Review By | Larry S. Sterett | Contributing Editor
THE MACHINE GUN STORY by Chris McNab. Published by The History Press, Dept. TGM, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2QG, UK. Price: 8.99 pounds. Available at Amazon or at some bookstores.
This small 128-page volume provides a general view of the machine gun from its conception to the 21st century.
It is well illustrated with historical photo-graphs—black and white, amber and full color—with many from the World War I and II eras. (Among the photographs are many from the English and German archives.)
Although not labeled as chapters, this tome features eight topics sections from Maxim’s Gun to Submachine guns. In addition, there’s an acknowledgment page, an introduction, epilogue, glossary, and bibliography. An interesting feature is the use of Did you know? Sidebars. An example:
Within two months of the outbreak of World War I in June 1914, the Germans had more than 10,000 machine guns in service. By the end of the war they had more than 100,000 such weapons.
Another sidebar example:
During a trial of the Browning M1917 in May 1917, the gun fired 40,000 rounds, with only two stoppages and no breakages. Even the stoppages were the fault of the ammunition, not the gun.
A third interesting sidebar example mentioned an experimental system called ‘Metal Storm’ which achieved a cyclical rate of fire of one million rounds per minute. Think of the logistics problem of ammunition supply for keeping this multi-barrel, electrically fired creature fed.
This small tome features almost no technical notes, such as barrel lengths, weights, and only a few magazine capacities, etc. The photographs are captioned and a good number this reviewer has not seen previously, such as the line of WWI U.S. troops practice firing the BAR.
Most firearms are designed for use by right-handed shooters, but one of the photographs of the FN MAG shows it being fired by a left-hander. Another interesting photo shows a bipod-mounted British SA80 with a heavy longer barrel for use as a Light Support Weapon (LSW). There is even a photo of the Vietnam-era Stoner in a light machine gun configuration.
In the Submachine Guns section most of the photos are of older models, beginning with the Italian 9mm Vilar-Perosa and later Bergmann MP18. Other oldies, but goodies, include the German MP40, US M3 (Grease Gun) and M1928 Thompson, British Sten and later Sterling, Soviet PPSh -41, and Australian Owen. Post WWII subs include the Israeli UZI, based in part on some earlier Czech designs, and the German H&K MP5. The newest sub appears to be the FN P90 chambered for the 5.7x28mm cartridge. Few details are provided for any of the subs, or any of the other arms shown, but the photographs are excellent for the most part, especially the full color illustrations.
If you are looking for lots of technical data on machine guns, etc., this is not the book you want. But, if you want general coverage of the subject with excellent illustrations and interesting sidebars, this could be your book.
