THE MACHINE GUN
History, Evolution, and Development
of Manual, Automatic, and Airborne
Repeating Weapons
by
George M. Chinn
Lieutenant Colonel, USMC
VOLUME I OF THREE VOLUMES
Prepared for the Bureau of Ordnance
Department of the Navy
1951
For saie by the Superintendent of Documents U. S. Government Printing Office
Washington 25, D.C. — Price $5.00" Buckram)PREFACE
With the belief that the next best thing to actual knowledge is knowing where to
find it, this research has been compiled by the Bureau of Ordnance, Department of the
Navy, in order to place in the hands of those rightfully interested in the art of auto-
matic weapon design, the world’s recorded progress in this ficld of endeavor.
So great a period has been covered on a vast and controversial subject, with prac-
tically no precedent to use as a guide, that the sum total of this effort must be regarded
somewhat in the nature of an experiment.
While nothing is claimed for this volume except that it is the result of tedious and
laborious research, it is believed that in some manner it will help point the way to a
better understanding of past development. In so doing, it should help to reduce pit-
falls that beset the designer traveling an otherwise dimly lighted path.
A biography is included for each of the great masters of gun design, upon whose
countless experiments and basic ideas the automatic armament of the world has been
created: thus the reader may better detennine the magnitude of their genius and its
meaning to history past and future.
Excerpts from actual writings of the inventors, manufacturers and professional
critics are given wherever possible. These statements, together with other authoritative
matter, are assembled for the most part according to historical sequence.
It is hot to be construed that this book is infallible, as it has the inevitable errors
of all first editions. Sometimes an apparent digression was thought necessary to help
darify succeeding events, such as gunpowder experiments, ignition improvements, metal-
lurgy formulas and even aviation progress. Without these kindred subjects, present-day
ordnance design would not exist.
Great stress has been laid upon the inclusion of actual photographs of early in-
ventors firing their prototype machine guns, to present pictorial proof that the auto-
matic weapons we know today were of as humble origin as the mechanics who created
them.
The unholy desire throughout the centuries for man to implement his belligerent
impulses with superior tools for conflict, has provided the anvil upon which he has
patiently forged the most lethal scourge of the modern world—the Machine Gun.ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The help and encouragement received from many sources in the preparation of
this work can never be fully acknowledged. ‘The following individuals are listed in at
least partial recognition of such contributions.
Captain Eugene Tatom, USN, formerly Chief, Re8, and Mr. James R. Norton, Head
Engineer, Re8, Aviation Ordnance, Bureau of Ordnance.
Mr. M. Bigelow Browning ice President, Browning Arms Company: Colonel Leo A.
Codd, Executive Vice President, American Ordnance Association; Dr. $. G. Green, Chief,
Engineering Section, Small Arms Branch, Industrial Division, Ordnance Corps. Depart-
ment of the Army: Major General Julian S. Hatcher, National Rifle Association: Colonel
Allen L.. Keyes, USA, Director, and Mr. Gerald C. Stowe, Curator, West Point Museum:
Colonel G. B. Jarrett, Ch Librar d Muscum 1 ch, Aberdeen Proving Ground;
Colonel Willard Webb, Chief, Stack and Reader Division, Library of Congress.
Mr. John Casey, General Manager, North American Aviation Gorporation; Mr. Louis
Ehrman, Pocomoke, Maryland; Mr. Herman P. Dean, President, Standard Printing and
Publishing Company, Huntington, West Virginia: Colonel George W. Hicks, Circula-
tion Manager, Columbus (Ohio) Citizen; Colonel Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., Technical
Director, Arms Department, Rescarch and Development Division, Mr, Edwin, Pugsley,
former Vice President in Charge of Research, Mr. James C. Hartley, Director of Re-
search, ind Mr. ‘Thomas Hall, Gun Museum Curator. all of Winchester Repeating Arms
Company, Division of Olin Industries, Inc.; Mrs. Ruth H. Stoeger, Librarian, Stoeger
Ams Co.; Mr. H. P. White, Chief Engineer, and Mr. Burt D. Munhall, Manager, H. P.
White Ordnance Co.
Lieutenant Colonel Franklin $. Allen, Jr., Chief, Tactical Gombat Branch, USAF; Licu-
tenant Colonel John J, Driscoll, Chief, Bomber Defense Branch, USAF.
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew W. Hamilton, Chicf, ‘Vechnical Intelligence. Ordnance Re-
search and Development Division, Department of the Anny; Lieutenant Colonel Frank
J. MceMorrow, Officer in Charge of Muscum, Springfield Armory; Mr. Joseph H. Church,
Chief, Patent Section, Ordnance Gorps, Department of the Army; Mr. H. G. Solberg,
‘Technical Intelligence Branch, Ordnance Corps, Deparunent of the Army; Mrs. Rose-
mary Darsa, Photo Branch, Army Intelligence.
Rear Admiral Malcolm F, Schoeffel, USN; Captain T. H. Ahroon, USN; Captain
Devere L.. Day, USN, Chief, Air Section, Intelligence Branch, ONI; Captain F. B. Miller,
USN; Captain R. N. Sharp, USN; Commander William J. Lederer, USN; Commander
ichard Matter, USN; Commander Dan W. Snively, USN; Lieutenant Commander
Marvin Franger, USN: Lieutenant Commander Paul Pugh, USN; Aviation Ordnance
Chic J. W. Cospers, USN
Brigadier General Vernon E. Megee, USMC; Lieutenant Golonel Francis Kiernan,
USMC; Major Ross Jordan, USMC; Captain Don Kenton, USMG; Ghiet Warrant
Officer John Scarborough, USMC.
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