I have a Browning 303 cal barrel manufactured by FN 52, it is threaded to fit the US M1919 barrel extension too. The other barrel is manufactured by RIA and is a ANM2 30 cal with the smaller diameter threaded barrel and a new barrel.
Just a factoid here for the forum, We are dealing with two completely different Brownings MG here. There is the M1919A4 style in .30 caliber (later 7.62mm NATO in SADF) and the AN-M2 which the British .303 British Aircraft Gun is based. The AN-M2 is completely different gun from the M1919A4.
The pitch of the belts, the spacing between rounds is slightly different between Vickers belts and Browning belts. There is more space between the rounds on a Vickers belt than there is on the Browning belt. The feed block on the Vickers would pull in "more" Browning belt than is needed but likely function. Much would depend on if the belt were flexible enough to allow the extractor to get enough purchase on the rim of a cartridge to pull it from the belt. The Browning gun's feed arm would not pull enough Vickers belt to get to the next round.
Vicker on the left, Browning on the right, both in .303
Last edited by old tanker; 03-12-2021 at 11:11 AM.
Vickers and Browning belts are not interchangeable which would explain the notice.
Starting a 7:17 there is a demonstration of Browning air service links in a Vickers gun. Despite the closer spacing, the Vickers gun used in the demonstration fired nicely. Because of the greater spacing in a Vickers belt, a Browning gun would likely not pull in enough belt to get a third round into the bolt's T-slot after loading. The best you could hope for is two shots, a stoppage, pull the belt recharge and repeat.
I use Australian Mk 1 strip belts with my Vickers as they are the easiest to load. Years ago somebody at Knob Creek was selling Prideaux belt links for the Vickers gun. They were for the Colt 1915 Model in .30-06 so I didn't get any. Those are the only ones I've seen aside from pictures in reference books. It appears that the British reserved disintegrating belts for air service almost exclusively.
South Africa developed a kit to convert the Vickers gun to 7.62 NATO. The link they developed was supposed to allow the belt to be used in the MAG 58 as well. Vickers on the left, regular M13 link for M60 or M240 on the right.
Very likely not "certified" reliable enough for aerial gunnery.
My recollection is that anything tagged for airborne MGs was the best of the best. Clearing stoppages in wing-mounted guns is a challenge. Turret / flexible mounted MGs may be more accessible, but who wants to be hanging in a harness or strapped to a lightweight metal chair, running the "drills", while some fiendish type is trying to kill you.
Another thing to look for is if it has a "Z" suffix on the "type", i.e. Mk VllZ.
The cordite that was good enough for ground pounders was not ideal for aircraft use. Cordite has a significantly more visible flash than granulated double-based powders. Lighting yourself up like Christmas with your own muzzle flash is a bad enough look: Blotting out your own night-vision with the "brilliance" of your own gunnery is absolutely NOT a good idea.
PM
Originally Posted by fjruple
