Machine-Gun Platoon (US734)

The Americans used a variety of automatic weapons in the years before WWI including Maxims, Colt 95 ’Potato Diggers" and Benet-Mercies. During the war they also acquired Vickers, and French Chauchats (which some considered the worst machine-gun ever made).

In the meantime independent gun designer John Browning had also been working on some different ideas for automatic weapons, included a gas-operated weapon for Colt.

Re-evaluating the Maxim recoil operated design he set to work designing a similar weapon for use by the US Army. Initially the ordinance department ignored his design but finally in 1917 he was asked to demonstrate his machine-gun. This first test was successful and after war was declared in 1917 he was asked again to further test his weapon.

At the tests he fired 20,000 rounds through Browning Machine-gun, and then to show it was no fluke he fired a further 20,000 rounds with no jams or other mishaps. The inspecting board still were uncertain whether this performance could be maintained in a production model. Browning then produced a second weapon, which he fired for 48 minutes 12 seconds before stopping, Browning then stripped and reassembled the weapon while blindfolded.

The M1917 was adopted by the US Army in 1918 and continued to be used until the end of WWII.