US Browning Model 1917 .306 Caliber Machine Gun

By Crusader1307

The Browning Model 1917 Machine Gun was a crew served, water-cooled and belt fed machine gun. Considered a “Battalion” weapon, it had a cyclic rate of 450 rounds per minute. Firing the .30-06 round, The Model 1917 weighed over 100-pounds and was tripod mounted. A 250 round “belt” was actually made of cloth and was hand drawn (into the firing chamber slowly). It also featured an innovative 2-piece firing pin system (designed to minimize in-field repair time). An aircraft version was also developed (although not as bulky). The model 1917 was considered The US Army's primary heavy Machine Gun for many years. So durable, (even with more modern and technologically better weaponry) – The Model 1917 continued forward in The US Army Arsenal (as well as with other Countries), well into the mid 1960s.