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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendoza_RM2
What if the US Army, looking for something more modern than the BAR, was approached by Rafael Mendoza in 1938 during rearmament to offer his LMG design in .30-06? Historically Mendoza did travel to the US to market his weapon during WW2 and got a contract, but it was cancelled in 1945 when the war ended. IOTL in 1938 was when he went into private industry, already with a patent on the weapon in the US, but focused on supplying Mexico rather than looking for foreign contracts. His RM2, at 6.3kg, was lighter than the BAR, easier to manufacture, cheaper, reliable, and had the option for a larger capacity magazine. Some apparently called it everything the BAR should have been. Plus it could double as a platoon fire support weapon, which would have been superior to the stripped down M1919 the US used historically, and probably adapted pretty easily to a belt feed mechanism if deemed necessary.
Edit: so how would it impact US army units to have a much more mobile squad automatic weapon capable of sustained fire, plus have a weapon capable of being a platoon support weapon 1/3rd as heavy as the historical platoon MG?