Savages at the Gates

[Culpeper]

Picked up a Savage Automatic, some claim model 720 but is not stamped on the receiver, and it is a neat shotgun. Haven't fired it yet. I will give a range report on it in 2020.

John Browning is a God. I base my life on his teachings. Let's see. Long recoil action. Check. Remington Model 81. Check. Savage Automatic. Check. Chauchat Auto Rifle. Next on the list.

[butlersrangers]

JMB did not design the 'Chauchat'. If he had, it would have worked real good!

How about the Winchester "Hi-Wall" and "Low-Wall" rifles, the model 1897 Winchester shotgun, the model 1903 & 1911 Colt 'automatic pistols', the model 1886, 1892, 1894 & 1895 Winchester rifles, model 1895 "Potato Digger", BAR, and model 1917 'water-cooled' and 1918 'air-cooled' machineguns, (for starters).

Clyde Barrow swore by 'Browning Stuff'.

[Culpeper]

It is true Browning did not design the Chauchat but the French took his long recoil action patent and put it in their Auto Rifle.

So the long recoil action is in the Remington Autoloader/8/81 (rifles) and the Browning A5/Remington11/Savage Model 720 (shotguns). All that is left on my list is the Chauchat (Auto rifle). Oh did I mention I bought the mags first? I have fourteen of them waiting for a gun. And I have ammo waiting too.

Did you know Browning designed the safety used on the AK-47?

[psteinmayer]

A Chauchat... truly a lesson in futility!!! You should use the Chauchat in the Vintage match. As well as they sometimes work, it could almost be considered a mechanically operated single shot rifle... bwaaahahahaha

[butlersrangers]

The 'Chauchat' worked a lot better in 8mm Lebel than .30-06.

[King carp]

Our troops could have been armed with the Lewis light machinegun. But thanks to in fighting at the procurement level we ended up with a makeshift untested conversion that was wrought with problems. The Lewis was eight pounds heavier than the sho-sho but worked. It was found still being used during the Korean war by the commies. Probably the first machinegun in a U.S. airplane too.

[psteinmayer]

The Lewis was a remarkable weapon. It was even found on some US Navy ships before the 1920s.

Two movies where you can see operating Lewis machine guns:
The Sand Pebbles staring Steve McQueen (one of my top five all time favorite movies).
Long Road to China staring Tom Selleck and Bess Armstrong.

[Local Boy]

Hi Paul,

I think the Tom Selleck movie was called "High Road to China".

In the movie he used the Lewis gun in its aircraft configuration with the radiator and casing removed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vMl0L2p1Ik

Below is a nice video of a Lewis Gun in operation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ene6LievhIE

[psteinmayer]

I think the Tom Selleck movie was called "High Road to China".

You're right... and I knew that! Don't know why I put the name wrong - must have had a lack of coffee, LOL!

[Dick Hosmer]

If I could own just ONE Class III weapon it would be a Lewis, hands down.