The Dror light machine gun was an Israeli squad automatic weapon based on the M1941 Johnson light machine gun. In the years immediately preceding the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the Haganah (precursor to the Israel Defense Forces) bought the manufacturing rights to the M1941 Johnson from the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and developed the Dror in its own clandestine workshops. Because large amounts of British rifle ammunition were available, the Pattern 1 Dror was initially chambered in .303 British and had a side feeding tray magazine, similar to the original Johnson.