Lewis Gun Mark III DEMS
mk4 lewis
Lewis had also experimented with lighter, 30-06 calibre, box magazine-fed infantry rifle variants intended for shoulder or hip fire as a competition to the BAR. They were dubbed “Assault Phase Rifle” – what could be understood as the first use of the term “Assault Rifle”, despite the weapon being, by today’s designation, a battle rifle. Despite being three pounds lighter than it and loaded with very forward-thinking features for the time (such as an ambidexterous magazine release), the U.S. Army still chose to adopt the BAR.[71
A short-barrelled light machine gun variant was developed at the start of the Second World War. It came with a hand guard and was fed from a 30-round Bren magazines; however, it was decided by the British authorities to concentrate production on the Bren, which had the advantage of a changeable barrel.[72]
Fordyce machine gun
The Fordyce machine gun was an American bullpup light machine gun designed by Major John Rison Fordyce in 1918 in prototype form only. One of the earliest bullpup weapons, the weapon was meant to make it easier for its users to fire the weapon from various positions.
