The mirror., 1918-09-05
Browning Gun Man for U. S.
Continued from last week.

WOuto HCN iuAO SAlC ~ Rbt tAAStS SoLs0 q W.
mand from our Ordnance Department for
machine guns. Experts began investiga-
tions. The Lewis gun was conceded to be
a wonder" 1t did terrible execution. But
there was one drawback, it was claimed:
even the lightest of these Lewis guns could
not be fired by single man except under
the very best of circumstances. And in our
present form of warfare there's no such
thing as any ''best of circumstances.
Meanwhile Mr.. Browning continued to
''putter" about his workshop in Ogden. He
was working on an improvement on the
machine gun.
This Wizard of Firearms has never been
contented to sit back afrer one big achieve
ment and rest on his laurels. Sometimes
he takes bit of a fishing trip by way OF
rest, then back again to his shop to try and
make still better what has just been couced-
ed to be his best.
He knew what was wanted-a rife as light
as the average service gun that an enlisted
man might use as he would an ordinary rife
and yet by single pressure of the finger,
pour an endless stream of bullets into
his enemy.
This was out of the question, of course.
But he did the next best thing-he perfected
machine gun that is no heavier than the
average rifle sportsmen use for moose and
bear. In fact, lighter rifle than that used
BY African hunters for the biggest game
yet this machine gun that he turned out can
be lifted to the shoulder as any gun and
forty bullets directed upon the enemy in less
than two and half seconds stream OF
bullets directed as one would direct a gar
den hose.
Then he turned out the heavier machine
gun. a water-cooled affair.
There was a loud clamor about the delay
in adopting machine gun. A louder clam
or because the Lewis gun was not adopted.
But all this came from men who did not
know.
cit has paid US to wait, because we now
have the very best machine gun in the
world" declared Secretary of War Baker.
On the 9th of February history was made
in connection with machine guns. On that
date occurred the Government tests of the
Browning machine guns at Congress Heights
few miles from Washington. Three hun
dred people witnessed those remarkable tests,
including British. French, Belgian and Ital-
ian army officers on duty in Washington.
There were many Senators and Congress
men, our own Army officers, and probably
fifty or more writers for the press aud the
magazines.
"a success!'' was the unanimous ver-
dict after the test.
The lighter gun was first tried. The ff-
teen pound arm shoots twenty or forty bull
lets at one time, either from the shoulder OF
the hip. One move of a lever cocks the
weapon, one pressure of the finger discharges
1t, and the shots pour out as fast as one can
follow the other from the muzzle. 1t is an
air-cooled gun and works automatically af-
ter the first shot, by means of the gas pres
sure. 1t desirable, the gun may be operated
to shoot every time the trigger is pulled. In
general defence, however, the soldier would
use the former method and spray the ad-
vancing enemy with forty bullets before six
shots could be fired from the ordinary re-
peating arm. The standard cartridges used
by our forces in France in the Springfield
and modified Enfield guns are used in this
gun. The only tool necessary for taking
apart the gun is the edge of a cartridge.
One man operates it quite alone, feeding the
clips and shooting.
Arm body of men with these and a hun
dred could NOW down a couple of resi-
ments. Or for advance, nothing could
stand up under them.
The wicked weapon, however weap-
on that is doubtless destined to be heard
from with our troops lis the Browning
heavy machine gun. This is water-cooled
and works on a tripod, but weighs only thir-
ty-two pounds. In the test 20, 900 rounds
were fired without break or malfunction
of any sort. In another test out of 20, ,0OO
shots there were but three misses, due each
time to bad cartridge. In the supreme
test, 80, 500 shots were fired in such instan-
taneous succession that the report sounded
like one noise. Then the gear gave way.
But no such test would ever be made in ac-
tual warfare, as such guns are worked in
pairs, one to rest, cool, be reloaded and set
back in place while the other is operating.
This gun is to be used for aviation service,
stripped of its water cooled jacket, as the air
will serve as cooler. In this shape it
weighs but twenty-five and half pounds.
The details of this test are history. They
astounded the world. The verdict from
everyone, everywhere, was:
"This is the best machine gun made
1t was ifty-one years ago that John M.
Browning made his first gun. He has been
making them, inventing new ones, improv-
ing old ones, ever since.
And for the first time in his more than a
half century of gun-making he has per
mitted his name to be used in connec-