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Post by volkssturm on Aug 3, 2016 11:08:41 GMT -5
Another video from Forgotten Weapons (a great channel for info on historic weapons). www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWrJ8DSguEMThe "M2" was a prototype Winchester produced as an alternative to the M1 Garand. It was lighter and possibly cheaper to manufacture. With the war looming and the military already committed to mass producing M1's the Winchester rifle didn't go anywhere, but in very modified form it became the M1 Carbine. It also was the basis for the Winchester Automatic Rifle, or "WAR", which might have replaced the BAR except that the war ended before it was ready. Forgotten Weapons also has a video on the WAR. Not a bad looking rifle. Timing is everything. If it had been perfected early enough it might have gone into service, perhaps with the Marines who always like to be a little different than the Army. The term "M2" was Winchester's designation, not the government's. Some people say the Johnson Rifle should have been called the M2, since it was actually fielded, though in small numbers.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Aug 10, 2016 14:55:26 GMT -5
Very cool information on weapons I knew nothing about. The BAR remains an iconic weapon from WW2 and Korea but I always thought that from 1918 to the first few years of WW2 something better should have come along. The WAR absolutely looks like it would have been a capable and cool looking replacement. A couple pounds lighter doesn't seem significant unless you're the one lugging it around.
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Post by volkssturm on Aug 11, 2016 13:25:33 GMT -5
I've always thought the Johnson LMG had a lot of potential. The 1st Special Service Force seemed to like the ones they had. Overall US Ordnance seems to have had a lack of innovative thought between the wars. The only real high point of official development was the M1 rifle, and that was largely the brainchild of John Garand. The BAR could have been improved considerably if they'd just copied what Colt and FN was doing with it, but the only changes Ordnance made actually made the weapon heavier with no real gains in performance.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Aug 11, 2016 21:57:07 GMT -5
No budget to spend on R&D until it became extremely obvious thar war was immediately pending and inevitable. Very minimal gains in small arms development from WW1 to WW2. It is a testiment to American industry and inventive creativity that they moved as quickly as they did. The Johnson rifle in the SAW configuration made a lot of sense and should have been adopted. The Marines and First Force had generally positive experiences with it. I do like that a single main battle rifle was adopted and the Garand soldiered brilliantly while the report card on the BAR would have to be a C+ to B-.
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