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Dror Machine Gun
The Dror (Hebrew for either "Sparrow" or "Freedom", depending on context) is an Israeli-made derivative of the M1944 Johnson machine gun. The first domestically-produced firearm to come out of Israel, it actually predates the nation's official establishment (with development starting around 1946, and the first guns being finished in 1947); it was developed with the direct technical assistance of some of the employees of the Johnson Automatics company, with most of the development and early production being carried out clandestinely in the US and Canada before the entire production line was shipped out to soon-to-be-Israel, though delays prevented the guns from entering serial production until 1950, preventing their use in the 1947-1948 war. Ultimately, the Dror would prove rather unsuccessful, and saw little to no military use outside of training, with WWII-era surplus guns (and, later on, imports and licensed production of guns like the FN MAG) taking its intended place.
The first-pattern guns saw relatively limited production (with only a few hundred being made), ceasing production shortly after it began due to a combination of factors (including the unreliability of the Johnson-style single-stack magazine with the rimmed .303 British cartridge and the increasing availability of Czech-made 7.92x57mm Mauser ammo following Israel's independence); these were rather close copies of the original M1944 Johnson design, though the sights and bipod were more similar to the prior M1941 model, and a distinctive fiber handguard was added to the mid-section of the barrel to aid in its removal and replacement. The second-pattern guns were more widely-produced (though still not made in terribly large numbers), and featured a variety of further design changes, most distinctively a bottom-mounted magazine well (feeding from 20-round double-stack magazines of 7.92x57mm ammunition; these were derived from from .30-06 BAR magazines, though not direct conversions), along with a different barrel-change mechanism, a carrying handle, a longer barrel shroud, simplified sights, and a re-designed stock, bipod, and charging handle.
Specifications
(1946 - 1952)
- Type: Light Machine Gun
- Caliber: .303 British (Pattern 1)
7.92x57mm Mauser (Pattern 2) - Weight: - 22 lbs (10 kg)
- Length: - 48.8 in (124 cm)
- Barrel Length: 26.8 in (68 cm)
- Capacity: 20-round magazines
- Fire Mode: Full Auto
The Dror Machine Gun and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notations | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phantom Doctrine | Sparrow | 2018 |
See Also
- Israel Military Industries - A list of all firearms manufactured by Israel Military Industries.