John Browning’s .30 Water Cooled Machine Gun

M1917A1 .30 Caliber Water Cooled Browning Machine Gun

The influence of firearms designer and engineer John M. Browning simply cannot be overstated. He left an indelible mark on the history of firearms, and, in particular, the United States military.

Among his many accomplished designs is the M1917 .30 Caliber Browning Machine Gun. The M1917 was first used in combat during World War I, and the subsequent M1917A1 design was used from World War II into Vietnam.

Throughout its history, this belt-fed machine gun has been synonymous with reliability and has exemplified the best in American craftsmanship and ingenuity. Its water cooled system allowed Browning himself to fire 20,000 rounds through the weapon without any failures during the winning demonstration in front of the Army Ordnance Board in 1917.

During a second test in front of the Board, he further subdued his skeptics by firing the gun continuously for 48 minutes and 12 seconds- over 21,000 rounds worth of ammunition.

Browning’s M1917A1 was phased out of military service by the United States during the 1960′s in favor of the surging M60. Although decommissioned, the historic M1917 weapon system is still available today for purchase in the original full auto as well as semi-automatic designs.

See a 1917A1 .30 Water Cooled Belt Fed Semi-Automatic

John Browning has since moved on, but his fingerprints will always remain on the history of our great nation in the form of the countless American lives his weapon systems saved during decades of combat.

-Sean