U.S. M1917 .30cal Machine Gun

Models & Model Kits are supplied unpainted and unassembled unless otherwise noted. Figure not included.

Features

• Intricate M1917 .30 cal browning machine gun
  
• Delicate water cooling bottle for M1917
  
• Tripod can be folded up as on the original
  
• The gun can rotate to different positions
  
• .30 Calibre ammunition box can be assembled open/closed
  
• M1917 can be elevated and lowered as per the original mechanism
  
• Bolt mechanism can be pulled up/down

One of the main machine guns used by the USA during WWII and beyond was the M1917A1 Browning machine gun. The M1917A1 was introduced in 1936 with a strengthened bottom plate in the receiver, plus a few other detail changes. This heavy weapon, commonly referred to as a .30-cal MG, was a belt-fed and water-cooled machine gun. With a rate of fire of up to 600 rounds per minute, it was a highly successful design that was also mounted on vehicles and aircraft. It served throughout WWII, the Korean War, and some examples even found use in the Vietnam War before the M60 gained widespread currency. Because of its unwieldy bulk and weight (14.8kg for the gun body, 3.3kg of water, and 24kg for the tripod), the M1917 .30-cal MG was typically used for fixed defense or as a battalion-level or above support weapon. Its standard crew was four men – the gunner, assistant and two others to help carry ammo and water.

The newest 1/6 scale kit to join Dragon’s weapon collection is an exact replica of this famous M1917A1 machine gun. It is highly detailed, and the parts separation mimics that of the original weapon. The kit comes with all the necessary and desirable accessories such as the M1917 tripod, a heavy steel mount that featured integral traverse and elevation mechanisms. The tripod has been accurately rendered in this large-scale kit, and it can be traversed and elevated to any position the modeler chooses. There is also a 250-round fabric ammunition belt with its associated ammo can. Finally, the kit also includes the condenser tank that supplied the tubular cooling jacket with water. This is a very well-crafted kit of a most significant weapon, and modelers will be able to add it to a vignette, or simply display it as a standalone exhibit.