[SHOT 2026] The Watercooled Belt-Fed is Back Thanks to KAK Industry

Inspired by John Browning’s classic M1917 machine gun, the LIMA 1917 was developed by KAK Industry's President Kurt Kosman. While mechanically the KAK LIMA 1917 kit shares no similarities with the original gun but Kurt took the time to explain his inspiration and how he developed the kit. The kit is based around a LIMA 6 belt-fed upper receiver (which KAK makes the bolt carrier group for) which uses M27 5.56x45mm links. The gun can be mounted on a tripod with a mount that interfaces using the unused magazine well.

The KAK LIMA 1917 has a unique barrel jacket which can be filled with water. The jacket and barrel interface at either end are sealed by a series of O-Rings. Kurt explained that the jacket will hold 118 fl oz (or 3.4 liters), with the Water filled through the red fill plug, the plug is retained by a wire lanyard so it can't be lost in the field.

When the barrel begins to get warm and the water inside the jacket boils, steam collects in the top of the water jacket and then travels though the port and down the steam tube into a condensing can, this water can be collected and reused in the water jacket. Just like the classic water-cooled machine guns.

The barrel jacket comes complete with a KAK-made fixed front sight which will co-witness with a rear sight and any mounted optic. The jacket itself is made from 6061 Aluminum and the upper uses the standard Stoner gas system (DI) but with the LIMA 6’s action necessitating the gas tube rotated to the 9 o'clock position. The barrel is 18 inches long with a heavy profile and has a mid-length gas system with an .875” gas block. It also has a 1/28 thread at the muzzle for mounting brakes or suppressors.

The upper receiver kit has to be paired with a lower which features a buffer tube but it can be run with lowers that have forced reset triggers, super safeties or transferable or post sample lowers.

MSRP on the KAK LIMA 1917 kit is $4,999.95. KAK has around 100 sets of parts for these guns already produced. LIMA 6 have begun shipping their belt-fed upper receivers so as they become available anyone who picks up one of these water-cooled uppers will receive the whole kit. Huge thanks to Kurt Kosman for talking us through the KAK Lima 1917 and sharing his absolute passion for classic machine guns and bringing a little of that bygone era back to the modern shooting scene. You can find out more at KAKIndustry.com.