Gerry West
M1917A1 Machine Gun
The National World War II Museum, 2006.050.001
Invented by legendary firearms designer, John Browning, and adopted for service by the US armed forces in 1917 after Browning demonstrated the reliability of his machine gun by firing a mile-long belt of ammunition without interruption or a single stoppage. During World War II the M1917A1 was classified as a heavy machine gun, for its ability to fire continuously, provided that water was in the barrel jacket, air-cooled machine guns had to be fired in bursts to avoid overheating. The M1917A1 .30 caliber machine gun saw service in every theater of the war, but was especially effective against Japanese banzai charges in the Pacific. John Basilone commanded a section of M1917A1 Machine Guns on Guadalcanal during his Medal of Honor action.
