Lewis Gun Mobility
Measuring 50.5 inches long with an unloaded weight of 28 pounds, the Lewis Gun was not necessarily meant to be fired from the shoulder. In an effort to negate the need for a water-cooling system, the barrel shroud was added, but this still left a considerable amount of weight to the gun. As it would heat up, it couldn’t be safely handled, so some soldiers would add a long sling to the gun to allow them to fire it from the hip.