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GeezerVison is showing en.wikipedia.org — .345 Winchester Self-Loading - Wikipedia

.345 Winchester Self-Loading / 8.8x34mm WSL
The .345 Winchester Self-Loading cartridge.
TypeRifle
Place of originUnited States
Production history
DesignerWinchester Repeating Arms Company
Specifications
Case typeSemi-rimmed, straight
Bullet diameter.345 in (8.8 mm)
Primer typeSmall rifle

The .345 Winchester Self-Loading (.345 WSL / .345 Winchester Machine Rifle) or 8.8x34mm WSL is a rimless, rifle cartridge in a "cylindrical" shape, created in 1917 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.[1]

It was designed by Frank F. Burton for the Winchester-Burton Machine Rifle, also known as the Winchester Model 1917.[2] While few original documents pertaining to the rifle have survived, it was probably intended primarily for use as an anti-balloon weapon,[1][3] while fitted to aircraft. However, an alternate barrel with a bayonet attachment, for use by infantry, was also designed.

History

Main article: Burton Machine Rifle
The .345 Winchester Self-Loading cartridge.

During the outbreak of the First World War, observation balloons were essential for both sides of the front.[4] These static balloons inflated with hydrogen, became targets for airmen on both sides, and were defended by anti-aircraft batteries and patrol fighters.[5]

To face these balloons, conventional ammunition proved to be inefficient, and other alternatives were sought.[6] In 1916, French officer Yves le Prieur created a rocket system powered by electricity, but its range was limited. In 1917, tracer and incendiary ammunition was being developed to target these balloons.[1][5]

To meet this need, Frank F. Burton of Winchester, developed the "Burton Light Machine Rifle", a selective fire blowback rifle, with selection of rate of fire to be used in observation and surveillance planes, the first practical version of which was ready in 1917.[7][8][9] For this rifle, he adapted the .351 WSL cartridge into a rimless cartridge, firing an incendiary Spitzer bullet, resulting in the .345 Winchester Self-Loading.[1][10]

Dimensions

See also

  • 9 mm caliber
  • .35 Remington
  • List of rifle cartridges
  • Table of handgun and rifle cartridges

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "345 Winchester Machine Rifle". cartridgecollector.net. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  2. ↑ "Historical Firearms - the Winchester-Burton Machine Rifle the".
  3. ↑ Small Arms Review: America's First Assault Rifle, by James L Ballou. December 2010, 14(3)
  4. ↑ "345 WINCHESTER MACHINE RIFLE | Cartridge Collector".
  5. 1 2 "The Winchester-Burton Machine Rifle". Historical Firearms. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  6. ↑ "Museum Minute: A Rifle Ahead of Its Time". 3 September 2019.
  7. ↑ "The Mysterious Burton Machine Rifle ft. Danny Michael of the Cody Firearms Museum". youtube.com. The Armourer's Bench. June 4, 2023. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023.
  8. ↑ "The Mysterious Burton Machine Rifle". The Armourer's Bench. June 4, 2023. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hlebinsky, Ashley (October 13, 2019). "Burton Light Machine Rifle". Recoil Magazine. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Forgotten Weapons: The 1917 Burton Light Machine Rifle". Popular Mechanics. 2016-07-01. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved 2021-01-01.

External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to .345 Winchester Self-Loading.
  • Forgotten Weapons: America's First Assault Rifle: Burton 1917 LMR. By Ian McCollum, July 4, 2016
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.345_Winchester_Self-Loading&oldid=1366044772"
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  • Winchester Repeating Arms Company cartridges
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