The initial M1918A1 version of
the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was first used
in combat by American soldiers during World War
I, and many saw service in World War II. The BAR
received high praise for its reliability under
adverse conditions.
In 1940, the model M1918A2 was
adopted. Unlike earlier models, it could only be
fired in two automatic modes--slow (300 to 450
rpm) or fast (500 to 650 rpm)--but not in
semiautomatic mode. Both versions were widely
used in the second world war. The USMC preferred
the semiautomatic mode in some tactical
situations, and modified most of the M1918A2 guns
to include that capability. A buffer spring in
the butt greatly reduced recoil, to the advantage
both of firing accuracy and shooter endurance
The M1918A2 also mounted its
folding bipod (2.38 pounds!) on a special flash
hider near the end of the barrel. Since the bipod
could easily be detached in this model, it very
frequently was! but not often in defensive
positions, where it was very effective. The flash
hider, which was the point of attachment for the
bipod, was not usually removed. Hiding the flash
from enemy troops when firing on them isn't
the purpose of the hider, all automatic weapons
are easily visible when fired at night. It blocks
the muzzle flash from the vision of the shooter,
maintaining his night vision. That's
important!
The Army infantry squad of nine
men was tactically organized around a single BAR.
The Marine squad of thirteen men was organized
around three fire-teams, each organized around a
BAR. The much greater fire power of a Marine
platoon with its nine BARs over the Army platoon
with its four BARs was a great combat
advantage.
The BAR was a popular weapon in
WWII and Korea, because it was very reliable and
offered an excellent combination of rapid fire
and penetrating power. The BAR's only serious
drawbacks were its lack of a quick-change barrel
(to reduce the chance of overheating), and its
weight (BAR, with bipod and a loaded bandoleer,
came to about 25 pounds).
In Korea, the much greater range
and penetrating power of the BAR and the .30
caliber air cooled machine gun, firing rifle
ammunition, usually more than offset the light
weight and rapid fire capability of the variety
of submachine guns the North Koreans and Chinese
used, including their burp guns modeled on Soviet
weapons such as the Shpagin PPSh41 , which fired
pistol ammunition.
