The M1919 Browning is arguably the most influential of all the American machine guns of the 20th century, having served with distinction throughout several major conflicts, notably World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
First developed in 1919 (hence M1919) the M1919 replaced the earlier, water-cooled M1917 Browning machine gun that saw use in the hands of American crews along the Western Front in World War 1.
The M1919, by contrast, was an air-cooled Browning medium machine gun first developed around the .30-06 Springfield cartridge and later adapted to accept a variety of other cartridges including but not limited to the .303 British and 7.62x51mm NATO, among many others. The belt-fed, recoil-operated short-action was capable of attaining rates of fire of up to 600 rounds per minute.
The original M1919 was originally intended to be a highly mobile company support weapon, but it required a five-man crew and its limitations quickly became transparent, as it was too heavy to serve the role of a light machine gun and not heavy enough for prolonged, sustained suppressive fire.
Consequently, the United States invested heavily in a series of variant designs, including the M1919A4, parts for which can be found on this page. The M1919A4 was light enough to serve as a company support weapon and mounted to a lighter tripod, but heavy enough to deliver longer periods of sustained fire. It saw widespread use during the Second World War and its utility was further enhanced by the common practice of mounting it on a variety of vehicles, including Jeeps, tanks, and landing craft, making the platform much more maneuverable and portable.
The Browning M1919A4 was also refined into a series of other variants, including the M1919A5 and M1919A6; the M1919A5 was intended to be mounted on armored vehicles and tanks, and the M1919A6 was a lighter version of the M1919A4 intended to fill the role of a light machine gun.
Check here first if you need parts for some variant of an M1919 and then get in touch with us directly at 610-250-3960 if you need additional help.