Browning M-1919

The Browning M1919 is a U.S. Machine gun, In 1918 originally as a tank machine gun from the Browning M1917 was developed. The air-cooled machine gun (MG standard of the USA) took a long time during the 20 Century use of troops in many parts, such as on Armor-plate and to assist in Infantry or Missile defense or even Warships. Particularly common in the Browning machine gun was World War II used in Korean War and Vietnam, in a short time later he was replaced by the M-60

History
1918 sought the U.S. Army for a new machine gun for armored vehicles. The familiar machine-gun M1917 was due to its water not suitable. The new weapon should be air-cooled.

As with the M1917 took John Moses Browning, The time for Colt worked construction. The starting point was the M1917. The cooling jacket was removed and was replaced by a Barrel shroud replaced with cooling. The Run itself was made more difficult by the outside diameter larger Browning. The additional mass should take over the cooling. A simple sighting tube was used for aiming. The final draft was on 30 September 1918 by the U.S. Army officially adopted.

For the dismounted force (an usual tactic in World War I, as the early Tank often left lying) of the machine guns we created a simple emergency tripod and a detachable shoulder stock.

The French Army then used with success in their tanks with machine guns Objective lenses. The U.S. Army decided to do the same and so were some M1919 equipped with a mounting base on the left side of the case.

But since it is in the supply system to become confused M1919 with and without mounting base was decided Ordance the Committee on 16 May 1929, the version with mounting base to call the M1919A1.

1930, decided the U.S. cavalry, a replacement for the M1922 Cavalry Machine Rifle (a version of the M1918 to search). We tested the M1919 with the equipment for dismounted use, but was not initially satisfied. So we paid the M1919 with a grain base near the mouth of a side-mounted adjustable rear sight foldable frame with adjustable lateral hole on the rear sight cover. This new version was named the M1919A2 was introduced on horseback and motorized units.

At the same time, the infantry, the armored M1919-MG test as M1919E1. The Grain was on the front cover and one was mounted in the handle of the lid lock hole bored as a rear sight. From this version, only 72 pieces were introduced as a M1919A3 with a comprehensive set of 80 rounds belt box.

The Infantry came in various experiments for the same result as the Cavalry: The run was at 18 5 / 8 inch too short to ensure sufficient accuracy. For short distances in the use of a tank out there enough, but for the Fire support It was too little.

We therefore extended the run to 24 inches, the new version was given the provisional designation M1919A2E3 (it was based on the M1919A2 the cavalry). The Accuracy was adequate but was found near the mouth of the fitting base grain to damage than to light and prevented the installation of screens in spherical tanks.

They sat down again so the grain on the front cover and eliminating the grain base. This weapon was designated M1919A4. There were still made some improvements: the cover was a spring lock, which prevented accidental shutting (and thus jammed finger). The date was provided with slits running casing holes, increasing the stability. Existing M1919A2 are equipped with the longer run and received the new barrel jacket and the lid lock. The version was introduced 1936th

In 1939 the M1919A5 was followed as a new tank machine gun. It had a bipod and was sometimes equipped with a vertical instead of horizontal buffer at the end of the housing to take account of the cramped conditions in tanks bill.

During the World War II made the newly introduced German unification machine guns (MG34 and MG42) A big impression on the U.S. Army, we decided to create something similar. After testing was unsuccessful with the designs of different manufacturers, the M1919A6.

These were a modified M1919A4, with the lighter barrel, a removable Shoulder Rest, A Bipod and a handle was fitted. In the tests in 1942 revealed that the weapon without the recoil (On which they had initially waived) does not work reliably - but they were prepared for this. The M1919A6 was on 10 April 1943 as a "substitute standard" was introduced. That meant the weapon as a makeshift looked to continue looking for an alternative.

1950 it was developed a new tank based on the M1919A4 MG - it was provisionally M1919A4E1 the name resembled the M1919A5, but the ammunition supply was switched from left to right. Introduced was the weapon as M37.

Following the introduction of Cartridge 7.62 x51mm were quite a few variants M1919 converted to the new cartridge and still did until the Vietnam War Service with the U.S. forces, but were by the M73 and M60 replaced.

Description
The M1919 is a soaring, air-cooled Blowback with short Recoil and rigidly locked Shutter. The ammunition is fed from the left - usually by means of 250 rounds-making fabric belts (in tanks were metal-link belts decay) is used. The cartridges are pulled through an extractor to the rear of the tape pockets, lowered and inserted into the barrel. The empty shells are ejected through an opening in the housing floor. There is no device for quick change of course does not change - to the barrel, the rear housing end plate to be removed, removed the cap and the barrel will be removed along with barrel extension. The barrel can be unscrewed from the barrel extension.

The Deduction located behind the casing, cylindrical casing below the buffer. The pistol grip is attached to the buffer housing and has at its lower end a iron sight, which allows the handle on the handlebar of a Gun carriage into place and used as transit protection.

The M1919 has no backup and only one appearing on the right side sheet metal strip that is riveted to its front end on the housing and has a groove in the middle of the cocking handle, it allows to set the lock in the open position. This also serves to allow for fire breaks in the circulation of air through the barrel and to prevent self-ignition in a overheat run.

M1919A4
The M1919A4 is the main variant of the M1919 dar. The U.S. infantry set it as a support weapon at company level. A rifle company (Rifle Company) had in addition to the shooter moves (Rifle Platoon), which consisted of for their own fire support with the automatic rifle M1918A2 equipped rifle groups (Rifle Squad), a weapons platoon, the next one M2HB machine gun and three 60 -mm mortars had two M1919A4 machine guns on M2 tripod. At battalion level, in addition to the company support weapons (Weapons Company) used three-M1917A1 machine guns.

The M2 tripod is much lower than that of the M1917A1 tripod and allows the shooter, the use of Weapon to lie on the ground - which increases its probability of survival significantly (M1917A1 when he had to sit or kneel). The two rear legs of the M2 are longer and with a cross bar connected to the sitting of the directional mechanism movable laterally. The control mechanism of the indicative are on the left side, so that the shooter use them, while his right hand on the pistol grip leaves.

The normal operating crew of a M1919A4 consisted of five men: the actual machine-gunner, the assistant shooters, the squad leader and two carriers used as ammunition rifle shooters. The machine gunner was on the march, the machine gun and a supply of essential spares, the wizard of the tripod and a belt box, and the munitions makers and the group leaders were additional support.

The M1919A4 was the company commander as a priority weapon available that could be used independently of the shooter moves. In attack, the machine-gun groups, the platoons covered in direct fire, indirect fire support from the M1917A1 was reserved, which were due to their better Lafettierung and better suited to leveling line. The M1919A4 was easier than the M1917A1, and thus more mobile, but the Instellunggehen lasted longer than with a light machine gun on bipod, as the first assistant had set up the tripod, before the shooter could daraufsetzen the weapon.