Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) 1918A2

Browning's automatic rifle, also designated by the initials BAR, cannot be clearly classified in any category of automatic weapons. It can be classified as a very light machine gun or a heavy assault rifle. In practice, the weapon performed similarly to a light machine gun. As its name suggests, its author was John M. Browning. The first prototype was built in 1917. The weapon's mechanism worked with powder gas extraction. The breech was locked by a swing arm connected to the bolt and controlled by the bolt carrier. The arm rested on a recess in the bolt housing when locked. The weapon fired single shots and bursts.

After its demonstration, the weapon was accepted into the service of the U.S. Army. In 1918, it saw its first combat deployment in France. The army at that time had few weapons of this type and the adopted specimens were used more as heavy rifles. This was understandable with the first BAR M1918s, which did not have a bipod and could only be fired from the side or with a shoulder rest. The bipod did not appear on the weapon until 1937 with the BAR M1918A1 version. The last production version of the BAR M1918A2 had a redesigned bipod and a new stock support that further increased the weapon's stability when firing.

The M1918A1 and A2 versions became the US Army's main types. They were primarily used to augment the firepower of smaller units, rather than as a typical infantry support weapon. The original M1918 also saw action in World War II. In 1940, large numbers of BARs were acquired by Great Britain, which equipped its Home Guard units with them. Some BAR rifles found use in the armament of second-echelon units. Later versions reached production runs of thousands. BARs were very popular with the troops.

This is not to say that the BAR did not have some shortcomings. Its box magazine had a capacity of only 20 rounds, which was very small for most infantry operations. Because of its difficult to classify, the BAR gained little popularity with tactical theorists. With soldiers, however, it was popular. After 1945, the BAR saw service in the Korean War, and remained in the U.S. Army's arsenal until 1957. However, the weapon would also be seen during the Vietnam conflict and in the armies of other countries until almost the present day.