Browning M1919A5
Browning Arms Company · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1942
Also known as: M1919A5, .30 Cal Browning Tank Variant, Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A5
Overview
The Browning M1919A5 is an American .30 caliber air-cooled, recoil-operated, belt-fed medium machine gun designed by John Moses Browning, developed as a fixed-mount tank and armored-vehicle adaptation of the M1919A4. Chambered in .30-06 Springfield, the M1919A5 was conceived in the early 1940s with the M3 Stuart light tank in mind, and was distinguished from the standard A4 by a forward mounting point that allowed the weapon to be installed in tank cupolas, hull positions, and armored-car ball mounts, together with a bolt-retracting slide and an extended charging handle that let a crewman cock the gun within the confined interior of an armored fighting vehicle. Sharing the A4's 24-inch (610mm) barrel enclosed in a perforated cooling jacket and an empty weight of roughly 14 kg (31 lbs), the M1919A5 fired the powerful .30-06 cartridge at a cyclic rate of around 400-550 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of approximately 860 m/s, making it a capable secondary armament aboard the M3 Stuart, M3 Lee, and other Allied armored vehicles of the Second World War. Alongside the M37 tank machine gun and the .50 caliber Browning M2, the M1919A5 was among the most common coaxial and bow-mounted secondary weapons fielded by Allied armor during the conflict. The variant was produced during the WWII period and was gradually supplanted in vehicular roles by the purpose-built M37 in the post-war years, though its underlying M1919 mechanism remained in service worldwide for decades.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 14060 g (496.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1041 mm (40.98") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Recoil Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Closed Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 250 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 860 m/s (2822 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3600 J (2655 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1370 m (1498 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 500 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Parkerized |
Calibers
- .30-06 Springfield · primary — also known as .30-06, 7.62x63mm, .30 Gov't '06, Caliber .30 M1906
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Fabric Belt, Disintegrating Link Belt
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Closed Bolt System
- Features: Air Cooled, Perforated Barrel Jacket, Short Recoil Operated, Belt Fed, Vehicle Mountable, Coaxial Mountable, Forward Mounting Point, Bolt Retracting Slide, Extended Charging Handle, Fixed Tank Mount, Quick Change Barrel
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1942 · as M1919A5
- United States Marine Corps · adopted 1942 · as M1919A5
- British Armed Forces · adopted 1942 · as M1919A5
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
Production
Production years: 1942-1945
Produced during World War II as a fixed-mount armored-vehicle variant of the M1919A4. Exact A5-specific production figures are not separately documented; it formed part of overall M1919 family output that exceeded several hundred thousand units during the war.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The M1919A5 is best understood as the tank-and-armored-vehicle adaptation of the M1919A4. Its two defining changes are a forward mounting point for fixed installation in cupolas and ball mounts, and a bolt-retracting slide with an extended charging handle so the bolt can be cycled inside the cramped confines of a tank. Mechanically it is otherwise identical to the A4, retaining the short-recoil action with a vertically moving locking block and firing from a closed bolt. Because it was a dedicated vehicular weapon rather than an infantry gun, it was issued without the M2 tripod, pistol/spade grips, or iron sights of the A4, relying instead on the vehicle's own mount and sighting arrangements. The A5 was eventually superseded in the coaxial and bow roles by the M37, which integrated feed-tray and charging improvements better suited to armored use.
Background
When American tank crews of the M3 Stuart and M3 Lee needed a reliable secondary gun that could be charged and cleared without leaving the safety of the hull, the answer was the M1919A5: a 'Thirty Cal' fitted with a forward mount and an extended bolt-retracting handle so a cramped crewman could rack the bolt with one hand. It traded the infantry A4's tripod and spade grips for a fixed armor mount, becoming one of the workhorse coaxial and bow guns that bristled from Allied armor across the deserts of North Africa and the hedgerows of Normandy before the purpose-built M37 took over the role.