The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) is a family of automatic rifles and light machine guns developed in the United States. It was the Long-Range weapon of the French Foreign Legion.
Description
Weight: 19 lbs (8.8 kg)
Length: 47 in (119.4 cm)
Barrel Length: 24 in (61 cm)
Cartridge: .30-06 Springfield, .303 British, 7x57mm Mauser
Action: Gas-operated, tilting breech block
Rate of Fire: 500-650 rounds/min
Muzzle Velocity: 2,822 ft/s (860 m/s)
Effective Range: 100-1,500 yd sight adjustment
Feed System: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Rear leaf, front post
Uses
The Browning Automatic Rifle was initially developed during World War I, when the United States entered the conflict its military did not have any form of light machine gun at the time leaving them to scramble for a substitute. Although it arrived late in the conflict, the BAR made an impact disproportionate to its numbers; it was extensively used during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and made a significant impression on the Allies (France alone requested 19,000 automatic rifles to replace their notoriously unreliable Chauchat machine rifle).
Durring WW2, the rifle was updated to the A2 model and was one of the most used light machine guns for the allies. Most allied armies had 1 BAR for every 12 men. 1 man would have a BARA2 while the rest would have rifles. However soldiers did complain about its small magazine size and high chances of jamming. When the M60 Machine Gun was introduced for the Vietnam War, it eventually replaced the BAR.