The development of a push-through disintegrating link was a prerequisite for converting the action of the BAR to belt feed without extesive modification. Withhis disintegrating link perfected, Captain Moore applied for a patent on his design of a belt-fed BAR on December 26, 1933. This was granted as U.S.
Patent No. 2,032,376 on March 3, 1936.
Titled simply “Gun”, this depicted a belt fed BAR fitted with a Lewis-type pistol grip. The disclo-
sure states in part as follows:
“… The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Govemment for governmental purposes withoutthe paymentto me ofany royalty thereon. The invention relates to a gun and is an im-provement on the gun shown in [ohn M. Brown-ing’s) Patent No. 1,293,022 of February 4, 1919. The gun of the labovel patent is the Browning Automatic RifleThe rate of fire of the gun approximately 500 shots per minute but the actualate of fire is greatly reduced because much time is lost in replacing magazines and in reaiming These frequent interruptions have the effect of disarming the gunner for considerable periods of time during which he is exposed to the deliberate aimed fire ofthe enemy… The pupose of this invention is to modify the Browning Automatic Rifle SO that ammunition may be supplied by a belt. Inasmuch as a large
number of Browning rifles are in existence it is desirable to effect the conversion of the feeding mechanism bva minimum substitution of parts and without requiring extensive modification of the retained units or interfering with the standard characteristics of the gun. The improvements are therefore directed to the incorporation in the gun ofa belt-feeding mechanism which is directlv associated with the breechbolt operating slide…”
What appears to have been the only actual example of Captain Moore’s belt-fed gun was built on a modified WWI-era Model 1918 Browning Machine Rifle of Winchester manufacture serial no. 71966, with a barrel date of 12-18. Accordingtothe Shipping Ticket whichaccom panied this gun when it was later transferred to the Springfield Armory Museum, the work of converting the gun to the Moore belt feed system and adding a recoil check was performed at Rock Island Arsenal. The resulting “Browning Machine Rifle T1. belt-fed"was tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground in January, 1934, but no test report has been located. This single example of the “Browning Machine Rifle, T1, belt-fed” was acquired by the Springfield Armorv Museumon February 14.1935. The exhibit support document states"Ti Exp, w/Recoil checks, belt fed with A-4 magazine, A-4 links with W.T. Moore’s cartridge box [gun serial no] 71966.” Little
more is known of this design.
