BAR Korea.

This is coolbert:

Concerning the Browning Automatic Rifle [BAR] and as extracted from a previous blog entry:

"A typical BAR gunner of the Korean War carried the twelve-magazine belt and combat suspenders, with three or four extra magazines in pockets. Extra canteens, .45 pistol, grenades, and a flak vest added still more weight."

That weight alone of a BAR with sixteen loaded magazines as carried by one man about forty-three pounds [19.5 kilo grams]. That weight not including the remaining and normal accoutrements of the fighting load to include uniform with helmet and boots, web gear, and as mentioned auto-loading pistol, grenades, canteen or canteens full of water and at the latter stages of the Korean War a flak vest [8 pounds/3.5 kilo grams].

A monstrous load!

A BAR gunner accompanied in all [?] circumstances by an assistant gunner also carrying a full load of magazines [sixteen].

Also perhaps in addition to the assistant gunner an ammo bearer by some TO and E [Table of Organization and Equipment]? This is unclear.

A U.S. Marine infantry squad during the Korean War the basis of which was a four-man BAR fire team. Each team a gunner, assistant gunner and two riflemen for protection. Each squad with three BAR teams and a squad leader [thirteen men].

AS WAS OBSERVED THE TWO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE BAR WAS THE EXCESSIVE WEIGHT AND EXCESSIVE AMMUNITION CONSUMPTION.

Further observations and comments:

* American infantry units in WW2 and Korea weaponry as issued having an ammunition commonality. Garand rifle, the BAR and the M1919 machine gun as all firing the thirty-caliber round.

* BAR the BEST small arms weapon of the Korean War as carried by American troops? That BEST small arms weapon of the Korean War however being the Soviet Shpagin PPSh-41 sub-machine gun?

BEST as that word understood within context as a judgment based on a multitude of considerations and factors, subjective in all cases.

coolbert.