| Designed 1915-16 by John M. Browning, who also developed the M1911 Colt pistol
and .30 and .50 cal machine guns, the Browning Automatic Rifle filled the role
of 'squad automatic weapon'. Although intended as an assault weapon, the BAR
proved to be an effective support weapon and was adopted by the Belgian,
Polish and Swedish armies. The BAR underwent some modifications, including
changing the position of the bipod, and later models had a variable fire
option, changing from 550 rounds per minute to faster rates of fire.
Despite its effectiveness, the BAR was never as good as the designer hoped. It
was way too heavy to be an effective rifle, the weight alone made it a pain to
shoulder, and the vibration from firing made it impossible to maintain a steady
aim. On the other hand, it was too light to be an effective light machine gun.
It was unstead on its bipod, its 20-round magazine meant it had to be reloaded
frequently, the bottom-mounted magazine made it difficult to reload from a
prone position, and the barrel couldn't be changed when it overheated. |
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