View source for M1917 Browning machine gun

{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox weapon
| is_ranged          = yes
| image              = Browning M1917 Marine Korea.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = Marines operating a M1917A1 Browning during the [[Korean War]]
| name               = Browning model 1917
| type               = [[Heavy machine gun]]
| origin             = United States
| designer           = [[John M. Browning]]
| design_date        = 1917
| production_date    = 1917–45
| service            = 1917–1970s<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|5}}
| used_by            = ''[[M1917 Browning machine gun#Users|See Users]]''
| wars               = {{Plainlist|
* [[World War I]]
* [[Mexican Revolution]]
* [[Banana Wars]]
* [[Chaco War]]
* [[World War II]]
* [[Chinese Civil War]]
* [[Korean War]]
* [[First Indochina War]]
* [[Congo Crisis]]
* [[Vietnam War]]
* [[Cambodian Civil War]]
}}
| spec_type          = 
| part_length        = 24 in (609&nbsp;mm)
| cartridge          = [[.30-06 Springfield]]<br>{{collapsible list|title=Other cartridges|[[6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer|6.5×54mm Greek]]|[[6.5×55mm Swedish]]|[[7.5×54mm French]]|[[7×57mm Mauser]]|[[7.62×51mm NATO]]|[[7.65×53mm Mauser]]|[[7.92×57mm Mauser]]|{{ill|7.92×61mm|no|7,92 × 61 mm}}|8×52mmR Siam|[[8×63mm patron m/32|8×63mm]]}}
| feed               = 250 round fabric belt
| action             = Recoil-operated automatic
| rate               = 450 round/min, 600 round/min for M1917A1
| velocity           = 2,800 ft/s (853.6 m/s)
| weight             = 103 lb (47&nbsp;kg) (gun, tripod, water, and ammunition)
| length             = 980 mm
| variants           = M1917, M1917A1, Colt models
| number             = 128,369<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=358|title=The Browning Model 1917 Water-Cooled Machine Gun|website=Small Arms Defense Journal}}</ref>
}}

The '''M1917 Browning machine gun''' is a [[heavy machine gun]] used by the [[Military of the United States|United States armed forces]] in [[World War I]], [[World War II]], the [[Korean War]], and the [[Vietnam War]]; it has also been used by other nations. It was a crew-served, belt-fed, water-cooled machine gun that served alongside the much lighter air-cooled [[M1919 Browning machine gun|Browning M1919]]. It was used at the battalion level, and often mounted on vehicles (such as a [[Willys MB|jeep]]). There were two main iterations: the M1917, which was used in World War I and the M1917A1, which was used thereafter. The M1917, which was used on some aircraft as well as in a ground role, had a cyclic rate of 450 rounds per minute. The M1917A1 had a cyclic rate of 450 to 600 rounds per minute.

== Design and development ==
[[File:Browning fires a Browning 1918.jpg|thumb|left|US Army 2nd Lt. [[Valmore A. Browning]] test firing a Browning machine gun. This gun was used in the Argonne Sector.]]

In 1900, [[John Browning|John Moses Browning]] filed a patent for a recoil-powered automatic gun.<ref>{{cite patent |inventor-first=John M. |inventor-last=Browning |inventor-link=John Browning |title= Automatic Gun |fdate= 1900-06-19 |pubdate= 1901-07-23 |country=US |number=678937}}</ref> Browning did not work on the gun again until 1910, when he built a water-cooled prototype of the 1900 design.<ref name=Chinn-1951>{{Cite book |last=Chinn |year=1951 |title=The Machine Gun |volume=I |chapter= Part III, Full Automatic Machine Gun Development, Chapter 3, Browning Automatic Machine Guns |publisher= Bureau of Ordnance, Department of the Navy |pages=172–181}}</ref> Although the gun worked well, Browning improved the design slightly. Browning replaced side ejection with bottom ejection, added a buffer for smoother operation, replaced the hammer with a two-piece firing pin, and made some other minor improvements.<ref name=Chinn-1951/>{{RP|173}} The basic design of the gun was still the 1900 design.

[[File:Val Browning M1917.jpg|thumb|upright|Val Browning, the inventor's son, demonstrates the M1917.]]

The Browning is a water-cooled heavy machine gun, though some experimental versions were made that did not use a water jacket; the air-cooled [[M1919 Browning machine gun|M1919]] was later developed as a medium machine gun. Unlike many other early machine guns, the M1917 had nothing to do with [[Maxim gun|Maxim]]'s toggle lock design. At {{Convert|47|lbs|kg}},{{Clarify|Does this include the tripod mount?|date=December 2014}} it was much lighter than contemporary [[Maxim gun|Maxim type]] guns such as the first {{Convert|137|lb|kg|adj=on}} German [[Maschinengewehr 08|''Maschinengewehr'' 08]] (08/15 model: {{Convert|43|lbs|kg|abbr=on}}) and the British [[Vickers machine gun]], while still being highly reliable. The only similarities with the Maxim or Vickers are the principles of [[recoil operation]], T-slot breechblock, "pull-out" belt feed, water cooling, and forward ejection. Its sliding-block locking mechanism saved weight and complexity, and was used in many previous Browning designs. The belt fed left-to-right, and the cartridges were stacked closer together than Maxim/Vickers (patterns copied by most guns later).

The [[United States Army Ordnance Corps|Army Ordnance Department]] showed little interest in machine guns until war was declared in April 1917. At that time, the U.S. arsenal included only 1,100 machine guns, and most of those were outmoded.<ref name=Chinn-1951/>{{Rp|173–174}} The government asked several designers to submit weapons. Browning arranged a test at the [[Springfield Armory]] in May 1917.<ref name=Chinn-1951/>{{Rp|176}} In the first test, the weapon fired 20,000 rounds with only a few malfunctions mostly related to poorly loaded cloth belts. The reliability was exceptional, so Browning fired another 20,000 rounds through the weapon with one broken part: a broken sear at about 39,500. The Ordnance Board was impressed, but was unconvinced that the same level of performance could be achieved in a production model. Consequently, Browning used a second gun that not only duplicated the original trial, but it also fired continuously for 48 minutes and 12 seconds (over 21,000 rounds).<ref name=Chinn-1951/>{{Rp|176–177}}

[[File:Browning Heavy Machine Gun, water cooled, M1917, 1918, WWI (32916860696).jpg|thumb|left|M1917 mounted on tripod]]

The Army adopted the weapon as its principal heavy machine gun, utilizing the [[.30-06 Springfield|M1906 .30-06]] cartridge with a 150-grain, flat-base bullet. Production was complex as the several manufacturers producing the guns needed to establish assembly lines and create tooling. By 30 June 1918, [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation|Westinghouse]] had made only 2,500 and [[Remington Arms|Remington]] had made only 1,600. By the time of the Armistice, Westinghouse had made 30,150, Remington 12,000, and [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]] 600.<ref name=Chinn-1951/>{{Rp|179}}

Until the start of World War I, the Army had used a variety of older machine guns, including the Browning-designed [[M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun|M1895]] "Potato Digger", the [[Maxim Gun]], the [[Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine gun|Benet–Mercie M1909]], and the [[Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun]].<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{Rp|6–7}} Although the Model 1917 was intended to be the principal US Army heavy machine gun in the war, the Army was forced to purchase many foreign weapons—the French-produced Hotchkiss 8&nbsp;mm machine gun was actually the most common heavy machine gun used by the [[American Expeditionary Force]].

In 1926, the Browning's rear sight was revised to incorporate scales for both the new M1 Ball (172-grain boat-tail bullet) and the M1906 (150-grain flat-base bullet) ammunition.<ref name="Dunlap309">Dunlap, Roy, ''Ordnance Went Up Front'', Samworth Press (1948), p. 309</ref> With M1 ball, the M1917 had a maximum range of about {{convert|5500|yd|m|abbr=on}}; with M2 ammunition, about {{convert|3500|yd|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Dunlap309" /> The rear sight had a battle sight as well as a raised leaf-type sight suitable for employment against either ground or air targets.<ref name="Dunlap309" />

== Service ==
[[File:Marines Browning M1917 Cape Gloucester.JPEG|thumb|right|[[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] push back a Japanese counterattack during the [[Battle of Cape Gloucester]] in 1944.]]

The M1917 saw limited service in the later days of World War I. Because of production delays, only about 1,200 Model 1917s saw combat in the conflict, and then only in the last {{Frac|2|1|2}} months of the war. Some arrived too late for combat service. For example, the [[6th Machine Gun Battalion (United States Marine Corps)|6th Machine Gun Battalion]], fighting as part of the [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|Second Division]], did not exchange their [[Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun]]s for Browning M1917 machine guns until 14 November, three days after the armistice.<ref>Curtis, Thomas J., ''History of the Sixth Machine Gun Battalion, Fourth Brigade, U.S. Marines, Second Division, and its Participation in the Great War'', Neuwied on the Rhine, Germany, 1919, p. 59.</ref> The U.S. equipped about a third of the divisions sent to France; the others were equipped equally with Hotchkiss machine guns bought from the French or the British [[Vickers machine gun]]s built by Colt in the US. Where the Model 1917 did see action, its rate of fire and reliability were highly effective.<ref name=Rottman-2014>{{Cite book|title=Browning .30-caliber Machine Guns|series=Weapon 32|url=https://ospreypublishing.com/browning-30-caliber-machine-guns|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|first=Gordon L.|last=Rottman|date=20 February 2014|edition=Paper |isbn=9781780969213}}</ref>{{RP|68}} The M1917 weapon system was inferior to the Vickers and Hotchkiss guns in indirect fire applications because the British and French cartridges had about 50 percent longer range than the [[.30-06 Springfield#Cartridge, ball, caliber .30, Model of 1906 (M1906)|M1906 cartridge]], the .30-06 service cartridge used in World War I.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hatcher |first=Julian S. |title=Hatcher's Notebook |edition=third |year=1962 |publisher=Stackpole Books |location=Harrisburg, PA |isbn=978-0-8117-0614-8 |lccn=62-12654 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/firearmsdictiona00stei |page=23}}</ref> (This was because of the inefficient aerodynamics of the M1906 cartridge's bullet, later fixed in the bullet of the [[.30-06 Springfield#.30 M1 ball cartridge|M1 ball cartridge]].)

[[File:Browning M1917 Marine Iwo Jima fixed.jpg|thumb|left|A U.S. Marine firing Browning M1917A1 machine gun during the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]]]]

The Model 1917A1 was again used in the Second World War, and was primarily used with the [[.30-06 Springfield|M2 ball]], tracer, and armor-piercing ammunition introduced just prior to the outbreak of hostilities. Some were supplied to the UK for use by the [[British Home Guard|Home Guard]] since all production of the .303 Vickers was needed to resupply the equipment abandoned during the [[Battle of France|Fall of France]]. The M1917's weight and bulk meant that it was generally employed as a fixed defense or as a battalion or regimental support weapon. In this latter role, the disassembled weapon was carried by machine gun squads advancing on foot, which could rapidly deploy it to support the infantry in offensive operations.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Andrews |first1=Ernest A. |last2=Hurt |first2=David B. |year=2022|title=A Machine Gunner's War: From Normandy to Victory with the 1st Infantry Division in World War II |publisher=Casemate |location=Philadelphia & Oxford|isbn=978-1636241043}}</ref> At the battle of [[Admiralty Islands campaign|Momote Airstrip]] in the Admiralties, the US Army's [[5th Cavalry Regiment (United States)|5th Cavalry]] machine gunners killed several hundred Japanese in one night using their M1917 Brownings; one gun was left in position after the battle as a memorial to the desperate struggle.<ref>Dunlap, Roy F., ''Ordnance Went Up Front'', Samworth Press (1948), p. 310</ref>

[[File:model1917Korea.jpg|thumb|upright|A Browning M1917 in action during the [[Korean War]].]]

The Model 1917 was called to service again in the [[Korean War]]. On at least one occasion, U.S. soldiers in the Korean War urinated on the gun when water-cooling had failed in the frigid temperatures of the Korean winter.<ref>Lowenherz, David H. ''The 50 Greatest Letters from America's Wars''. New York: Crown,
2002 p. 35.</ref> The Model 1917 was slowly phased out of military service in the late-1960s in favor of the much lighter [[M60 machine gun]] chambered in the new 7.62&nbsp;mm NATO cartridge.<ref>[https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/mr-browning-s-gun-the-u-s-model-of-1917-browning-machine-gun/ Mr. Browning’s Gun: The U.S. Model Of 1917 Browning Machine Gun] Bruce N. Canfield. 27 September 2017. [[American Rifleman]]</ref>

Many of the 1917s were given to [[South Vietnam]].<ref>[https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en-US/noartistknown/south-vietnam-winter-1964-1965-us-browning-m1917-heavy-machinegun-being-used-against-aircraft/photograph/asset/5633559 South Vietnam, Winter 1964-1965. US Browning M1917 heavy machinegun being used against aircraft.]</ref> The last ones in regular US service were on the machine gun infiltration course at [[Fort Benning]], Georgia, where their sustained-fire capability was an advantage in long nights of shooting over the heads of low-crawling trainees. The gun did continue to see service in some [[Third World]] armies well into the latter half of the 20th century. Some are still in use today by irregular military forces because the water cooled barrel allows for long periods of sustained fire.<ref>[https://www.guns.com/news/2013/03/28/the-browning-m1917-machine-gun-brownings-water-cooled-heavy THE BROWNING M1917 MACHINE GUN: BROWNING’S WATER-COOLED HEAVY] Chris Eger. 28 March 2013. Guns.com</ref>

== M1917 and M1917A1 ammunition chests ==
The machine gun used a wooden ammunition chest that carried 250 rounds. The early M1917 model had an angled corner and a leather strap handle on top. The later M1917A1 model had a square corner and a cloth strap handle on top.

The wooden ammunition belt chest was replaced during WWII by the expendable metal box ammunition M1 adopted 6 May 1942. On 20 June 1945, a modified version known as the M1A1 was adopted. The M1A1 had a spring-loaded catch to fasten it to the M1917A1 tripod more securely and provide a better watertight seal. In the late-1940s the M19 box replaced the earlier metal M1 and M1A1 boxes, and a modified version known as the M19A1 appeared in the early-1950s and continues in use today.<ref>Ordnance committee minutes number 18105, 22 April 1942</ref>

== Variants ==
=== US military variants ===

==== M1917 ====
The original gun suffered from a weakness related to the design of the receiver. Under field conditions, the bottom plates, which were dovetailed into the gun's two side plates, tore out. An early fix was to attach a roughly horseshoe-shaped steel bracket around the rearmost part of the receiver. A later fix was to rivet "stirrups" (right-angled steel pieces) to the bottom and side plates. The stirrup fix became the standard reinforcement until a more permanent fix for the problem was developed. Another reported problem was bulging in the side plates, which was probably caused by stresses put into the side plates when hammering the dovetails closed. The 1917 also had a simple sliding safety that blocked the trigger when moved to the far right position. These were removed as part of post-war refurbishment.

==== M1917A1 ====
[[File:Watergekoeld machinegeweer Browning .30 met toebehoren (2155 047357).jpg|thumb|left|M1917A1 with spare barrel and other issued accessories]]
[[File:Machinegeweer met waterkoeling, Browning M1917 A1 cal.7.62mm op affuit (2155 047355).jpg|thumb|right|An M1917A1 on tripod mount]]

In the 1930s, the Ordnance Department developed a new bottom plate, which had side flanges that came up on both sides of the receiver and were attached by rivets. This fixed the problem of the original bottom plates, and became standard for all M1917- and M1919-series machine guns. While the US Arsenal at Rock Island was the leader in converting the existing stocks of M1917-series guns over to 1917A1 configuration, other arsenals took part. In addition, the rear sights were updated for the new ammunition and were changed to yards from meters, and also did away with the World War I multiple-aperture disk on the rear sight. The top covers also had a stronger feed pawl pivot arm installed, so the gun could handle the stress of pulling an ammunition belt from the ground. Rock Island Arsenal also developed an all-steel water jacket that went into production around 1943; this was stronger than the earlier brass-capped jackets. These steel components were interchangeable with the earlier brass ones to allow for repair of worn or damaged water jacket components.

Other changes were implemented, some during the war, but not all M1917s received these updates. Beginning in 1938, the pivot in the top cover was replaced with a new one that would become standard on all M1919-series guns. While the World War I–pattern top cover hinge pin appears to have been retained on most converted M1917s, the later-production M1917A1s had a positive locking top cover hinge pin that allowed the top cover to remain open, lessening the chance of it dropping closed on one's hands while working on the gun—this became the standard on all M1919-series guns.

==== M1918 ====
Air-cooled aircraft version of the M1917. Developed during the First World War, the M1918 arrived too late, but became the dominant weapon of its type in US service until the development of the M1919. It features a heavier barrel, but lighter barrel jacket as compared to the M1917. A sub-variant, the M1918M1, was developed as a flexible version of the fixed M1918.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|28-29}}

=== International variants and designations ===
The M1917 pattern has been used in countries the world over in a variety of forms. In certain cases a new designation was applied by the user nation.

==== FN30 ====
From 1930, [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[FN Herstal|Fabrique Nationale]] produced air-cooled and water-cooled versions of the M1917, chambered in various calibers for domestic and export use.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65-66}}

==== Ksp m/14-29 and ksp m/36 ====
Kulspruta m/14-29 was the Swedish designation for the licensed M1917A1, produced by Carl Gustafs Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna, for infantry support. The main differences was that it was chambered in the standard caliber [[6.5×55mm]], had spade-grips and used the cooling jacket and tripod of the [[Schwarzlose MG M.07/12|m/14 (Schwarzlose)]] tripod, the machine gun the Ksp m/14-29 replaced. The reason for adoption of the Browning was cost: 50 machine guns using the Browning mechanism could be made for the same price as 30 Schwarzlose, which was discovered during the manufacture of [[Kulspruta m/22]].<ref name="Segal-2012"/>

The 6.5mm bullet was found to be too light for long-range fire support and anti-aircraft use, so in 1932 the heavier [[8×63mm patron m/32]] cartridge was developed. As this resulted in a heavier recoil, a spring-loaded cradle replaced the backplate with a heavily spring-loaded buffer that acted as an extension of the standard Browning recoil buffer. This also replaced the regular spade-grips with the ones integrated in the cradle. The cradle, now part of the weapon, would then be hooked onto a tripod m/36. This tripod featured, beside a 5×25 power optical sight, advanced elevation and traverse controls. The unprecedented recoil control and steadiness of the tripod made Dolf Goldsmith remark that this arrangement "was undoubtedly the most accurate long-range rifle-caliber machine gun ever made".<ref name="Segal-2012"/><ref name="Swedish Kulspruta m/36">[http://www.forgottenweapons.com/medium-machine-guns/swedish-kulspruta-m36/ Swedish Kulspruta m/36], forgottenweapons.com</ref> For anti-aircraft purposes, a double cradle was made to hold a matching pair of m/36s. The right gun, lacking sights altogether, was fed from the right, while the left gun, with iron sights complemented with an AA sight ring, was fed from left. The cocking handles were located between the guns, while safeties and triggers were individual for left and right. The special AA tripod had elongated legs and chains to either secure the tripod or hang weights on it for extra stability.<ref name="Segal-2012"/> These double cradles were also used as standard defense, mounted on a ring on the cab roof, on terrain vehicles and armored troop carriers like [[Terrängbil m/42 KP]]. The latter was used with good effect in the [[Congo Crisis]] in the early-1960s. Until 1966, the m/14-29 and m/36 machine guns could use both the 6.5mm and the 8&nbsp;mm ammunition. Converting between the two was a matter of changing barrels, cartridge stops, and bolts.<ref name="Segal-2012"/>

In 1966, most were converted to [[7.62×51mm NATO]].<ref name="Swedish Kulspruta m/36" /> Some old models were retained in training use to use up the stores of obsolete ammunition.<ref name="Swedish Kulspruta m/36" /> After the stocks were expended in the 1970s, all guns were re-barreled to 7.62mm NATO.<ref name="Segal-2012">{{cite journal |last1=Segel |first1=Robert G |title=Swedish Medium Machine Guns: Kulspruta M/36 LV DBL |journal=Small Arms Defense Journal |date=2012-09-11 |volume=4 |issue=3 |url=http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1370 |access-date=2018-12-28}}</ref><ref>O. Janson [http://www.gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/utv_ksp58/ksp36/ksp36.htm The Swedish machineguns before 1950]</ref> The weapons were finally taken out of service in 1995.<ref name="Segal-2012"/>

==== Ckm wz.30 ====
{{Main|ckm wz.30}}
The [[Ckm wz.30]] was an unlicensed Polish-built modification of the Colt Model of 1924 chambered in [[7.92×57mm Mauser]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=Martin |last=Morgan |date=6 June 2014 |title=The Forgotten Guns of D-Day |journal=American Rifleman |quote=The Wehrmacht also made good use of a captured water-cooled heavy machine gun in Normandy: the Ckm wz.30. Manufactured in Poland by ''Ciezki Karabin Maszynowy'' and chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, the wz.30 was capable of laying down sustained fire in a way that air-cooled machine guns simply could not .... The bitter irony is that Franz Gockel killed an unknown number of Americans on D-Day using an obscure Polish machine gun that was based on John M. Browning's M1917 design.}}</ref> The modifications included new iron sights (V-notch rather than loophole), lengthened butt handle, lengthened barrel, simplified rifle lock for easier exchange of used-up barrels and better handling, mounting adapted for both anti-personnel and AA fire and sights and grips adapted to suit both purposes. Roughly 8,000 were built by [[Państwowa Fabryka Karabinów]].

==== Colt mitraljøse m/29 ====
[[File:Norwegian Army Colt heavy machine gun at the Narvik front.jpg|thumb|right|Norwegian M/29 in anti-aircraft configuration on the [[Battles of Narvik|Narvik front]], 1940]]

Norwegian designation for the Colt MG 38 (mentioned in the following section) in {{ill|7.92×61mm|no|7,92 × 61 mm}}<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}, used as the standard heavy machine gun and anti-aircraft weapon for the [[Norwegian Army]] from 1929 to 1940.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bull |first=Stephen |title=World War II Winter and Mountain Warfare Tactics |page=20 |year=2013 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-84908-712-4}}</ref><ref name=fyristorg>{{cite web |url=http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge/Norw_weapons.html |title=Norwegian weapons – Infantry weapons |access-date=2009-01-23 |last=Mårtensson |first=Robert |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716031412/http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge/Norw_weapons.html |archive-date=2011-07-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The '''Colt mitraljøse m/29''' replaced the [[Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun]] in Norwegian service.<ref name=fyristorg /> In all, 1,800 '''m/29'''s were in Norwegian service by the time of 9 April 1940 German invasion.<ref>{{cite book |title=1940 – igjen? |last=Holm |first=Terje H. |year=1987 |publisher=Norwegian Armed Forces Museum |location=Oslo |isbn=978-82-991167-2-5 |page=26 }}</ref> The '''m/29''' saw service in the 1940 [[Norwegian Campaign]], often deployed as the only heavy weapon of Norwegian front line units.

=== Commercial variants ===
Colt commercially produced the M1917 under several names:
*Colt '''Model of 1919''' (not to be confused with the air-cooled [[M1919 Browning machine gun]])<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
*Colt '''Model of 1924'''.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
*Colt '''Model of 1928'''. The Model 1928 featured a thumb safety, Type A flash hider, and a mount for a panoramic sight unit.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
*Colt '''MG38''' series, derivatives of the Colt M1928 for general commercial sale, designed in 1931.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
:The 38 and 38B were water-cooled with a barrel jacket threaded inside the trunnion, unlike the M1917 and Colt Model 1928.
:The 38BT was a short heavy barreled air-cooled weapon resembling the [[M1919 Browning machine gun#M1919 variants|Browning M1919A2]], designed for use in tanks.
:The MG40 was an aircraft machine gun, with double handgrips.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
:The 38 series also features spade grips, not found on the rest of the M1917 and the majority of the M1919 families.

=== Derivatives ===
A simplified, air-cooled version of the weapon, the [[M1919 Browning machine gun|Model 1919]], was adopted after World War I and saw action in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Congo crisis.

== Users ==
*<!--READ FIRST: The users list is a list of countries, armed forces, or other groups using the weapon. An individual user does not qualify for inclusion in the list.
This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. Thank you.-->
[[File:Oefeningen met een Browning mitrailleur door de in Suriname gelegerde militairen van het KNIL (2155 036328).jpg|thumb|right|Dutch soldiers of the [[Royal Netherlands East Indies Army]] train on the M1917A1.]]
*{{flagcountry|Argentina}}: Colt Model 1928 and FN Model 30 in [[7.65×53mm Mauser]]<ref name="Rottman-2014" />{{RP|65-66}}
* {{flag|Belgium}}: locally produced<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|66}}
*{{flagcountry|Bolivia}}: bought 256 MG38s between 1920 and 1938 and 207 MG40s in 1933–1934, all in [[7.65×53mm Mauser]].<ref name="Chaco">{{cite magazine|first=Jean|last=Huon|title=The Chaco War|magazine=Small Arms Review|volume=17|issue=3|date=September 2013|url=http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1976|access-date=2018-11-17|archive-date=2019-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819120502/http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1976|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Republic of China (1912-1949)}}: "Type Triple-Ten" aka "Type 30", a Chinese copy of the M1917 in [[7.92×57mm Mauser]] used in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]<ref>{{cite book|title=China's Small Arms of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)|last=Shih|first=Bin|year=2018}}</ref>
*{{flag|Cuba}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Latin American Wars 1900–1941: "Banana Wars," Border Wars & Revolutions|series=Men-at-Arms 519|publisher=Osprey Publishing|first= Philip |last=Jowett|date= 28 Jun 2018|isbn=9781472826282 |page=38|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8LJeDwAAQBAJ}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Ethiopian Empire}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Ethiopian .30-06, 7.62 × 51 mm & 7.92 × 57 mm cartridges|date=30 September 2018|first=N.R. |last=Jenzen-Jones |url=http://armamentresearch.com/ethiopian-30-06-7-62-x-51-mm-7-92-x-57-mm-cartridges/|website=[[armamentresearch.com]]}}</ref>
*{{flagcountry|France}}: used airborne variant in [[7.5×54mm French|7.5×54mm]] as the ''Modèle 1938''.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|66}} The M1917 HMG was also used by the [[French Battalion (Korean War)|BF-ONU]]<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Le bataillon de Corée (1950/1953)|url=http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/gazette-des-armes/numero-227-novembre-1992/page-14-15-texte-integral|first=Michel|last=Rossi|issue=227|date=November 1992|pages=10–15|magazine=La Gazette des Armes|language=fr|access-date=11 December 2018|archive-date=21 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521133504/http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/gazette-des-armes/numero-227-novembre-1992/page-14-15-texte-integral|url-status=dead}}</ref> and during the [[First Indochina War]].<ref>{{cite book|title=French Armour in Vietnam 1945–54|series=New Vanguard 267|first=Simon |last=Dunstan|date= 21 February 2019|isbn=9781472831828|publisher=Osprey Publishing|page=26}}</ref>
*{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Greece}}: FN30 variant in [[6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer]]<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|66}}
*{{flag|Guatemala}}: Model 1924 in [[7×57mm Mauser]]<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
* {{flag|South Korea}}: The [[Republic of Korea Armed Forces|Armed Forces]] received 316 M1917A1s before the [[Korean War]], and 751 were in service with the [[Republic of Korea Army|Army]] by the end of the war.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bak |first=Dongchan |url=http://medcmd.mil.kr/user/imhc/upload/pblictn/PBLICTNEBOOK_202105270240172800.pdf |title=Korean War : Weapons of the United Nations |publisher=Ministry of Defense Institute for Military History |date=March 2021 |isbn=979-11-5598-079-8 |location=Republic of Korea |pages=51–53 |language=Korean |access-date=2022-06-27 |archive-date=2022-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170621/http://medcmd.mil.kr/user/imhc/upload/pblictn/PBLICTNEBOOK_202105270240172800.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{flag|Mexico|1916}}: Model 1919 in [[7×57mm Mauser]]<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
* {{flagcountry|Netherlands}}: Used by [[Royal Netherlands East Indies Army|KNIL]] troops (as seen in the image above).
* {{flagcountry|Norway}}: ''m/29''<ref name="Rottman-2014" />{{RP|65}}
*{{flagcountry|Paraguay}}: bought 144 MG38s between 1928 and 1934<ref name="Chaco"/>
* {{flagcountry|Philippines|1936}}<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|76}}
* {{flagcountry|Poland}}<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|65}}
* {{flagcountry|Sweden}} (designated as Kulspruta (Ksp) m/36)<ref name="Rottman-2014" />{{Rp|65}}
* {{flagcountry|Thailand}}: FN Model 30 in 8x52mmR,<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|66}} designated as the Type 66
* {{flag|United Kingdom}}: Acquired through [[Lend-Lease]]<ref name="Rottman-2014" />{{Rp|13}}
* {{flagcountry|United States}}: was the standard medium machine gun until it was replaced a few years after WWII.<ref name=Rottman-2014/>{{RP|75}} It was used in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard until the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref name="Rottman-2014" />{{Rp|5}}
* {{flag|Viet Cong}}: Captured and used early in the war by Main Force & Local

== See also ==
*[[List of U.S. Army weapons by supply catalog designation]] (SNL A-5)

=== Weapons of comparable role, performance and era ===
* [[Vickers machine gun]] – British equivalent
* [[MG 08]] – German equivalent
* [[MG 11]] – Swiss equivalent
* [[PM M1910]] – Russian equivalent
* [[Schwarzlose machine gun]] – Austro-Hungarian equivalent

== References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Browning M1917}}
* [http://www.gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/utv_ksp58/ksp36/ksp36.htm Gothia Association for Weapon History on the Ksp m/36]
* {{Cite journal |title= The Model 1917 Browning Water-Cooled Machine Gun |last= Segel |first= Robert G. |journal= Small Arms Defense Journal |url= https://sadefensejournal.com/the-browning-model-1917-water-cooled-machine-gun/}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bf6kv1jZng: YouTube animation showing mechanism of Browning Model 1917 machine gun]

{{Browning M1917 derivatives}}
{{John Browning}}
{{WWIUSInfWeaponsNav}}
{{WWIIUSInfWeaponsNav}}
{{WWIIChineseInfantryWeapons}}

[[Category:.30-06 Springfield machine guns]]
[[Category:Firearms by John Browning]]
[[Category:Heavy machine guns]]
[[Category:Machine guns of the United States]]
[[Category:World War I aircraft guns]]
[[Category:World War I infantry weapons of the United States]]
[[Category:World War I machine guns]]
[[Category:World War II firearms of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II infantry weapons of China]]
[[Category:World War II infantry weapons of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II machine guns]]
[[Category:Weapons of the Philippine Army]]
[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1917]]