B.A.R. Men (Waaay of topic)

JimS · Jul 1, 2016

I work for a gentleman who was a BAR man in the Marine Corps in the late 50s. He was sharing some memories of the weapon and his service. The BAR was way before my time (1980-92). Are there any BAR men who would care to share their thoughts about this unique weapon?

fatbob50 · Jul 1, 2016

He must mean that he carried a Browning Automatic Rifle. (BAR man) My grandson is in the Marine Corp. SAW man. I have two grandsons that are in the Marine Corp. The other one fixes electronics. The SAW is squat automatic weapon.

2x4 · Jul 1, 2016

a BAR could make you squat.

CenTex Farmall · Jul 1, 2016

If I wanted the trouble of getting a class 3.........A BAR probably be my choice.

JimS · Jul 1, 2016

The SAW is one of the smartest weapons ever. Feeds left or right, fire single rounds, I think it can fire with a magazine, and it uses the same ammo as the M-4 (formerly M16). Just well thought out in so many ways. I started as an M-60 gunner. I'm jealous.

NEKS · Jul 1, 2016

At Fort Polk, LA. in winter of 62 and 63 we had only two days training on the B A R. It was going out. Better train you on it in case you got shipped to a unit that still used them. Had the M 60 machine gun and the M1. M14 rifle was new.

Ultradog MN · Jul 1, 2016

I was on the repel boarders team on my first ship.
When we went out to sea we would do a little practice firing with small arms. Colt 1911, M1, and 30 Cal BAR.
The bars had a bipod on them and we'd lay on the deck and shoot at plastic bags of garbage they threw overboard. On full auto it would scoot you backwards across the deck as it fired.
I wouldn't want to be a poor grunt who had to carry one of those all day, everyday.
If I remember correctly they weighed 15 or 16 lbs empty.

lee little · Jul 1, 2016

A good friend of mine,Dennis Gunter was a BAR man in WWII. He said the Germans would target you pretty bad because they hated the BAR. He inherited the job when the guy before him got shot. He had been the ammo bearer and the sarge told him you have seen it used enough you can do it. He had a lot of interesting tales about it. In my younger and dumber years I asked him if he hed killed very many. He told me I shot at a lot of them and a lot of them fell but I never checked any. I didnt want to know if I had killed a man. I never again asked a vet a question like that. Dennis was a good man I miss him.

showcrop · Jul 1, 2016

My wife's stepfather was BAR man in the Korean war. He said that after basic training when they went to form up in the units that they would be in, the lieutenant looked at his 6ft. rugged build and told him that he was the BAR man. He was part of the rapidly advancing campaign north, and then the much faster retreat south, after China came in.

Goose · Jul 1, 2016

When I was in the Corps ('53 to '63) they always said the smallest man in a squad was the BAR man 'cause the enemy always went for the automatic weapons and a smaller man was a smaller target.

I was an "Airdale", so I can't verify that.

hd6gtom · Jul 1, 2016

This was Clyde Barrows go to weapon in the 1920's. He would steal them from armories and police stations.

jacksun65 · Jul 1, 2016

My great uncle was a bar man in Italy. He told of going on anti sniper patrols. They had a Bar Two garands and a thompson. The guy with the thompson would lead, when the sniper would pop out of the chimneys. the bar loaded with ap would shoot down the chimney and the garands would pick him off. He was shot in the hip at monte casino and left for dead. He hid under his friends body when the germans came back to bayonet the ones still alive.

gajack · Jul 1, 2016

Worked with an older gentleman that fought WW2 in the Pacific. Found out from my boss who served in Europe, that Ray was assigned as B A R guy. Soft spoken religious man never seemed to have anything bother him, boss said it was because Ray had already seen *ell.

My father fought WW2 in Europe with the 101St. Was a Battle of the Bulge, Bastonge survior. He was a heavy ordinance gunner, 30 cal machine gunner.
I knew a little of his battlefield history from my Grandmother. She told me he burned all of his medals when he got back home. He, my Mother, nor my Grandfather ever spoke of his battles, (physical and mental). Shortly before he died in 2009, he told me of firing his machine gun all night and part of the early morning as the Germans tried to break their line. He still knew the body count from that battle. We both sat at the kitchen table that night and cried. Only seen him cry once before when my younger brother was killed in an auto wreck in 73. Sorry guys, didn't mean to get so involved.

Wally4000 · Jul 1, 2016

I was a marine BAR man ('57-'63. I got it because I was the shortest man in the fire team 5'9". I loved that weapon. It had a peculiar habit, if you didn't pull it into your shoulder, it would ran away from you. They had problems with the firing pin (brittal) so you carried spares and learned how to put a new one in quickly. I would love to have one, but the cost and paperwork make it prohibitive.

B.A.R. Men (Waaay of topic)

JimS

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fatbob50

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2x4

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CenTex Farmall

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JimS

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NEKS

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Ultradog MN

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lee little

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showcrop

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Goose

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hd6gtom

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jacksun65

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gajack

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Wally4000

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