The M1919A4 was designed for use as both a fixed vehicle/aircraft weapon or on a trainable pintle/tripod mounting for flexible fire. The type was a fixture in World War 2 (1939-1945) combat as it made up the defensive positions aboard classic bomber aircraft such as the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. On the whole, these weapons remained largely faithful to their origins and retained the simplified air-cooled feature with perforated barrel jacket. Infantry-level forms were issued with a lighter-weight tripod and ammunition pack which held the belted ammunition stocks. A crew of two typically operated the weapon - a loader and gunner - while others could be brought into play for ammunition management and resupply while also carrying the tripod into action. The M1919A4E1 appeared in the post-war years and differed only in the implementation of a slide retracting mechanism. From there came the M1919A5 designed with the Stuart M3 Light Tank in mind (with bolt-retracting slide feature) and the M1919A6 - a portable infantry-minded form with bipod, lightweight barrel, carrying handle, conical flash suppressor, and wood shoulder stock.
The M37 was a dedicated tank machine gun with left- or right-hand side feeding for metallic belt links and an ejection chute being added. The M2 was an aircraft machine gun with a revised retracting mechanism. Operation was through a solenoid arrangement. These guns also appeared in a flexible-mount form and were thusly issued with spade grips for aiming.
The Browning M1919 machine gun survived beyond the war years in its various forms to see extensive exportation to American allies abroad. It saw combat service in both World Wars, the Korean War, the First Indochina War, the Vietnam War, and other more regional conflicts that dotted the 20th Century. It was produced from 1919 until 1945 to the tune of some 5 million examples. Operators ranged from Argentina and Australia to Uruguay and Vietnam. The weapon was highly valued, dependable, and reliable under the worst conditions of war - ensuring it a healthy service life that, in some parts of the world, still continues today (2014).
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