M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
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Colonel White
Piers
Aristides
Louis17
8 posters
- Louis17
- Posts : 38
Join date : 2018-02-15
Age : 42
Location : Geraardsbergen, Belgium
M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:47 am
Hello,
When looking in the US infantry platoon support choices, I see that the HMG is referenced as a unit of 3 men with .50cal HMG.
My question is: what about the M1917 Browning water-cooled? Should it also be considered as a HMG? I have the minis and I would like to know how we should play them....
Thanks in advance!
Louis
When looking in the US infantry platoon support choices, I see that the HMG is referenced as a unit of 3 men with .50cal HMG.
My question is: what about the M1917 Browning water-cooled? Should it also be considered as a HMG? I have the minis and I would like to know how we should play them....
Thanks in advance!
Louis
- Aristides
- Posts : 9
Join date : 2018-02-14
Age : 37
Location : Munich
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:12 am
With the M1917 being the same calibre (.30) like the Browning M1919 I would suggest to use it likewise as a MMG.
- Louis17
- Posts : 38
Join date : 2018-02-15
Age : 42
Location : Geraardsbergen, Belgium
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:58 am
Hello Aristides,
Thanks for the answer. Well, this was how I read it too. On the the other hand, what makes the difference between an MMG and a HMG is the rate of fire, not only the caliber. That is why I asked the question.
Thanks for the answer. Well, this was how I read it too. On the the other hand, what makes the difference between an MMG and a HMG is the rate of fire, not only the caliber. That is why I asked the question.
- Louis17
- Posts : 38
Join date : 2018-02-15
Age : 42
Location : Geraardsbergen, Belgium
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:59 am
Hello Piers,
Thanks for the answer!
Thanks for the answer!
- Colonel White
- Posts : 84
Join date : 2018-02-13
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Tue Mar 06, 2018 11:32 am
Its performance is slightly better than the British Vickers . I was quietly surprised that it was used as late as the 60s . Otherwise comparable to the Vickers ie same number of cartidges on the belt ,3 man crew and both can use the 0.303 cartridge . So I agree MMG .
- RayH
- Posts : 38
Join date : 2018-02-12
Location : Enniskillen
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Thu Mar 08, 2018 1:09 pm
I have read that due to the rate of fire(M1917) well the 1917A1 the 1917 had teething problems which were adressed with the M1917A1 and at steady 600 RPM it is a HMG being watercooled,the aircooled version( M1919) being a MMG at 450 RPM. The Vickers fired upto 500RPM and is a MMG. All the watercooled guns are based on the Maxim. But have different rates of fire,the American watercooled gun with the greater rate of fire is classed as a HMG due to rate of fire.
When it comes to machine guns and calssification it is also about rate of fire that classes a gun as Light,medium or heavy. The M2 0.50 has a ropund the sixe of a carrot,that makes it heavy,ad does the DSHK with it's 12.7mm round. The MG34 and MG 42 when in a tripod are medium,diue to being aircooled. Well you could fire them full auto but that would melt the barrels. Tghe water cooled machine guns can sustain a stady rate of fire,without this danger,just keepthe cooling jacket topped up with water and away you go.
When it comes to machine guns and calssification it is also about rate of fire that classes a gun as Light,medium or heavy. The M2 0.50 has a ropund the sixe of a carrot,that makes it heavy,ad does the DSHK with it's 12.7mm round. The MG34 and MG 42 when in a tripod are medium,diue to being aircooled. Well you could fire them full auto but that would melt the barrels. Tghe water cooled machine guns can sustain a stady rate of fire,without this danger,just keepthe cooling jacket topped up with water and away you go.
- wolflord
- Posts : 214
Join date : 2018-02-14
Location : Cologne
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:35 pm
That is the cause why i classify all watercooled machineguns in BG as HMG. But that is just a house rule.
Regards
Wolflord
Regards
Wolflord
- RayH
- Posts : 38
Join date : 2018-02-12
Location : Enniskillen
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:58 pm
Same here,they are really HMG's,aircooled are MMG's,except the M2 0.50 cal,by vertue of the round more than cyclic rate. And not the round fired.
- wolflord
- Posts : 214
Join date : 2018-02-14
Location : Cologne
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:40 pm
I guess you mean aircooled?RayH wrote:Same here,they are really HMG's, watercooled are MMG's,except the M2 0.50 cal,by vertue of the round more than cyclic rate. And not the round fired.
- RayH
- Posts : 38
Join date : 2018-02-12
Location : Enniskillen
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Thu Mar 08, 2018 10:07 pm
Yes
- Stuart J
- Posts : 132
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Age : 66
Location : Staunton VA USA
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Tue Jan 15, 2019 4:50 am
The problem is, the definition of what a 'heavy machine gun' is has changed since WWII: originally it was the tripod mounted, water cooled, rifle caliber weapons in the Vickers- Maxim class. Then the tank was invented and there was a need for a rapid fire infantry weapon that could take on and defeat the armor of 1918 and the immediate post war era; John M. Browning stepped up to the plate and produced the famous M2 which was the grandfather (or perhaps grandmother being called 'Ma Deuce') of the class of weapons called Heavy Machine Guns today. That's right, Ma Deuce was designed as an antitank gun
In the military of today, anything smaller than a .50 caliber is referred to as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW - harking back to the BAR), an LMG or a GPMG. I don't believe the MMG weapon class exists any more, although in the hills of Afghaniland you never know what will turn up.
In the military of today, anything smaller than a .50 caliber is referred to as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW - harking back to the BAR), an LMG or a GPMG. I don't believe the MMG weapon class exists any more, although in the hills of Afghaniland you never know what will turn up.
- Nino Kano
- Posts : 67
Join date : 2018-12-01
Re: M1917 Browning MG water-cooled: HMG?
Tue Jan 15, 2019 3:41 pm
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