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The Browning M1919 machine gun is a .30 caliber medium machine gun chambered to utilize .30-06 Springfield rounds. It was belt-fed, with a normal belt containing 75 rounds; it also used a pistol-esque grip and odd, yet functional iron sights. Altogether, it weighed 31lbs.
The gun began production in 1919 (hence M1919), it was the resulting solution for a more portable machine gun than the M1917 whilst still being able to lay down heavy fire on enemies. When the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge began to phase out the .30-06 cartridge, the newer M1919s were chambered to utilize the newer rounds. It saw more prominent use in World War II, and it was mounted on river craft in the Vietnam War, during the 1960's and '70's. Although it is now phased out due to the arrival of the lighter M60 7.62x51mm NATO general purpose machine gun and the FN M249 SAW 5.56x45mm NATO light machine gun.
It is recognized as one of the precursors to the current 7.62x51mm machine guns, and one of the most prominent MMGs of World War ll.
Variants
M1919 Variants
In total there were six variants of the basic M1919 machine gun. The original M1919 was designed to use in tanks. It featured a relatively heavy barrel, attempting to match the sustained fire capability of contemporary water-cooled machine guns.
M1919A1
The M1919A1 featured a lighter barrel and a bipod.
M1919A2
M1919A3
The M1919A3, an improved version of the M1919A2, was also developed.
M1919A4
M1919A6
The M1919A6 was an attempt to provide US forces with a more portable light machine gun, similarly to the German MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns that they were facing.
T66
M37
Mk21 Mod 0
AN/M2
Browning AN/M2 Stinger replica, .30-06 calibre
An aircraft variant of the M1919 was the AN/M2 which had a higher rate of fire. A few were converted to ground use by adding rifle stocks/grips/bipods with the "AN/M2 Stinger" being the most noted conversion.
Colt MG40
Foreign variants
The M1919 pattern has been used in countries all over the world in a variety of forms and under a number of different designations.
Commonweath countries
Browning Mk2 machine gun, .303 British
Rhodesian Browning Mk2 machine gun convertd to GPMG role
The AN/M2 was also chambered in .303 as the Browning Mk1/M2 in the British Commonwealth forces and after WW2 were supplied to Rhodesia where they were twin mounted on Alouette III choppers during the Bush War.
Belgium
Browning FN30, 7.62x51mm NATO
Austria
South Africa
Denmark
Israel
Sweden
Poland
Gallery
