We (USA) didn't have a good LMG when we entered the ongoing war. It seems that Lewis offered his gun to the Army and was turned down, so he took it to the British. Result, thousands of guns proving themselves in the trenches and on the airplanes, but not in our hands. So we had to use the French Chauchat when our troops finally got into battle. And as you know, that was a less than sturdy design.
OK my question is: Did US Army use any of the Chauchat in the French 8mm Lebel caliber? I am reasonably sure some of those LMGs were made / converted to .30-06 which was tough on the guns, due to higher pressure. So did we also use some in 8mm? The answer will determine whether one of the Lebel cartridges belongs in my US Military cartridge collection.
For that matter, didn't we also use some of the Lewis guns? If so, in which caliber? I might need to put a .303 round in my US collection!
Bart Noir
OK my question is: Did US Army use any of the Chauchat in the French 8mm Lebel caliber? I am reasonably sure some of those LMGs were made / converted to .30-06 which was tough on the guns, due to higher pressure. So did we also use some in 8mm? The answer will determine whether one of the Lebel cartridges belongs in my US Military cartridge collection.
For that matter, didn't we also use some of the Lewis guns? If so, in which caliber? I might need to put a .303 round in my US collection!
Bart Noir