Browning M1917A1
Colt's Manufacturing Company · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1917
Also known as: M1917, Browning Heavy, M1917 Browning, Browning Water-Cooled
Overview
The M1917A1 is the water-cooled heavy machine gun designed by John Moses Browning and adopted by the US Army in 1917 as America's standard belt-fed automatic. Chambered in .30-06 Springfield, it operates by short recoil with a closed-bolt, full-auto-only trigger group, fed from 250-round canvas belts, with a 3.5-liter water jacket surrounding the 610mm barrel for sustained fire cooling. The 1936 A1 update added a strengthened bottom plate, improved sights, and a heavier M1917A1 tripod. Renowned for reliability, the M1917A1 served from the trenches of WWI through the Pacific island campaigns and Korean defensive lines, where its sustained-fire capacity made it the gold standard for fixed-position defensive firepower until air-cooled successors and the M60 finally replaced it.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 14970 g (528.1 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 47000 g (1657.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 968 mm (38.11") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Closed Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Full Auto Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 250 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 853 m/s (2799 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3380 J (2493 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1300 m (1422 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 6800 m (7437 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 450 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .30-06 Springfield · primary — also known as 7.62x63mm
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: 250 Round Canvas Belt, 250 Round M1 Disintegrating Link Belt
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Water Jacket Cooling 3 5l, Browning Toggle Lock, M1917 Tripod Mount, Raised Leaf Rear Sight A1, Strengthened Bottom Plate A1
Variants
- M1917 (original) — Wwi Baseline
- M1917A1 (1936) — Standardized Rebuild
- M1917 .303 British — British Contract
- M1918 Aircraft — Air Cooled Aerial
- ckm wz.30 (Polish) — Polish 8mm License
- Ksp m/36 (Swedish) — Swedish License
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1917 · as M1917
- United States Marine Corps · as M1917A1
- British Army · adopted 1917 · as M1917 .303
- Norwegian Army · as M1917
- Polish Army (wz.30) · adopted 1930 · as ckm wz.30
- Swedish Army (m/36) · adopted 1936 · as Ksp m/36
- Republic of Korea Army · as M1917A1
Conflicts
- World War I (1917-1918)
- World War II (1941-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Vietnam War (limited) (1955-1973)
Production
Estimated total produced: 128,369 · Production years: 1917-1944
WWI: ~68,500 (Westinghouse 30,150 + Remington 12,000 + Colt 600 by Armistice). WWII rebuilds/new production: ~53,000.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1955
Notes
Production split across Colt, New England Westinghouse, Remington, and others. Lifetime production ~128,369 (~68,500 WWI; ~53,000 WWII). Fully kitted weight (gun + tripod + water + ammo) is ~47 kg; gun alone dry is ~15 kg. M1917A1 tripod weighs ~24 kg.
Background
At Springfield Armory's May 1917 acceptance trial, Browning's prototype fired 20,000 rounds without malfunction, then a second 20,000-round string with only a single broken sear at approximately round 39,500 - an unprecedented endurance demonstration that secured immediate adoption. Of 30,582 M1917s shipped to France, only ~1,200 reached front-line combat before the November 1918 Armistice.