reconfigured to add a small spring and plunger into its forward end to apply pressure to the Device’s safety. The rear of the spindle had a slot for a screw driver to aid in assembly. The cut-off screw seat is a single hole in the Mark I spindle, in place of the radial slot on the original design.
• Stock: The stock had a slight relief cut on its rear upper surface in line with the ejection port.

The Mark I rifle could still function normally as a bolt-action rifle and fire .30-06 cartridges when the Device was replaced by the original bolt assembly. In its modified form the Mark I rifle weighed 9.25 pounds. The Mark I barrel had four-lands and grooves with a 1 in 10 inch twist.

Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918 Mark II

When the U.S. entered World War I there were not enough 1903 rifles to equip the rapidly expanding U.S. Army. Prior the United States’ entry into World War I Great Britain contracted with several U.S. companies to manufacture its .303 caliber
Pattern 14 rifle.

To supplement 1903 rifle production the Ordnance Department decided it would save both time and money by adapting the British rifle to accept the U.S. .30-06 cartridge, rather than re-tool the factories making the Pattern 14 factories to produce the standard U.S. rifle, the M1903 Springfield. Accordingly, Remington Arms Co. altered the design for caliber .30-06, under supervision of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department, which was formally adopted as the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1917. The production of Model of 1917 rifles far exceeded 1903 production, and thus issued in larger numbers to U.S. soldiers. Because of the numbers of the Model of 1917 rifles being issued it was decided to design and manufacture a Pedersen Device for the weapon designated as the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918 Mark II. Few were ever produced before the war ended.

In addition to the Mark II Device for the Model of 1917 rifle, a third model of the Pedersen Device was planned for the Russian Mosin Nagant rifle. However, after the Communists overthrew the Czarist government, a treaty was negotiated with Germany, and on 3 March 1918 Russia pulled out of the conflict. As a result there was no production of the Device for the Russian rifle, other than tool room models.

Tactics

The Pedersen Devices was believed to have potential as both an offensive and defensive weapon. Commanders envisioned their soldiers crossing no-man’s land firing their 1903 rifles fitted with the Pedersen Device, saturating the enemy position with a hail of bullets. It was also theorized that the Pedersen Device as a defensive weapon, which could be used to repeal a close quarters attack on their positions. The secret Device was to be revealed to the enemy during a massive offensive planned for the spring of 1919.

The War Ends

An Armistice was declared on 11 November 1918 ending World War I before any of the Pedersen Devices reached the troops in the field. But production of the Pedersen Device continued until 1 March 1919 when the contract was cancelled. At the time of the contract cancellation there were a reported 65,001 Devices and 65 million rounds of .30 caliber ammunition produced. Production of the 1903 Mark I rifles continued at the Springfield Armory with a production figure of 91,750 rifles in fiscal 1919, and an additional 10,025 in fiscal 1920. The 101,775 modified 1903 Mark I rifles and 65,005 Pedersen Devices and accouterments were then placed in storage as war reserves.

J.D. Pedersen

John Douglas Pedersen (May 21, 1881 – May 23, 1951) was a prolific arms designer who worked for Remington Arms, and later for the United States Government. He would be best known for his Pedersen Device that never fired a shot in anger.

Although Pedersen had success with many firearms for the commercial market, his timing always seemed to off when it came to military weapons. The U.S. Navy recommended adoption of his .45 pistol design, but Pedersen’s design was shelved in favor of the M1911 pistol already in production for the army. His semiautomatic rifle and accompanying .276 caliber cartridge were passed over in favor of John Garand’s rifle.

During World War II Mr. Pedersen formed The Irwin-Pedersen Arms Company financed by the Irwin family of Michigan. Primarily through Pedersen’s contacts in the Ordnance Department, the Irwin-Pedersen Arms Company received a contract to manufacture M1 Carbines. Unfortunately, the company failed to achieve mass production and produced slightly over 3,500 M1 Carbines. None of the carbines met Ordnance Department standards and thus were not accepted by the military. In March 1943, the Ordnance Department cancelled the carbine contract it had with the Irwin-Pedersen Arms Company.

During the post-war years the Pedersen Device was reevaluated. Tests were conducted in 1919 and 1920. Approximately 4,000 Mark I 1903 Rifles fitted with Pedersen Devices were shipped to the Panama Canal Zone in 1920 for field testing. All involved in the testing came to the same conclusion: the Device and associated accessories were cumbersome and heavy and its cartridge underpowered. Realizing that the Device had no future in the Army, and reportedly to keep them out of the hands of the growing number of “motorized bandits,” during April of 1931, it was decided to scrap the all of the Pedersen Devices rather than keep them in storage.

Advanced Collector’s Item

Apparently, the government was unusually efficient in destroying nearly all the Pedersen Devices as very few still survive today. Even rarer than the Devices themselves are the thin sheet metal scabbards. While magazines are not especially common, they are not impossible to locate. Ammunition is scarce, but like the magazines can sometimes be found. The canvas bolt pouches and magazine pouches are fairly common and often in unissued condition.

Complete Pedersen Devices and acouterments are generally offered at auction, and depending on condition, bring low to mid five-figure bids.

This article is intended to complement Anthony Williams’ article published in last month’s SAR (Vol. 15, No. 4, January 2012) dedicated to .5-inch Vickers guns and ammunition in order to present some of the feed systems used with those weapons. Both fabric belts and metal disintegrating links are presented for four main types of .5-inch Vickers ammunition, namely the earliest belted .600/.500-inch, the rimless 12.7×81, the semi-rimmed 12.7x81SR and the high velocity semi-rimmed 12.7x120R.

Feeding the Early Vickers in .600/.500-inch

Early .5-inch aircraft Vickers machine guns used the belted .600/.500-inch cartridge. The feeding was achieved by means of a complex and over-engineered disintegrating metallic link using no less than 5 separate rings. The ammunition itself is nowadays an extremely sought after specimen and only available in the world’s most advanced collections. The known surviving links are only a handful nowadays and are probably among the scarcest British disintegrating link for collectors.

Feeding the British Service .5-inch Vickers for the Rimless 12.7×81

The rimless 12.7×81 Vickers ammunition was adopted for British Service in 1924 and is also referred to as the .5”V/580. This ammunition was used in British Service both on Land, Sea and in the Air.

Land Service .5-inch Vickers

On Land, the Mark II, IV and V water-cooled tank guns were fed with a 100-round fabric belt referenced as Mark I. The belt is composed of two strips of cotton fabrics assembled together with riveted brass spacers. Both ends of the belt are fitted with a brass starter tang intended to facilitate the introduction of the belt into the feed block. The starter tangs are marked with the caliber designation, the belt capacity and the manufacturer’s code. One starter tang only also bears inspection markings. The brass spacers are slightly chamfered at the top ends in order to positively seat the shoulder of the cartridge case in the belt. Before World War 2, belts are produced by the company Vickers-Armstrongs Limited and are not dated. During World War 2, belts are produced by the company Thomas French & Sons of Manchester. This company specialized in the production of a very wide range of belts and links in various calibers. These wartime belts by Thomas French are marked with month and date of production.

Naval Service .5-inch Vickers

The water-cooled naval Mark III .5-inch Vickers weapons, most frequently encountered on the quadruple Mark M anti-aircraft mount are fed with a 200-round belt assembled with metallic disintegrating links and wrapped around a spool.

Two types of links were in service. The standard link is of the model Mark II Navy and denoted II N. The link design is a direct scale-up version of the Prideaux links developed by the inventor during WW1 for the .303 Vickers aircraft weapon. The links are marked with the weapon designation .5VMG or .5MG, the model of link II N and the manufacturer’s code. According to the large amount of links used during WW2, at least nine different British manufacturers produced those Mark II N links. For example, the company British Pens Limited of Birmingham (marking BP) produced 14,198,000 Mark II N links during WW2.

With the standard Mark II N links, the connection of belt sections with one another usually requires that a loose cartridge be inserted into the trailing links of each belt. In order to enable the connection of two belt sections together without the need to remove and insert a cartridge, a dedicated connecting link was designed and referenced Connecting Link Mark I Navy and denoted I N. This link is fitted with a half-open central loop which can be directly snapped into the last cartridge of the adjacent belt. This connecting link is marked with the weapon designation .5MG, model of link I N and manufacturer’s code. According to their specific use, these connecting links were produced in a much smaller quantity than the standard Mark II N links. It is suspected that probably only very few manufacturers produced these joining links. So far, the author has only come across Mark I N Connecting Links manufactured by the company British Pens Limited (BP), but there are probably other productions.

Air Service .5-inch Vickers

The .5-inch Vickers was involved in British Air Service with the air-cooled Vickers Class B weapons. Only very few weapons were actually acquired by the British War Office for test purposes. These aircraft weapons were fed with simplified and lightened disintegrating links. These Class B links are nowadays rarely encountered.

Feeding Weapons for the Semi-Rimmed Export 12.7x81SR Vickers Ammunition

According to the British War Office requirements, the Vickers Company was only permitted to export .5-inch weapons using a slightly modified cartridge case to make it semi-rimmed which makes it 12.7x81SR. The Vickers designation of that ammunition was .5”V/565.

Vickers exported a few tens of aircraft weapons chambered for that caliber to Japan and Siam. The disintegrating links used with those exported weapons have not been definitively identified. It is however suspected that the links are the same as those used with the Class B aircraft weapons but this is only speculation pending documented evidence.

Feeding Italian Weapons in 12.7x81SR

Italy adopted the semi-rimmed cartridge 12.7x81SR for their aircraft weapons of domestic design.

The Breda-SAFAT aircraft weapons are fed with disintegrating links of the Prideaux design similar to those used with the British Mark III Naval weapons. Italian made links can be readily identified by the markings exhibiting the Italian manufacturers’ code and the month and year of production. No connecting link was used by Italy. It is not known to the author whether Hungary domestically produced any links to feed their Breda-SAFAT.

The other major Italian aircraft weapons chambered for 12.7x81SR is the Scotti-Isotta Fraschini, which also uses disintegrating links. This weapon uses a feed mechanism where the cartridge is pushed through the links that therefore requires belt links of specific design.

Specimens of Italian push-through links with “hook-and-eye” connection design are known from surviving specimens bearing the markings Mod. 42. It is currently unknown to the author whether these are a late variant of links for the standard Scotti weapons or specific links for another weapon. Any comments by readers would be most appreciated.

Feeding Japanese Weapons in 12.7x81SR

Japan adopted the semi-rimmed 12.7x81SR cartridge to feed the Ho-103 aircraft weapon that was derived from the U.S. .50 cal. Browning. The feeding is achieved with disintegrating links which, unsurprisingly, are derived from the U.S. Browning .50 cal. Links M1. Japanese links are either unmarked or marked with the manufacture’s logo.

Feeding the High Velocity Vickers Class D for Semi-Rimmed 12.7x120R

The water-cooled High Velocity Vickers Class D chambered for 12.7x120SR was fed with disintegrating links. This weapon was never adopted by Britain and only very few specimens were sold to Asian countries. Accordingly surviving specimens of the links are nowadays rarely encountered. Links observed so far are unmarked.

The story of the .50 Browning in World War 2 is well known; its extensive use by U.S. and subsequently Allied forces on land, sea and in the air established its reputation and usefulness to such an effect that it remains a valuable weapon today. Comparable weapons were fielded by Soviet forces in 12.7×108 caliber, which also still survives in service to this day in several different guns. However, the Browning was not the only gun to be designated .5 inch to see service during that conflict: the British had their own version using unique ammunition; the .5 inch Vickers.

The story of the Vickers gun is also well known. It originated in the first successful self-powered machine gun, the Maxim of 1884, which had become the standard machine gun of the British Army by 1891 and was adopted (under various names) by many other nations. A modified version with a more compact mechanism was adopted by the British Army early in the 20th Century as the Vickers-Maxim but later simply became known as the Vickers gun. It was available for various rifle cartridges up to .45 inch but in British service was overwhelmingly used in .303 inch caliber. It fought through two world wars and remained in front-line British service until the mid-1950s. The .5 inch version had a much shorter life, emerging in the 1920s and disappearing from view after World War 2.

Ammunition Development

The origin of the .5 inch Vickers goes back to the First World War, when a need arose for a larger-caliber machine gun for several different reasons. One was the need to fire bullets large enough to carry a useful incendiary charge to set light to enemy hydrogen-filled balloons and airships. To achieve this, some of the rifle-caliber Vickers had been chambered for obsolete rifle cartridges such as the 11mm Gras (tested by the U.S. into the 1920s), but a purpose-designed modern cartridge would obviously be better. The second was the need for a more hard-hitting machine gun against aircraft, some of which were now being fitted with armor. The third was the development of the tank, which required a better armor-piercing performance than rifle-caliber guns could achieve.

The initial British developments during the Great War were based around a .600/.500 inch cartridge originally derived from an elephant gun round. This first appeared in an anti-tank rifle, the Godsal of 1918, followed by a slightly scaled-up Vickers. The Godsal was never adopted (although one example has survived) but the cartridge for the machine gun went through various evolutions, included a version with a belted case, until the final form emerged in 1921. This used a rimless 12.7×81 case and was known by Vickers as the .5V/580, after the bullet weight in grains. The exact bullet diameter was fractionally greater than the contemporary .50 Browning’s, at 0.514 inches compared with 0.510 inches. Muzzle velocity was around 2,460 fps and total cartridge weight 1,280 grains. It developed about three times the muzzle energy of the .303 inch, but only two-thirds that of the .50 Browning.

The ammunition was officially adopted for service in 1924.

Several different loadings of the .5V/580 round were developed for British service including Ball (with a two-part core: lead in the base and aluminium in the tip), Armor Piercing (with a hardened steel core), Semi-AP (with an unhardened steel core), SAP-Tracer, and Incendiary (which was similar in design to the U.S. .50 incendiary). The ones most commonly used in service were the SAP and SAP-T, because their penetration wasn’t much less than the AP and they were a lot cheaper.

All of the bullets in British service were flat-based, which limited their maximum ballistic range to 4,265 yards. They could achieve a maximum altitude of 9,500 feet. Of course, the effective ranges were very much less than this; they were probably in the region of 800 yards against aircraft and 1,600 yards against small surface targets.

The British Guns and the Browning Tests

The Vickers .5 inch gun developed to fire this ammunition was offered in three different versions for the three services. The army gun was water-cooled and initially fired at 450 rpm. The naval version was similar in appearance but had the rate of fire boosted to 700 rpm by the removal of the delay pawl which held the crank until the barrel returned to battery – stronger buffer springs were also fitted. The air force version combined the 700 rpm rate of fire with an air-cooled barrel. The army and naval versions had the traditional large-diameter fluted water-cooling jacket, just like the rifle-caliber version, with the naval gun distinguished by a very long flash-hider, but the aircraft gun looked radically different, with flat, tapered plates running each side of the barrel. Barrel lengths were 31 inches or 62 calibers, overall lengths 47-53 inches. The gun barrel recoiled a maximum of 1.25 inches and a recoil pull of 385 lbs was developed. The guns were belt-fed, using either a web belt (initially) or a disintegrating steel link type, with 100 rounds in the belt.

During the 1920s the British Admiralty tested an early .5 inch Vickers in comparison with the M1924 water-cooled version of the .5 inch Browning gun. A 1928 report of the tests has survived and Chart 1 reveals this information.

• Mechanisms: Vickers rated superior, as consists of only two parts (lock and feed box) compared with three (bolt, feed box and recoil buffer). The Vickers lock takes only one-third the time to replace, the feed box is also quicker to replace as well as being more reliable, and the feed being driven by gun recoil has no ill effect on the operation of the lock.
• Rate of Fire: both can be adjusted up to 750 rpm, but the Vickers can be adjusted by means of a crank check lever which can be regulated during firing, while the Browning requires the back plate to be removed to adjust the recoil buffer.
• Temperature: the much larger water capacity of the Browning kept the barrel cooler, as shown in Chart 2.
• Choking of Barrel (i.e. fouling by bullet jacket deposits): slightly greater in the Vickers due partly to higher barrel temperatures and partly to a difference in hardness in the bullet casing (jacket). It was noted that this was less with AP bullets
• Fouling and grit: both guns performed satisfactorily, but it was noted that the Browning ended up with more grit in the mechanism due to it being more exposed by the opening of the gun casing. Also, after prolonged gun firing the Browning’s mechanism was coated with black fouling while the Vickers’ was clean.
• Control: in both guns, the vibration was too severe to keep them on target so shoulder stocks were recommended for accuracy.
• Belts and filling machines: neither web belt was found to be satisfactory. The Vickers belt was made using metal spacing strips and eyelets, which were inadequately secured, while the Browning’s was stitched and could only be used two or three times. Both metal link belts were satisfactory. The Browning had filling machines for both types of belt (the metal belt filler was commended, the web one condemned), the Vickers had none.
• Reliability: it was noted that the Vickers was an early example and suffered some problems, but these were corrected with modified parts during the trials and it was then very reliable. The Browning was reliable at high rates of fire but less so at lower rates, especially at higher elevations. Any kink in the belt would cause a failure to feed. The Browning’s casing fractured during the test.
• Conclusion (reproduced in full): “The results of the trials lead to the conclusion that the .5-inch Vickers has the following advantages:

1. Greater reliability
2. Wear and failure of parts – if any – are to minor parts that can be readily replaced.
3. Care and maintenance is easier to the inexpert, on account of its less complicated recoil and buffer mechanisms.
4. The mechanism and functioning of the gun requires less special or expert knowledge to obtain a good, reliable performance, and is more readily understood by the average seaman, who already receives training in the similar mechanism of the .303-inch gun.
5. Readily converted to right or left gun.
6. From a general technical point of view, it is the opinion that the fundamental principle of the mechanism and the action of the Vickers gun is superior to that of the Browning, and is more certain in its action generally.

The .5-inch Vickers gun is therefore recommended for the Naval service in preference to the Browning gun.”

The Aircraft Guns

The RAF also evaluated the .5 inch Vickers and Browning guns. The results were inconclusive; the Browning was more powerful but was longer and heavier. It was concluded that the .303 inch version of the Vickers was almost as effective as the HMGs against the light, unarmored aircraft structures of the time and it was much lighter as well as faster-firing. The RAF accordingly decided not to proceed with a heavy machine gun, while noting that any widespread adoption of armor for military aircraft would force a re-think. By the mid-1930s, when the increasing performance and toughness of aircraft began to cast doubt on the future of rifle-caliber guns, the RAF opted for the greater destructive power of a 20mm cannon, choosing the French Hispano HS 404. A few .5 inch Browning M2 guns were used late in the Second World War in applications for which the Hispano was considered too big and heavy, but apart from this no heavy machine guns were fitted to British aircraft.

The Vickers wasn’t the only .5 inch gun considered by the RAF. BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) offered their Model 1924 gun for aircraft observers. It was intended to be flexibly mounted so used a long-recoil mechanism to soften the recoil kick, and was fed by a pan magazine on top of the gun. Initially, this used BSA’s own (very similar) ammunition but it was later slightly modified to use the Vickers 12.7×81 cartridge. The RAF rejected it as being too heavy, too slow-firing (only about 400 rpm) and having too small an ammunition capacity (37 rounds).

The Naval Guns

The naval version of the Vickers .5 inch, designated the Mark III, was the most successful, with over 12,500 accepted for service in the Royal Navy. It was initially used in a curious four-barrel mounting in which the guns were stacked vertically, which in 1939 was the RN’s standard short-range AA equipment. This was manually-operated, but later in the war a power-operated twin mounting (with side-by-side guns) was used in motor gun boats and similar craft. As an AA gun it soon proved insufficiently powerful and was gradually replaced during the war by the 20mm Oerlikon. China bought 19 examples of this gun.

The four-barrel mounting had its guns adjusted to provide a spread of fire, amounting to 60 feet wide and 50 feet high at 1,000 yards. The belts were wrapped around large drums which carried 200 rounds per gun. Vickers claimed that it could fire all 800 rounds in 20 seconds and could then be reloaded in a further 30 seconds. They also claimed, rather optimistically, that it “could deal with aircraft at ranges of 1,500 yards and below.”

A specification document dated November 1935 exists concerning the supply of “Vickers 12.7mm Automatic Gun Mark III (Amended)” for installation in submarines of the Turkish Navy, but it is uncertain whether these weapons were actually delivered or used. The rate of fire in this example is quoted as 600 rpm, with AP or SAP ammunition being specified. Some details of the performance guarantees are summarised below:

• Accuracy: when fired from a fixed (test) barrel, the average size of a 20-round group must not exceed 12 inches at 500 yards.
• Armor penetration: 70% of rounds fired must perforate a 15-16 mm hard steel plate (440-480 Brinell) at 100 yards, normal impact. Perforation will be considered to have occurred when (a) daylight is visible through the plate, or (b) when the core, being left in the plate, projects beyond the back surface of the plate.

The Army Guns

The British Army only officially used its .5 inch Vickers in armoured vehicle turrets. The initial model was designated .5 inch Mark I but improvements were made before this was issued as the Mk II. Later, the Mk IV was introduced which had the same mounting dovetail as the .303 inch gun and had its rate of fire increased from 450 to 600 rpm. The Mark V was the final AFV version, improved and strengthened, and over 1,000 of these were made by 1940 (only just over 100 of the earlier models being manufactured).

The Infantry Tank Mk 1 was equipped with one of these guns in a one-man turret, but apart from this the .5 inch was usually paired with a .303 inch Vickers in armored cars and light tanks. Some units of the Long Range Desert Group “acquired” these guns and fitted them to pintle mountings on their 4×4 vehicles. They usually lack the flash hider and can be distinguished from the .303 inch version by the lack of the bulbous muzzle booster in front of the cooling jacket.

Early in the Second World War both Vickers .303 inch and .5 inch guns were replaced in their AFV roles by two guns from Czechoslovakia, the 7.9mm ZB vz/53 and 15mm ZB vz/60. These were both known as “BESAs” in British service.

The Semi Rimmed ‘Export’ Cartridge and its Guns

Vickers may not have had much success in selling their big gun to the RAF but it attracted foreign interest. The British Government didn’t like Vickers selling their latest equipment abroad so Vickers slightly modified the cartridge case to make it semi-rimmed, giving the designation 12.7x81SR; this variant being developed as early as 1923. Vickers knew the cartridge as the .5”V/565 as their standard bullet for it weighed 565 grains; it had a muzzle velocity of 2,490 fps. Bullet types developed for this cartridge included Ball, AP, AP-T, Flame Tracer, and Smoke Tracer / Incendiary (similar to the Buckingham type used in the .303 B Mk IV).

Some 65 Vickers aircraft guns in this caliber were bought by Japan and 49 by Siam (Thailand) but it is not clear what service use was made of them.

The Italians used the Vickers cartridge in their own 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT and Scotti aircraft guns. The short-recoil Breda-SAFAT was not a sparkling performer, weighing 64 lbs and firing at 700 rpm, but it was the standard Italian fixed aircraft gun at the start of the Second World War, two synchronised guns normally being mounted in the cowling of single-engined fighters. The gas/blowback Scotti fired no faster, but did weigh only 51 lbs. It seemed to be more highly regarded but was primarily, if not solely, used in flexible mountings. The Italians developed various different loadings for the semi-rimmed cartridge, including Tracer, AP, API, API-T, I-T, and (unusually for an HMG) HE and HEI-T. The HE contained around 12.3 grains of Penthrite wax.

The Italian fighters and their 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT guns were adopted by Spain and Hungary, who made their own ammunition. The Hungarians also used the 12.7x81SR cartridge in the HMG version of their interesting Gebauer GKM engine-driven twin-barrel gun, which was fitted to the Hejja II (licence-built Reggiane Re 2000).

The Japanese Army also became interested in the Breda-SAFAT and in particular its explosive shells, and considered adopting the gun. In the end they did adopt the cartridge but developed their own, superior, aircraft gun, the 12.7mm Ho-103 (based on a smaller version of the .50 Browning) to use it. This fired at 900 rpm and weighed only 48 lbs. It was the standard fighter gun of the Japanese Army Air Force in the latter part of the War. The Japanese also developed their own HE ammunition as well as using the Italian designs.

The Class D

Even less well known is the Vickers .5 inch Class D or HV (for high velocity), also developed in the mid-1920s. This was basically a lengthened version of the usual .5 inch gun, designed around a much bigger and more powerful 12.7x120SR cartridge, initially known as the V/664 (with 664 grain flat-based bullets), which was later replaced as the standard loading by the V/690 (690 grain boat-tailed – streamlined – bullets), which achieved an impressive muzzle velocity of 3,040 fps. Bullet types developed for both the V/664 and V/690 were Ball, AP, AP-T, Flame Tracer, and Smoke Tracer / Incendiary. Weight of the V/690 cartridge was 2,080 grains and a belt of 100 rounds weighed 33.5 lbs. Maximum range claimed was 7,000 yards with a vertical altitude of 15,600 feet but, as with the 12.7×81, effective ranges would have been far less; probably 1,000-1,200 yards in AA fire and double that against ground targets.

The gun barrel was water-cooled as usual and the rate of fire was 350-450 rpm. Gun weight was 101 lbs, or 122 lbs with water, and it was noticeably longer than the compact Class B, with a barrel length of 45 inches and an overall length of nearly six feet. This was offered primarily as an AA gun in a twin mounting, or as an anti-tank gun in a single mounting, although both mountings could be used in either role. The single mounting, complete with water, weighed 623 lbs while the twin weighed just over one ton in action.

Despite various experiments (including installing a twin mounting on a Vickers Light Tank Mk 1A) the Class D was never fielded by Britain. It did achieve some very limited foreign sales; Siam bought 24, China 20 and Japan 48. It is unclear whether any of these saw combat.

Conclusion

The British were never very keen on heavy machine guns, regarding them as being less effective than 20mm cannon firing explosive shells and not really worth the extra size and weight compared with rifle-caliber MGs. As a result, the Vickers .5 inch guns saw relatively little use and their .50 Brownings even less. Ironically, the particular circumstances of recent conflicts have led to the British making more use of HMGs today than they have done at any time since the end of World War 2 – in the shape of the old Browning M2.

On 19 June 2009, former U.S. Army General Colin Powell cut the ribbon to officially open the New National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center near the home of the U.S. Army’s Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The new museum is world class and quite large, with approximately 190,000 square feet dedicated to telling the story and honoring the U.S. Infantryman from 1607 to the present. The museum features six separate era galleries where exhibits are arranged by dates, although many of the early exhibits; “Securing Our Freedom” 1607-1815, and “Defining a Nation” 1815-1898, Manifest Destiny and the Civil War, exhibits are not yet open to the public. Among the many exhibits there are many personal items and stories of individual soldiers, some famous, others just ordinary soldiers who did an extraordinary job.

The International Stage

The gallery exhibits currently open to visitors begin with the “The International Stage” 1898-1920. Upon entering the display area there are many artifacts from the Spanish American War, including a porthole from the USS Maine. The Maine was a U.S. ship that mysteriously exploded and sank in a Cuban harbor, and eventually led to the war with Spain. Moving ahead, the visitor steps into World War I “no man’s land” by entering a sandbag covered trench. Along the walls of the “trench” are artifacts and photos that project the miserable conditions troops endured during the “Great War” (less rats and decaying bodies). Moving further one hears the rattle and sees the muzzle flash of a machine gun reflecting off of the wall. There is also an audio-visual exhibit that tells the story of Medal of Honor recipient, Sergeant Alvin York, one of the most famous Infantrymen of the war.

World at War

One of largest exhibits in the museum is “World at War” representing World War II, to include both European and Pacific Theaters of operations. Summarizing the events that unfolded during the conflict are projected on a rotating globe-like screen on the floor. Vintage films are continually running on screens throughout the exhibit areas. Small arms used by all of the belligerents involved are on display, as well as personal weapons and gear of famous soldiers and generals that include Audie Murphy’s service cap and German Field Marshall Herman Goering’s gem covered baton. Other artifacts are a U.S. Army Jeep and a Japanese gas mask designed for a horse. On display are uniforms of both Allied and Axis soldiers. Several dioramas in the exhibit area depict significant battles.

Cold War

The next chronological exhibit is the Cold War 1947-1989 that includes many artifacts and weapons fielded during the period, from a Browning Automatic Rifle designed during World War I, to the Davy Crockett, a small nuclear weapon developed during the 1960s for Army Infantry use against large Soviet troop concentrations, should the Cold War ever suddenly go hot. Many items from the Korean Conflict are also on display. Visitors can listen to Korean War veterans tell their recorded stories inside a recreated bunker. The Vietnam Gallery allows visitors to experience a search and destroy mission in a hot and humid jungle environment. Many personal effects of prisoners of war are displayed to offer a glimpse of the brutal conditions captured U.S. servicemen endured during their confinement in places like the infamous Hanoi Hilton. The Berlin wall was erected in 1961 by the Communist East German Government to keep East German citizens from defecting into West Berlin. The tearing down of the infamous wall in Berlin, Germany in 1989 marked the end of the Cold War era. On display in the museum are three complete sections of the Berlin Wall covered with graffiti, painted by citizens of Berlin.

Sole Superpower

The Sole Superpower exhibit, from 1989 to the present, was so named to describe the United States’ status after the Cold War ended. The Gallery covers the smaller scale conflicts like Grenada, the War on Terrorism and the two Iraq Desert Wars. On display are many high-tech weapons used by U.S. Forces as well as captured enemy weapons and equipment.

The Hall of Valor

Prominently featured in the Grand Hall is the Hall of Valor, a glass-enclosed space dedicated to recognizing deeds of exceptional bravery. On the outside, quotes are etched in the glass, and inside, plaques honoring each of the nearly 1,500 Infantry recipients of the Medal of Honor line the walls. A computer allows visitors to look up details for each Medal of Honor recipient.

The Last 100 Yards

The Last 100 Yards is one of the museum’s featured exhibits. It consists of a 100 yard long inclined ramp lined with lifelike Infantrymen from all periods. The name “Last 100 Yards” signifies the Infantry’s “boots on the ground” role in closing and seizing the last yards of ground from the enemy. A World War II glider, Huey helicopter and Bradley Fighting Vehicle complete the display.

The Officer Candidate School Hall of Honor

The Officer Candidate School Hall of Honor was established to recognize distinguished OCS graduates and as a method to motivate and provide incentive for both candidates and graduates to excel. This gallery honors the over 2,000 Soldiers who have been inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame since 1952. A computer is provided to search for individual inductees. A timeline follows the early beginnings of the U.S. Army’s Officer Candidate School and chronicles its development and history.

The Ranger Hall of Honor

This exhibit was formed to preserve the spirit and contributions of the Army’s elite Rangers. Honored are nearly 200 soldiers who have been inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame since 1992. A computer allows visitors to search for individual inductees by name. Also featured are U.S. Army Ranger history, its origins, and their role in military history. Several exhibits display uniforms, weapons and other items used by Army Rangers during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Grenada.

World War II Company Street

Located directly behind the museum building is a complex of seven restored World War II buildings to allow museum visitors a trip back in time. The simple wooden “Series 700? buildings were mass produced in the 1940s to meet the demands of the rapidly growing Army preparing to enter the war. After 1945, the post-war Army was rapidly downsized and the buildings, no longer needed, were being torn down. However, a building of each type; a barracks, mess hall, orderly room, supply room, chapel, and General George Patton’s headquarters building and sleeping quarters were spared and restored. Each of the structures are fully furnished with realistic touches that include 1940 era music, photos and furniture. A Physical Training field, like those used for daily PT by recruits, adds to the realism. A final touch are the period street lights.

Rifle Range

In addition to the era galleries there is an interactive rifle simulator, where for a small fee visitors can experience the feel of firing an M16 rifle. The rifles don’t fire live ammunition, but are fitted with lasers and a recoil simulator. The shooter gets 30 shots to hit 20 targets to “qualify”. It is the same type of device the Army uses to introduce new recruits to the M16.

IMAX Theater

The museum’s unique theater features a large high resolution screen that is five stories high and 70 feet wide. Images are projected in three-dimension that give the viewer the illusion that they are in the film. The 300 seat capacity theater features Hollywood movies as well as military documentaries.

Dining

For lunch or dinner the museum offers fine dining in a causal atmosphere at the Fife and Drum American Bistro located inside the museum.

Gift shop

For souvenir hunters, the Soldier Store offers a large selection of mugs, T-shirts and jewelry – many emblazoned with museum and Army logos. There is also a wide variety of military history DVDs and books, not offered elsewhere.

The Family Support Gallery

This gallery pays homage to the parents, children, spouses and other loved ones who make sacrifices just as important as the soldier’s. It also includes a play space for children where they can try on costumes and role play.

Brief History of Fort Benning, Georgia

Fort Benning is situated near Columbus, Georgia and covers over 182,000 acres. Ninety-three percent of the facility is in Georgia and seven percent is in Alabama. Fort Benning was established by Congress as Camp Benning during 1918, and assigned permanent status the same year. At the request of the Columbus Rotary Club, the Camp was named after Confederate Army General Henry L. Benning, a resident of Columbus. During the Civil War General Benning commanded a Georgia Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. After the war ended, Henry Benning returned to Columbus where he practiced law until his death in 1875.

The first mission of Fort Benning was to provide basic training for U.S. Army troops during World War I. After the war ended, Fort Benning struggled for appropriations. However, by the mid-1930s the post was booming with construction because of the federally funded building projects initiated during the Great Depression. Just prior to the United States’ entry into World War II, the 2nd Armor Division was established at Fort Benning. The facility also became the home of the “Big Red One,” the First Infantry Division. An officer candidate school and airborne training center were also established at the Fort. During 1943, the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, known as the Triple Nickel, was formed and trained at the Fort. Airborne training is still conducted at Fort Benning.

The new museum replaces the old one that was located on Baltzell Ave, which opened in 1958. Although the original museum was located on Fort Benning, the new facility is just outside the gates on South Lumpkin Road, making access easier for visitors. There is no admission fee, but donations are appreciated. Cameras are permitted, but no flash photography is allowed. Adult and school group tours are available.

As part of their Knob Creek, Kentucky experience many enthusiasts have included a trip over to the General Patton museum on nearby Fort Knox. If you have visited the Patton Museum recently, you will have discovered that most of the museum’s exhibits and vehicles are no longer there. As part of the base realignment and closure program (BRAC), the Armor Center has begun to move its headquarters from Fort Knox, Kentucky to Fort Benning, Georgia, where a new National Armor and Cavalry Museum is planned in the near future. The remaining exhibits at Patton Museum at Fort Knox basically are personal and historical items from the famous general.

National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center
1775 Legacy Way
Columbus, Georgia 31903
(706) 685-5800
www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com

The museum is open 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

As of January 2011, The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center will be closed on Mondays for general maintenance. The facility will be open during federal holidays that fall on Mondays to include Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Directions to the National Infantry Museum are to take I-185 south from Columbus, Georgia to exit 1B. Drive west on US 27/280/431 for about a mile, then turn left at the light onto Fort Benning Blvd. The museum will be a little more than a mile south, on the right.

Among the great revolvers of all time is the Webley. Webley handguns fought in every conflict the British Empire was embroiled in from 1880 to 1963 and beyond. The odds are heavily in favor of the supposition that somewhere the Webley is still serving ably. While designed as rough and ready service revolvers, there is now some collector interest in the Webley. A chaotic loss of factory records has resulted in a daunting proposition to researchers, but then few Webley revolvers are true rarities. The condition of each should be your guide both as a shooter and as a collectible. The Webley is indispensable to anyone who desires to own a complete collection of World War One and World War Two revolvers. The Webley also served as a front line handgun during various Communist insurrections including Korea. The Webley was also a police revolver not only in England but also in practically every country under British influence. Officially, the Webley revolver in one form or another served the Empire as standard issue from 1887 until 1963, when the Browning High Power took its place. Just the same, the revolver was still on hand well into the 1970s at many British outposts.

The important features of the revolver are automatic extraction and double action trigger action. The top break extraction is a very desirable feature in a combat handgun. After expending the gun load, the barrel latch was activated and the barrel grasped to turn the barrel down. The extractor spring sprung the ejector to its full extension, ejecting all shells at once. The only disadvantage was that the shells were all ejected, fired or not. It was devilishly difficult to simply top the revolver off after a round or two had been fired. The American Smith & Wesson break top system was much the same. A competitor in America, the Merwin and Hulbert, used a special system in which the barrel was drawn forward and only fired cases ejected. I mention these competing systems because all had one shortcoming: they were not practical for cartridges longer than the .38 Smith & Wesson, .44 Smith and Wesson or .455 Webley. The leverage and length of the extractor were suitable only for short case revolver rounds.

The Webley Mk I was introduced in 1887 and saw action in Africa against aboriginal tribes. By 1900, the improved MK IV was in use by the British. The MK VI differs considerably from earlier revolvers as there is a step in the grip that gives more positive hand fit during double action fire. The Webley self extracting revolver, as the company called it, had few real competitors, and those armed with substitute standard handguns often complained. It is important to remember that Webley also produced solid frame revolvers for police and civilian use. Among the large numbers of Belgian and Spanish Ironmongery are a great many Webley copies. Some are well fitted, others are best suitable for use as fishing weights, and none are as well made or robust and the genuine Webley. Properly called Webley and Scott revolvers, these revolvers proved reliable in hostile environments including World War One trenches. Interesting to note, the obvious advantages of speed loads for the fast loading Webley revolver was developed as early as 1889 with some speed loaders issued by 1902. My research is imperfect but it seems that speed loaders were never issued in great numbers. The Prideaux speedloader is a complicated all metal device that when found commands as high a price as the handguns themselves.

Immediately after World War One, there was a hue and cry to replace the Webley .455. The Mk VI was larger and heavier than the original revolver but quite comfortable to fire and use. Just the same, the Army called for a smaller caliber revolver. Ease of training was one reason for the adoption of a .38 caliber revolver. Many other nations have regretted going to a smaller caliber handgun, but the British seem to have hit the magic number with the .38 and the loading they used. Restrictions upon the length of cartridge that could be used left little choice. The .38 Short Colt or .38 Smith & Wesson were the only likely choices. The .38 Smith & Wesson was chosen as a base line, with an unusual bullet. The British felt that by using a 200 grain bullet some measure of stopping power would be retained. The original loading was a 200 grain round nose lead bullet at 650 fps. The new cartridge, actually a special loaded .38 Smith & Wesson, as distinct from the longer .38 Special, was termed the .380 or .38/200. The Mk IV Webley revolver is a basically a downsized .455 but also based upon the .38 caliber police revolvers. It is interesting that after expressing much interest in the Webley product, the government deigned it appropriate to develop their own handgun at Enfield Lock Small Arms Factory. The Revolver, No. 2, Mk I is similar in outline and operation to the Webley. It is a break top revolver with simultaneous ejection. Many of the detail changes are primarily for ease of production. As the story goes, after an accident in which a tank driver suffered a self inflicted wound, the Enfield was changed to the Mk I*, denoting a spurless hammer. Essentially, these were double action only handguns. Webley and Scott felt that the situation was more than unfair and brought suit against the government for their actions. The government did pay Webley, but also ordered great quantities of the Webley during World War Two as the Enfield Lock location was not adequate alone to meet the needs of the British Army. Some half a million Webley .38/200 revolvers were produced. This number is approximately four times the production figures for the .455 revolvers.

The revolvers illustrated in this report are typical Webley revolvers. The MK III .455 was produced prior to the Boer war. It is in the original caliber. Quite a few have been altered to accept the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge with the use of moon clips. This was done as an expedient when Webley ammunition was difficult to impossible to obtain. While the .455 frame has been able to contain this pressure, common sense tells us there is a disparity in pressure. The .455 Webley with its 265 grain RNL bullet generates 650 fps at 12,000 pounds per square inch pressure. The .45 ACP cartridge with a 230 grain RNJ bullet generates 820 fps at 18,000 pounds per square inch. Today, good quality ammunition is available from Hornady. This relieves us of the necessity of facing off the cylinder and recoil plate in order to fire our Webley revolvers – but converted handguns WILL NOT accept the .455 ammunition.

The MK III is very comfortable to fire. While it looks ungainly compared to modern revolvers, the Webley is far from it. The grip feels good in the hand, the double action trigger is smooth, and the sights are good for close range combat shooting. Our extractor spring is weak, which limited the experience, but overall this is a handgun that must have given officers much confidence. Recoil with the .455 Webley is insignificant. The lighter .38 revolver is impressive in fit, finish, and fast handling. This revolver was delivered from Southern Ohio Guns packed in Cosmoline. After the heavy grease was removed and the revolver examined, it was pronounced as new and appeared unfired. Balance is excellent. The Webley .38 is lively in the hand and it gets on the target quickly. The trigger is smooth and the combat style sights are excellent. We were able to obtain a small quantity of Winchester produced .38 Smith & Wesson loads. The 146 grain RNL bullet averaged 580 fps from the revolver’s four inch barrel. Accuracy is problematic in the target sense but good in the true sense of marksmanship, in hitting the target on demand. We fired a four inch group at 15 yards with all six chambers. While the caliber is questionable for combat use, the handling of this revolver is first class. I attempted to duplicate the original loading with a combination of RCBS dies, Starline premium quality new cartridge brass, Winchester primers, WW 231 ball powder, and the Magnus cast bullet at 198 grains. I was able to work up a loading that exhibited 667 fps. The thump in the hand remained pleasant but noticeably stronger than with the 146 grain loading. The British believed that a heavier bullet at lower velocity working over a target over a longer time would be more effective than a lighter higher velocity bullet. There may be something to it. The Webley revolvers are a piece of history that is both interesting and tangible. At present, Webley revolvers are affordable and readily available. They are also shootable, given an example in good condition.

Nearly as famous as Alcatraz, a few miles north overlooking the bay, the tower rises. Along with the imposing walls behind, its presence dominates the landscape with a fearsome reputation every bit as keen as its water-bound cousin and San Quentin remains very much in business today, an icon of the California state prison system. Beginning construction in 1852, the original “dungeon” stands preserved as the first publicly funded building in the state. California’s first land-based facility, labor was supplied from a prison ship that had been the common method of incarceration. San Quentin serves as home to America’s largest Death Row. From 1893 through 1937, 215 hangings took place here. Its famous gas chamber saw 196 men breathe their last, and 11 more since the conversion to lethal injection after 1995. San Quentin has been the site of all state executions since 1938, while legal objections continue to challenge the changing methods employed.

Hollywood first featured San Quentin in a film of the same name, starring Humphrey Bogart in 1937, when Alcatraz was merely beginning life as a civilian Federal prison. The tales of hard times at San Quentin are equally harsh and, while only partly surrounded by the Bay’s chilling waters, a series of machine gun towers served to ward off any notions of escape in a time before fences were erected to contain the prison population.

Among the pieces of hardware in those towers over the most part of the 20th century were a number of Browning Model of 1917 water cooled machine guns. The finest such weapon of World War I, the .30 caliber 1917 was introduced late in the war and saw action in Europe only briefly. Both praised for its reliability and suffering from the effects of rushed manufacture, the Browning soon established itself as the foundation for all manner of machine guns in U.S. military service. While the venerable water cooled was being manufactured for immediate delivery, John M. Browning was hard at work at the Colt’s factory developing an air cooled version for use in tanks (adopted as the Model of 1919) as the Great War wound down. Roughly 70,000 1917s were assembled within a few months after the war’s end, reduced from orders for 100,000. With many going into long term storage, some were also released for other uses, prison duty being among them.

The Browning 1917s served well in the prison system for many years, holding sway over the grounds and poised to mow down any prisoner who might dare to look for the exit. No such stories have surfaced, and the Brownings apparently were never fired in anger and, in time, they were retired from duty. All but one of the San Quentin 1917s were sold in the civilian market years ago. The last was installed under glass in the prison museum, where it languished as a symbol of an era long passed.

Fast forward a few decades. An upcoming visitation of VIPs to San Quentin prompted the suggestion that the old war horse Browning be activated for a live fire demonstration. The staff armorers were excited about bringing the 1917 out of mothballs, but one obstacle remained: there was no one on the staff who had operational familiarity with the historical machine gun. Also, the state of California would not budget any funds for this effort, so any assistance, and even the ammunition, would have to be donated. Rick Shab, of BMG Parts Co., Inc. was contacted and asked to help find someone, proficient in the mechanics and function of Browning belt fed machine gun, to volunteer their service to the state of California for a hard day’s work. This author soon got wind that this dire sacrifice was needed, and felt compelled to answer the call. This was accomplished expeditiously, before anyone else could get in line first and rob him of the fun… that is, need unnecessarily suffer the hardships of this noble, but difficult, duty. Rick soon found himself volunteered to contribute his expertise as well. This offer of service was accepted and the arrangements were made.

On a typically overcast day in June, Sgt. Gabe Walters and Officer Sung Kim, from the armory staff, had the Browning 1917 set out on a table at the range facility, located across the main road from the prison itself. After introductions and a few moments sharing our common fascination with this wonderful piece of history, the first lessons of function and field stripping of the gun began. Sgt. Walters and Officer Kim were enthusiastic and anxious to learn. They insisted on doing the thorough cleaning, oiling and preparation of the gun, happy to get their hands dirty. Tasked with simply explaining, teaching and observing as they gained the experience they needed, care was also taken to study the manufacturer markings on the various components. This rare opportunity for a hands-on study of a piece of WWI history was not to be missed.

This particular 1917 was made by the New England Westinghouse Company of East Springfield, Massachusetts, a division of Westinghouse Electric, opened in 1915 to manufacture the Mosin Nagant rifles for Czarist Russia. Production of the 1917 at N.E. Westinghouse totaled over 48,000 guns, and the San Quentin Browning would have been assembled within days of the close of hostilities. Nearly half were assembled in the months after. The other major manufacturer of the Model of 1917 was Remington Arms Co, Bridgeport Connecticut, with some 19,600 units. While John Browning was present at Colt’s, and the Hartford gun maker had the manufacturing rights, they were producing several other models already and did not have capacity for the quantities required. Thus, Colt’s had no choice but to contract with its competition and produced only 2,500 Model 1917s in house.

While plenty of spare parts were brought along just in case, it turned out that the gun had a good supply of parts stock kept with it. All were of correct vintage, which tends to confirm that this Browning was in original condition when acquired, and that the spares came with it at the time. The only change this gun had seen since World War I was the addition of the reinforcing stirrup to the breech lock area of the receiver. This standard upgrade was, essentially, a band-aid solution to the problem of cracking that plagued the side and bottom plates of the production guns. Minor changes were soon adopted in aircraft gun manufacture to cure the defect, but as the 1917 water cooled guns were all done by that time, the stirrup was the most effective and economical treatment.

Many of the extra components had the Remington mark, though most all the parts in the gun showed the famous W in a circle Westinghouse mark. Worth noting is that these World War I manufacturers stamped their code on far more individual parts as compared with most of the later Browning producers of the World War II period. That makes it far more challenging when collecting parts for an early gun project or restoration. Some Westinghouse and Remington components are surprisingly common, while others are as easy to find as your average needle in a field full of haystacks. As for 1917 parts made by Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co, the author has yet to find a single example: definitely in the hens’ tooth category.

After a thorough examination of the gun, cleaning and reassembly, the only question mark that arose was regarding the top cover extractor spring. The working surface of this leaf spring was a bit on the flat side. Note was made of this and a spare was kept handy. This proved a good idea, as was confirmed upon proceeding to the firing line for the next step in our training session. The Browning was placed on its original 1917 tripod, which was in excellent condition from the cradle to about 2/3s of the way down the legs. It was there that tragedy had befallen, at least from a collector’s point of view. In order to fit in the tower fixture, the feet had been cut off, leaving the impression of an unfortunate amputation. This is the rarest of Browning .30 caliber mounts, so it was sad to see that it had been so… um… modified. But hey, it’s a prison gun and for our purposes this day, the tripod served well, all adjustments still working and looking great for her age.

At this time, we were joined by the Range Sergeant, Dwayne Meredith. With 1,000 rounds of Lake City and Greek HXP ammo belted and ready, headspacing procedures were practiced, the timing checked and the armorers introduced the belt to the feedway and charged the gun. Everything was set, but they insisted the author take the initial burst. After pretending to argue just a little, the first live rounds in several decades were soon heading downrange. The Browning sang, as though she had been pining for this stage ever since being stuffed like a pheasant under glass. Partway into the first 250-round cloth belt, there was one failure to extract from the belt. This is just what might be expected from the aforementioned flat cover extractor spring. The spare was installed and firing resumed, with everyone taking turns at the trigger. That one round was the only malfunction of the day. The old Westinghouse had just one bit of dust to cough out, from its long confinement, before it resumed making the music it was made for more than 90 years ago.

When all the ammo was spent, the smiles and good moods were still going strong. It was impossible to tell who felt more like kids in the proverbial candy store, the Browning aficionados who came to share their expertise or the guards who were getting to resurrect a relic from their museum. All were enjoying the revival of this classic and rare machine gun. In truth, there was no reason to expect anything but success, especially once the fine condition of the 1917 was known. Still, it was a magical few moments of fun.

Now, to follow up with the museum guys about that Colt 1921 Thompson hanging on the museum wall…