It was US-made.
It was semi-auto, fed from box magazines of various sizes.
It used a Straight Case round.
It fought in the last war we had with Mexico (the Punitive Expedition of 1915)
It was the first weapon specifically purchased to arm US aircrews for air-to-air battle, and it served Great Britain in that role also.
It was sold to most of the Allies of WW1, one of which modified it to use as a LMG.
What was it? It was the Winchester Model 1907
Put your answers in Comments. First correct answer gets their name in lights.
UPDATE: 022111 2231 PST: Little known fact - I owned a Model 1910, the .401 version, briefly. It was my Dad's, and many deer fell to it, including one I witnessed, but I had no use for it 20 years ago when I inherited it, so I sold it and the goodly store of Kynoch loads for it. I didn't like the HUGE force on the op handle to open the action, and especially, I didn't like the fact that the only way to op that handle was to put the butt of the rifle on the ground and push down to overcome the 25# spring, which made you dangerously close to the muzzle when you did it. The op rod handle was right under the muzzle. For it's weight, 8#+, you could damn near carry a Garand into the woods.
Well, my Youper friend, have you ever seen a "snail drum" magazine for a 1911? 32 rounds, IIRC. Gawd, I wish I had one to use in my Camp 45, it would turn that excellent blowback carbine into a real area-fire weapon, but they are rare as hound's teeth, and when one DOES come up for auction, they run in the hundreds to win one.
I have a "stick" 15-round mag, 2 in fact, but they are very long for just a 15-rounder, and they are NOT reliable, either, the sheet metal they are formed out of was never meant to have longitudinal strength in that long of a folding. Maybe they could be made rigid by soldering hacksaw blades onto them, so somesuch Bubba thing, but they just aren't worth it to me.
Posted by: Rivrdog | 02/23/2011 at 11:38 AM
Winchester Self Loading rifle. Model 1907
Posted by: DwightG | 02/21/2011 at 09:46 PM
Was it the P-14/M1917 Enfield battle rifle?
Posted by: Chaplain R | 02/21/2011 at 08:47 PM
I would have to posit the 45 that was used in the 1911 pistol as well as the tommy gun. It might have been in a few more. 9mm could also be part but I don't think it was big in the US side of the equation.
Posted by: Paul B | 02/21/2011 at 07:26 PM
Got to think it was JMB's M1911 (though I have no idea it was ever motified into an LMG).
Posted by: L. Anderson, USAF (Ret) | 02/21/2011 at 05:09 PM