Browning M1917 Water Cooled MG

[MissBattleBorn]

I'd love to fire this thing :)

[bottomshot]

In the face of Browning's genius I still wonder how well the 1917 would hold up to a 5 million round torture test, like the vickers maxim was subjected to post war.

[Thatevilmidget]

Oh how I love the 1917... it's robust, simple, and as long as you keep the water jacket properly supplied, it can fire for an eternity. My only complaint is that the parts kits cost a second mortgage to even think about...

[cdtx906]

My favorite gun ever, thanks

[aaadream]

Very Nice... The Polish-built a 8mm clone of the M1917 i do believe.

[MegaGevehr]

An excellent Kraut slayer if ever there was one.

[paltryengineer]

I agree, the word genius is thrown around a bit too much these days but John M Browning is in the purest sense of the word a fucking genius

[Thatevilmidget]

@paltryengineer He was a genius in EVERY sense of the word. The man singlehandedly revolutionized firearms for the entire 20th century, and his M2, 1911, and Hi Power designs are still in use today in various places. He was, arguably, the single most influential firearms inventor of the 20th century.

[MCh2207Cz]

@Thatevilmidget

Yeah. It is almost unbeliavable that one man can create such many successful designs - some of which are used even today.

One of the few who can compete with John Browning is Hugo Schmeisser, the father of smg and assault rifle.

[Thatevilmidget]

@MCh2207Cz I'm not sure I would give that prize to Schmeisser because none of his designs have stood the test of time. They were great for their time period but have been all but discarded by the modern world, similar to Fedor Tokarev, Vladimir Fyodorov, Hiram Maxim, and John Garand. All had their time and place, but none really hold a candle to John Browning. Even old Samuel Colt would have a hard time measuring up to him.

[MCh2207Cz]

@Thatevilmidget

I picked H.Schmeisser because of the invention of 2 new weapon classes. His weapons aren't in use today (except from 3rd world), but his design is influental even today.

[Thatevilmidget]

@MCh2207Cz Technically Fyodorov invented the assault rifle (Federov Avtomat, 1916) and the credit for the SMG has to be shared his father Louis Schmeisser and Theodor Bergmann or it could be credited to Italy who technically came up with the first one known as the Villar Perosa (which... yeah I don't count that as an SMG because it's absolutely nothing like the modern SMG, it's basically a reduced caliber static MG emplacement)

[MCh2207Cz]

@Thatevilmidget

I agree on the smg. Vilar Perosa is considered as smg only because it fires pistol type ammunition. Other than that, it is like 2 mg actions+barrels aside. Even the feed mechanism is done by magazine from top.

On the other hand, Fedorov wasn't an assault rifle from technical meaning nor from tactical - it fired full power rifle cartridge (6,5x50 arisaka) and wasn't intended as a main infantry weapon. Tactically it was meant as something like US BAR - fire support.

[Thatevilmidget]

@MCh2207Cz Frankly, every time I see the Villar Perosa, I think of the MG81Z for some odd reason... nothing about it says SMG to me (unless you really feel like sticking a pair SMGs on a turret mount for some reason, and if you do... let me know how that turns out lol)

[MCh2207Cz]

@Thatevilmidget

Yeah :-)

[MCh2207Cz]

@Thatevilmidget

[youtube comment limit] So the Sturmgewehr is first true assault rifle from all meanings - it is select fire, medium cartridge firing, standard issue infantry weapon.

[Thatevilmidget]

@Thatevilmidget Oops, Youtube kept sending me an "error" message when I tried to post that, and it ended up posting like 50 copies of it... sorry o.o;;;;

[AnimeFanatic5602]

Merry Christmas, Ted.

[Vladek385]

WW1 widowmaker.

[F4Wildcat]

yeah a Vickers vs Browning vs Russian maxim would be awesome

[mindeloman]

Allegedly at its first demonstration, J.M. Browning fired 40,000 uninterrupted rounds through it without one stoppage. 

[MrM2hb]

Loved it Ted.

[GutpileCharlie]

Thank for the video. Enjoyed seeing that;

My only experience with full auto was when I was in the Army....back in 1958...fired a 1919 Browning....only once.

[the308capital]

Colt M1911, M1917 .30 water cooled, M1918 BAR, M1919 .30 air cooled and my favorite of all his genius, the M2 .50 BMG ma-deuce. Calling him a genius is an understatement.

[1dabirdman]

Man i so wanna be you! James Bond cars,& the most ww2 badassery i''ve ever seen in 1 room! You rock sir!

[nbenicewicz]

Does the bolt of the M1917 require a permanent modification when converting to another cartridge? Hopefully Jim will see this comment.

[C2builder]

@nbenicewicz Nope, the Brownings are one of the easiest to convert when using rimless calibers in 8mm, 30-06, .308, etc.. The only thing you usually change is the barrel and maybe the booster cone. When converting to 7.62x54r or other rimmed calibers some mods have to be done to the bolt face because the cartridge rims are wider, but can be done with a simple Dremel tool. My M1917 is set up in 8mm and is using a .308 1919A4 bolt, rechambered 8mm barrel and a .30-06 booster cone.

[nbenicewicz]

@C2builder So I guess if someone was in the market to getting a transferable machine gun, a M1917 or M1919 would be a logical choice. If you had the money right?

[Jesses001]

John Browning had some awsome weapon designs. That is most likely why many of them are still in use.

[ristin59]

Fantastic!

[getyershells]

Ted, I haven't looked through all your videos yet but do you have any of the 1919?

[DagaYute]

Awesome video Ted and C2builder! Love these mg videos :)

[valhala56]

People this is a fine example of a SERIOUS Weapons Enthusiast. I spend my Christmas chatting to people about weapons, but a SERIOUS Weapons Enthusiast SHOOTS on Christmas. More power to ya Ted!

Merry Christmas.

[sammni]

lol ok just watched the rest of it. you answered it. But i know c2builder is the main man when it comes to guns. But i have to disagree with him when he says its more reliable. Did a few vickers not get a 100,000s of rounds threw them with little to no stoppages in ww1

[sammni]

how does the vickers compare to the browning?

[C2builder]

@sammni OK, I see another comparison video coming up. Vickers vs. Browning. You like?

[sammni]

@C2builder Yes mate totally lol. And am looking forward to this one :). But i will go with whatever you come up with. Cant argue with a guy that builds the things lol

[mrv2rocketman]

@C2builder no vickers vs browning vs maxim

[JustAnotherGuy186]

Excellent, how many MG's does Jim have overall?

[C2builder]

@JustAnotherGuy186 Can't really say because as a Manufacturer and Dealer the numbers change almost every week, lots coming in and lots going out.