Browning Automatic Rifle

The National World War II Museum, 2006.055.001

The Browning Automatic Rifle, or B-A-R, was developed during WWI, but saw limited service. A very potent weapon, the BAR fired .30 caliber ammunition from a twenty round box magazine and had a rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute. During WWII, the BAR was the standard squad automatic weapon and used to lay down suppressive fire in support of riflemen advancing on an objective.