W.I The US Army chose the colt monitor and the Model 1923 for service?

Reviewing all this I can still see the Monitor as a better weapon for the AR as used in the Marine squad 1942-1965. After that theres a question of the incompatibility with the 5.56 ammo used by the M16, and other related questions. With a distribution ratio of one BAR per four riflemen the BAR as used was more a assault weapon & less a platoon or squad fire support weapon. The Marines added six MG to the rifle company by 1944 for sustained automatic fire support. Its even possible that if the Monitor had been a bit lighter the Marines would have replace the M1 Garand in the rifle squad with more Monitors.
 

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The US could have gone for a rework of the Browning AR. The French did so dropping the Chauchat & choosing a Browning/Hotchkiss marriage in the excellent Chautelleraut https://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=482. Largeer capacity top loading magazine, reliable, reasonably light, popular RoF for a squad/platoon weapon. Whats not to like? Personally I prefer a belt feed, but anything similar to this weapon will do.
Didn't the French end up preferring the BAR when they got a chance to use it in 1944?
 
Didn't the French end up preferring the BAR when they got a chance to use it in 1944?

Cos i
Didn't the French end up preferring the BAR when they got a chance to use it in 1944?
t was what they were given, postwar they went back lmgs as soon as.

The problem with the BAR as a rifle is it’s a heavy thing to carry with a limited auto fire capability. And not an lmg. Give the us can an m14 they will be joyful, but that comes with all manner of supply issues if you use it full auto.

There is some argument (well it was the intention) that the m14 was intended to avoid the need for an lmg at all.

If the marines are going to get one it’s most likely to be a seperate procurement of the Johnson, which is what they wanted.

The basic problem is the us army does not buy into the concept of an lmg, and they control the procurement so the marines, who actually want the firepaower have to make do.

On every of the things most folk skip over is to use the firepower of many rifles, many men have to expose themselves to fire. A single lmg because it can’t sustain the fire does the same job, while rest of the rifle squad is in cover, and And/or moving.
 
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