Cut-away Browning 50 cal?

[Flying10uk]

Does anyone know which version of Browning MG this cut-away model represents? Is it an aircraft version?

Information

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[RCS]

It is a Browning Model 1919 variation

[tankhunter]

I919A4.. The front sight assembly seems to be missing?

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, a 1919. We sectioned one at Carlisle but from the OTHER side to show the extractor and ejector and the small plunger operating up, down and along the cam. Britain knew best(?) and in the early 60's modified the original simple trigger mechanism to 'rear sear' by, er.........., complicating it! So that the gun would now fire from an open breech. This was said to be due to the innate fear or cook-offs. But the ATDU had already told the Ordnance Board that cook-offs were NOT a problem with the .30 Browning. But they went ahead anyway.........

[browningautorifle]

The classroom cutaways were made to X4 size so people could see...at the back.

[Peter Laidler]

Shaggy dog time, so look away now............ I often used to wonder about the real reason for the rear sear idea that changed our Brownings from M1919's to L3A- types. All they REALLY needed to do was do what the tank crews had asked for for: That they all had the right side LEVER, locking to help cool the gun and vent the tank and make one that worked in 7.62mm NATO. Oh well. On the subject of MG trigger mechanisms the REALLY did need simplifying, they could have started with the BESA. What a palava that monstrosity was! So said that after their wartime experience with the .30 Browning tank MG's, the post war crews were having none of it. The BESA HAD to go and the Browning stayed. Last BESA's went in 1966........

[Brit plumber]

As far as I can tell, these are based upon the A6 version rather than the A4. If you look at the barrel jacket it's shorter and has the support where the bipod would be. They are also x2 scale rather than x4. That would be huge!!

I have a cut away .50 which was built using a M2AC which I think I posted some time ago. It needs re-parking when I get time.

[Peter Laidler]

What did you use to scale it up BP? It looks like every other of the zillions that I've seen! The difference for us, here was that the GUN, machine .300" Browning M1919A4 (fixed). While the other was the same but ,......... M1919A6 (flexible)'. They called them fixed (no pistol grip & front sight less - co ax gun) and flexible (with p/grip & f/sight fitted and the commanders gun) It really made absolutely no difference to us at the nearly sharp end (the tankies used to tell us that THEY were the sharp end.....) because as part of the tank CES there was another loose pintle on which to mount the co-ax gun outside the tank PLUS a pistol grip and foresight block that was already zeroed* to the co-ax gun.

The same system operated with the L8's and L37 GPMG tank guns. The crew had the parts to make the L8/L37 into a ground gun/L7 in a wallet in the left upper stowage ledge within the turret. Indeed....., when the shortage of L7's became REALLY acute (it was always sort-of acute, believe me.....) you'd see L8 and L37 bodied guns reworked and re-engraved with the L8/L37 barred out and re-marked L7A2

* Zeroed.... how they reached this conclusion is a mystery because whether it really WAS zeroed to the gun depended on where it was when it was test fired/zeroed and where the gunner screwed it back on its long elongated slot. How do I remember all of this sheer crap? But interesting in a nerdy way.

That gun isn't locked either as the breech block hasn't gone forwards enough to trip the accelerator, close up and allow the lock block to lock the Br Block to the barrel extension. Ah........., yes........... I see......... Has anyone else out there got the reason yet? The turkeys have got the cocking handle in the hole for the extractor lever. The hole for the cocking handle is 1" to the rear. Fxxxxxxx experts.......... Don't you just love 'em?

[browningautorifle]

Last BESA's went in 1966..

I handled those...built from a solid block of steel. Try that with a draw file and a drill press...

They are also x2 scale rather than x4. That would be huge!!

Fair enough. It just seemed that the ones I saw in Seattle in the surplus stores were about X4...that was 40 years back.

the cocking handle in the hole for the extractor lever. The hole for the cocking handle is 1" to the rear.

No, no...the extractor is 3" long(or so), remember? It goes into the hole further back so it comes to the bolt face. The hole for the bolt stud is up front, therefore the handle cocking assist goes there. That handle would be the assist for the .50. The regular one for the .30 should be shorter.

[RCS]

The US Army adopted the Cal 30 M37 in 1955, this was the M1919A4 modified to fed from either side and for issue to the M48 and M60 tanks. The fixed model was the M37C
which was also used on helicopters in Viet Nam into the mid 60's long after the M60 m/g had been adopted