TNW 1919 Problem

[Rhpd201]

Good Afternoon All,

My brother owns a TNW 1919 in 30-06. We only took it out to the range once and it would not feed properly. It was stuffed back in the safe for another day to troubleshoot, and well, that day is today.

He is out of town so I'm looking at it and thought I would start with lubrication. However, I just found that I cannot field strip it. The charging handle will not pull fully to the rear. It stops about 1/4" short. I think that is why I can't lock the recoil spring in the bolt.

Any of the experts out there have any ideas what could be causing this or a work around? I don't want to mess with that recoil spring outside the established procedures since I have no experience with this weapon. My reading suggests pretty serious injury can result.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

pretty serious injury can result

You're right there. I bet something has come adrift behind the bolt, as the parts are not the same as the original design. Does the bolt cock and fire OK, even though it won't feed? The cocking lever has to cycle during the rearward travel and there could also be a problem with the bolt/firing pin/sear...

[Peter Laidler]

Has the cocking lever broken? This can cause the bolt to stop forwards slightly. THere was an IA for this in the Centurion turret. Mind you anything that happened to the co-ax browning was a real PITA. I'd suggest snapped cocking lever.

[Rhpd201]

I found a copy of the field manual (FM23-55) and it had the procedure for replacing the recoil spring and rod manually, so I decided to take a chance and take the back plate off without capturing the spring. I went slow and had wood in place to "catch" the spring. It went well and I got it apart (I didn't loose my depth perception!). I was able to get the spring and rod back in the bolt without any trouble as well. After lubricating it well and setting the head space I took it out and it runs like a champ. I guess I should have done more research up front rather than posting. Thanks for the responses, maybe my experience will help someone else out.

Interestingly, though, the alignment for the recoil spring rod and the back plate is very poor. In order to capture the spring I have to leave the bolt forward slightly from the rear and use a long screw driver to push the rod all the way into the receiver before I can align it with the bolt and lock it in.

[browningautorifle]

No sweat, that's why we're here...there's only a handful of us I'm sure that have handled and carried the 1919 guns in any form still...that was a while ago. That was a time when there were machine gunners and there were guys qualified machine gun...then came the MAG 58 and offspring and things were easier...

I used to be able to pull the bolt back and lock the rod into the bolt with a fingertip. Just a knack I devised...but handy.

[Rhpd201]

I can't image what it was like to hump one of those things around. The little experience I have with this one only increases the respect I have for those of you that served. Same thing with the B.A.R. - what a beast.

[browningautorifle]

I was younger then mind, but I carried it on one shoulder and we had a heavy leather glove and liner for the left hand. that was so we could always lay hands on the jacket without a fear of being burned for a second at least. Even if just a bit hot, we could get it up on the shoulder with the pistol grip in the right hand and carry on... There was only the two of us, no number 3. We'd trade back and forth carrying mind. I was actually the number 2. I was bigger so I guess they figured I could be the mule...It wasn't that bad. Ammo on the other hand, I couldn't see how a man could carry more than three belts of 220 wrapped around him like snakes. It was not possible for me...660 was it. That was heavy.

[Peter Laidler]

What does TNW stand for? I have to agree with BAR that while the M1919 was a bit of a heavy beast (that's why we used it as a tank and AFV MMG) it was a wonderful and most reliable beast. I remember thinking when we converted some L7 GPMG's into the tank L8 MG and later the L37 MG that they'd never replace the old M1919's - but eventually they did. I wrote a chapter in the Dolf Goldsmith Browning book about our Brownings. What I liked was the fact that it was all machined from solid engineering that you just couldn't break.

[Brit plumber]

TNW is the company that built the gun from a parts kit.

[Vincent]

TNW is a “boutique” gun manufacturer. They have converted several types of Military Surplus guns into semi-automatic “rifles” that we legally own here.

http://www.tnwfirearms.com/

It’s a good company and their products are first class.