The BAR became the standard-issue Light Machine Gun (LMG) of American infantry outfits by the time of World War 2 (1939-1945). Marine units were also issued the type but favored the original's single-shot functionality and, therefore, reverted their actions back to the single / full modes of fire. It led a healthily long service life for the Americans as it was not officially retired from frontline service until the 1950s. The BAR was also issued to British Home Guard elements during World War 2. Beyond the two World Wars, the M1918 saw extended battlefield service in the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975).
The original model was the M1918 which was given a smooth tapered barrel assembly and lacked bipod support. A swivel was set between the grip handle and the end of the stock. The M1922 was the first major attempt at improving the M1918 gun. It showcased a finned barrel assembly. This model saw only limited circulation and service with U.S. Army mounted troopers. In 1931, a prison guard / law enforcement version was brought to the marketplace by Colt as the "Colt Monitoring Automatic Machine Rifle (R80)". This version lacked the bipod and had a dedicated pistol grip.
The M1918A1 of 1937 featured a double buttplate that doubled as a hinged shoulder support. A hinged bipod ("spiked" feet) was now added at the gas cylinder ahead of the wooden forend. The M1918A2 of 1938 had a shortened forend and internal metal plate to keep the recoil spring from overheating and deforming / fracturing. The bipod was revised to have "skid" feet and a monopod was optional. One of the chief changes to the line was the move away from single-shot firing in the M1918A2.
The M1918 managed considerable export numbers (over 100,000 were made from 1917 to 1945) which led to a service life reaching into the 1970s. Operators ranged from Argentina and Austria to Turkey and Uruguay with conflicts covering the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War, the Palestinian Civil War, the First Indochina War, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cambodian Civil War and the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus.
Export models included the Automatic Machine Rifle Model 1919 (Model U), the Model 1924 and its improved Model 1925 (R75) form. Belgium adopted the weapon as the FN Mle 1930 (detailed elsewhere on this site) and also took on the FN Mle D version. Polish models were the Browning wz. 1928 and Karabin Maszynowy Obserwatora wz. 37. Swedish marks included the Kg m/21, Kg m/37 and Kg m/21-37.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.