M1918 BAR: America's Walking Fire Assault Rifle

John Browning developed the Browning Automatic Rifle for use by American troops in World War One, taking inspiration from the other light automatic weapons in service including the Chauchat, Lewis, and MG08/15. Rather than being used as a light machine gun as we would understand it today, the BAR was an “automatic rifle”, intended to be used in much the same way as the Germans would use the Sturmgewehr in WWII. It would be fired in semiautomatic mode from the shoulder or hip while advancing on the enemy, using steady fire to keep them pinned down. Once troops broke into close contact, the gun could be switched to fully automatic to provide overwhelming firepower for the final assault on a position. While the walking fire from the hip was not particularly realistic in practice, the fully automatic firepower was a huge boon to the infantry. While it filled the game role as the Chauchat, the BAR was a much more refined weapon and much easier to use effectively.

The BAR was showed tot he US Ordnance Department in 1917, and the first order for them was placed with Colt in July of 1917. In short order further contracts would be placed with Winchester and Marlin-Rockwell, although it would take many months to fabricate the production tooling and perfect the design for mass production. A few hand-fitted guns were ready in February 1918 for a public demonstration, but significant quantities were not being built until July of 1918.

These guns would be shipped to France for use by the AEF, but not actually put into combat service until the Meuse-Argonne offensive in late September of 1918, due to General Pershing’s desire to keep them secret from the Germans until a large number could be used at once. As a result, the guns saw only very limited use before the war ended on November 11th. In total 102,173 BARs would be built, about half of them being finished into 1919, after the armistice. They would go on the be changed and updated for use in World War Two, but that is a discussion for another day. This particular gun is an excellent example of an M1918 BAR in correct World War One configuration, which is a rare find today.

[mondaysinsanity]

Browning, makes an assault rifle in ww1 when machine guns were new.
Makes the m1911 a handgun that after a century is still in arguments about what's the best handgun in the world, makes the m2 50. machinegun. After a century is still in service.
Everything browning made lasted almost a century without going completely obsolete during one of the highest rate of advancedment times in history. Dude was a time traveler or could see the future

[krzysztofkolodziejczyk]

BAR is cool, but the most impressive is immaculate condition of this100 years old canvas belt

[PurddyBirddy]

My granduncle’s favorite joke was literally just “3 Germans walk into a BAR...”

[Agorante]

I went to a Catholic Military High School (St Johns ) in Washington DC. One of our instructors when asked about the BAR said, "I had one in Korea. The Chinese guy went up the hill with his Chinese gun. I went up the other side with my BAR. I'm here today. I left him on that hill".

I found that to be a very effective gun review.

[BigBoss]

I couldn't imagine firing that .30-06 round full auto from the shoulder. That sounds like you need a medic near by to relocate your shoulder in place.

[jimthomas]

A short true story. WWII one of my uncles was awarded a Silver Star using his BAR. He fought in the Italian campaign and this is what he told me about how it happened. By the way my Uncle was a Texas panhandle farm boy 5'10" tall and weighed around 180lbs.

He and his "buddy" were ordered to recon a hill prior to the rest of the unit attacking. He did not mention a third or fourth asst. gunner by the way. He said this was standard procedure for his outfit and him. He and his buddy would sneak up the hill and shoot as many Germans as possible before the rest of the unit came up. Results varied. He was awarded the Silver Star when the rest of the unit made it to the top of the hill when all they found were a lot of dead Germans.

I asked him if he wouldn't have preferred a rifle. He chewed on his cigar a moment and said kid if you have a rifle you need to be a good shot. I just walked the rounds in on them with the BAR. He passed away a few years ago but he was one hell of a man.

[spartansheep]

HOW IS THIS NOT AD FRIENDLY ITS ACTUALLY EDUCATIONAL AND NOTHING MORE

[sololobos]

My Great Great Grandfather used a BAR in World War II.

I sadly never got to meet him, but this is what I was told.

He got shipped to the Pacific theater, fought the Japanese until he got shot in the arm.

He was cleared for duty, then shipped to the Eastern Front to fight the Germans.
That's where he stayed until the end of the war.

The day he got back to the States, there was a warehouse on fire on the wharf where he stepped off.

He then ran into the building, pulling out 4 people before going back in, only for the building to collapse on him...

I wish I could've met him...

[Khoros-Mythos]

Voluntarily forfeiting millions of dollars to help your country and designing some of the best and most influential weapons of all time. Name a bigger badass than John Moses Browning. I'll wait.

[thomastheeck]

In 1968 in I Corps Vietnam, my army detachment used a BAR as our squad automatic weapon. I had never seen it fired. So I dragged it out to the range to prove to myself that it worked which it did. I remember it as being really heavy and very accurate. I can't give you any manufacturing information, so this is just for historical reference.

[Matt_The_Hugenot]

In WW1 the BAR was a light machine gun pretending to be an auto rifle, by WW2 it was an auto rifle pretending to be an LMG.

[reedpond]

My two problems with the BAR's in Vietnam were: Magazines and the lack of a quick change barrel. I loved the BAR's for ambush and defense.

[riseld]

John Browning’s son carried one of these in WWI

[williamgunnarsson]

This was a fabulous invention by Browning when one considers the times. It was actually a miracle gun back then. My brother was stationed in Iceland in the 60s and his assigned weapon was a WW2 BAR. He said it was his favorite gun of all time. I can believe it.

[leeham]

I think that people overlook that the USA had a semi-automatic rifle with 20 rds capacity by the end of WW1, with full-auto capability as well. Very impressive technology for the time.

[McRocket]

This is why I like this channel so much.
It's not just the weapons themselves.
But the backstories of them as well.
Which Ian seems to cover at least as well as anyone.
☮

[jeremystewert]

Why is it that every European nation tries to put the magazine in the wrong spot? Verticle, sideways, cockeyed. If they were supposed to be that way than God would have told John Browning to do it.

[Lockbar]

I remember back in 1971-72 Class III dealer LES in Morton Grove IL (of Rogak fame} were offering Live, transferable Winchester 1918 BARS for the price of $250 each. Yes, Two Hundred and Fifty smackers. Get me that time machine, please.

[feliperodriguez]

John Moses Browning deserves a statue in the Smithsonian
And a plaque that reads gun god

[tedgalacci]

Thank you for that explanation of the WWI thinking about not issuing the weapon until sufficient numbers were available to make an impact. It's one of those things I've always wondered about.