One of the greatest military powers in the world in its day used a lever action machine gun. It was actually used by a lot of countries, chambered amongst other things in 7.62x54R, 6.5x52 Mannlicher Carcano, .303 British, and a bunch of others. Which of you will name the country of origin, the gun, and its designer? And for bonus points, what were some of the other cartridges it was chambered for?

(20 points for naming the gun, 5 for naming the country of origin, 10 for naming the designer, and two points per correct answer for naming other cartridges for which it was chambered.)

There are no negative points, so make a guess....

colt potato digger
JMB designed, US built
7x57
303 brit
6mm lee navy
30-40 Krag
06
6.5 x 52 carcano

There was an article in American Rifleman several months back

Doug

I missed the article, but you are exactly correct.


What I always liked about JMB's thought process is that he used simple mechanical principles to accomplish seemingly complex ends.

With the potato digger, designed between 1889 and 1895, the lever is mounted under the barrel on a lever pin similar to a current Marlin 336 lever pin. The front end of the lever fits up against and "cups" the barrel.

To move the lever, instead of one's hands it uses gas from a port on the underside of the barrel (and hitting the top side of the lever cup). So the gas is blowing the lever away from the barrel and it rotates on its pin just like it would if it was a hand-operated lever. The appearance of the "cup" looks like a little trowel swinging back and forth, hence the nick-name "potato digger".

Its great weakness in combat was the height it had to be mounted to keep the trowel from digging into and being blocked by the ground. That made the machine gunner a far easier target for the enemy to take out.
Browning's next machine gun did away with that problem.

Too easy; Browning 1895 potato digger. Made in all the calibers you said plus 6mm Lee Navy and 7mm. I think 30-40 and 06 too. Of course, John Browning was US.

I was submitting my answer while the first one came in so I did not see it, I swear. I don't remember the article. My answer came from memory.

Learn something new every day.

First thing that I thought of:

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I was submitting my answer while the first one came in so I did not see it, I swear. I don't remember the article. My answer came from memory.

I am absolutely sure your answer cam from memory. Having read many a post of yours, I don't see how you don't drop things out of memory just finding places for new stuff.
I had to go back and look up the calibers, since I couldn't remember everything.

Doug

Yep,whenever I see "The Rifleman" I always hear the sheriffs weekly dictum, "Lucas,you can't take the law into your own hands.' I read the A>R. article as well but it did'nt click when pondering your question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeusN0DdJ8A

Old Lucas was badder than any machine gun

There is NO doubt in my mind that John Browning was an Alien, from an advanced planet...

No Earthling, has ever come close to his Genius as a firerms designer, especially when you consider the years he lived and the guns he invented/designed...

I got 35 points. I just did not know what calibers they were chambered in.