U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 Model of 1903

The U.S. M1903 Rifle was designed and adopted to replace the Krag-Jorgensen rifle and its .30-40 cartridge. Adopted on June 19, 1903, the M1903 Rifle was chambered for the Model of 1903, .30 Government Cartridge (.30-03), which had a 220-grain round-nose projectile. The Model of 1903 Rifle was only in service a short period of time before some changes were made. One of the most prominent upgrades was the rechambering for the improved Model of 1906 cartridge, which had a lighter, spitzer-type projectile and an improved powder. A newly designed M1905 rear sight was also added. The rifles were manufactured by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal from 1903 until 1914. Production was quickly resumed during 1917 with the U.S. entry into World War I.

The M1903 Rifle in .30-06 caliber remained the standard service weapon of the U.S. until the adoption of the M1 Rifle in 1936. During World War II, production of the M1 Garand was not able to keep up with the wartime demand. Thus, Remington Arms was awarded a contract to resume manufacture of the M1903 Rifle. During production, there were many new features implemented into the original design of the ’03 rifle to speed up production. These rifles were designated as the M1903 (Modified). Subsequently, more improvements were made resulting in the M1903-A3 model, which was adopted on May 21, 1942. The 03-A3 had many stamped parts, a new receiver mounted aperture rear sight and a longer hand guard. The L.C. Smith & Corona Company was awarded a contract in February of 1942 to supplement production. The M1903 and its variants remained in service until declared obsolete on July 24, 1947.

U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1904

The U.S. Maxim Model of 1904 was the first rifle caliber heavy machine gun approved for use as the standard service type by the U.S. Army in 1904. The Army was interested in the Maxim as early as 1887 and procured examples of the “World Standard” Maxim Model 1889 and Model 1900 for evaluation. After sporadic testing, the Chief of Ordnance finally gave approval for adoption in 1904. The first order for 50 guns and tripods were manufactured by Vickers, Sons & Maxim (VSM) in England in the U.S. caliber .30-03.

The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the United States and enlisted Colt to manufacture the gun. Problems arose and it was several years before Colt could begin production. In the meantime, another forty guns were ordered from VSM. Colt finally began production in 1908. By 1908, the service cartridge had changed from the .30-03 to the .30-06. The ninety guns produced by VSM were all converted to the new service cartridge while all the Colt guns were manufactured in .30-06. Colt produced 197 guns, and with VSM’s 90 guns, total production of the Model of 1904 was 287 guns. Colt never produced any tripods. All the tripods were made by VSM and wheeled carriage mounts were produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The Model of 1904 saw a brief service life, quickly being declared obsolete by 1915, yet was widely used and saw service in such distant outposts as the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Central and South America. The gun never saw active combat service, particularly in World War I, being relegated to training purposes.

U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909

The Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 is commonly referred to in the U.S. as the “Benet-Mercie.” Laurence Benet was an American engineer who worked for the Hotchkiss Company in Paris, France. He, along with another Hotchkiss engineer named Henri Mercie, collaborated to develop an air cooled, gas operated, lightweight machine gun based on the Hotchkiss Model 1900 heavy machine gun design. The Model 1909 differed from heavy machine guns in that it weighed just 30 pounds and was fitted with a wooden stock with elevation gear and a bipod. It was mechanically modified as to how the breech closed and the feedway and feed mechanism were changed. The gun also had a barrel changing ability, unique at that time. The number of parts to the gun were reduced to just twenty five.

The French adopted the French made Hotchkiss gun in 8mm Lebel and the British adopted it in .303. in 1909 and was known on the Continent as the “Hotchkiss Portative.” That same year, the U.S. Army, after lengthy trials, adopted it as service issue as the Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 and ordered 29 guns from Hotchkiss. The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the U.S. The rights were secured and Colt and the Springfield Armory were contracted to produce the American version in .30-06. Over the next several years, both manufacturers combined produced approximately 670 guns. The Model of 1909 was issued for service with the Model of 1908 Warner & Swasey telescopic musket sight, originally used for sharpshooter use with the Model 1903 Springfield rifle.

The Model of 1909 was issued to U.S. infantry and cavalry troops from 1909 to 1918 and saw limited tactical use in the landing at Vera Cruz in 1913, all along the Mexican border in 1916 and was used in the defense of Columbus, New Mexico against the sneak attack by Poncho Villa in 1916. Though the British and French “Hotchkiss Portative” version was widely used in World War I, the U.S. “Benet-Mercie” was relegated to training use. It was declared obsolete in 1918 and ultimately replaced by the far superior M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle.

Model 1914 Colt Automatic Gun

Invented and designed by John Browning, the Colt Model 1895 Automatic gun was the world’s first practical gas-actuated machine gun. Using a gas-impingement system that operated against a lever that traveled downward and backward in a 170-degree arc underneath the gun, it affectionately became known as “The Potato Digger.” Colt manufactured the gun and was extremely successful in selling the gun world wide in a variety of calibers. The U.S. Navy purchased fifty guns in 1897 in 6mm Lee and another 150 guns in 1898. These guns were used as secondary armament on ships and with naval landing parties and with the U.S. Marines. The gun was also used with some degree of success in the Philippines, the Boxer Rebellion, Mexican border war and the Spanish-American War.

The U.S. Army ordered 100 guns for testing and training in .30-40 Krag. Upon the recommendation of a joint Army-Navy board of 1898 for standardizing arms and ammunition, the Navy rechambered their 6mm Lee to .30-40 Krag, and then they all were changed to .30-03 and ultimately to .30-06. Though the Army, Navy and Marines all used the Colt Model 1895; only the Navy officially adopted the weapon. The Army just continued to buy it commercially as they deemed necessary eventually buying 2,800 guns during World War I. The “Model” designation was a name used by Colt and did not represent acceptance as issue by the Army.

In 1914, Colt modified the Model of 1895 by replacing the heavy, thick permanent barrel with a finned barrel that was easily changeable and became the Model of 1914. It was this version and its variants that ultimately saw use in World War I by a number of Allied nations though relegated as secondary armament and training by the U.S. The gun was used with three types of tripods, basically differing only in height.

U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915

The U.S. began to realize how vastly under-armed in automatic weapons it was and started a new series of tests in 1913 and field trials in 1914. The new, improved version of the Maxim gun, now called the Vickers, was the clear winner. The new British Vickers was redesigned internally to maximize space within the receiver box by inverting the toggle joint and lock, and the overall weight of the gun was substantially reduced; all without sacrificing reliability. In 1915, the Board of Ordnance unanimously approved the type for the Army as the Model of 1915 chambered for the .30-06 cartridge. They immediately placed an order for 125 guns to be made by Colt and in 1916 placed an additional order for 4,000 even though the first order had not yet even been made. When the U.S. entered World War I in April, 1917, not a single Colt Vickers M1915 had been delivered due to production problems at Colt.

Colt made Vickers guns finally became available in late 1917. By mid 1918, Colt Vickers started to be shipped overseas. The first twelve divisions arriving in France were issued the French Hotchkiss Model of 1914. The next ten divisions that sailed for France in May and June of 1918 were equipped with the Colt Vickers. By August, 1918, thirteen divisions were using the Colt Vickers. In all, 12,125 Vickers Model of 1915 ground guns were produced by Colt.

At the end of World War I, the remaining inventory of Colt Vickers were put into storage and held in reserve. They were ultimately sent to Great Britain under Lend-Lease to help guard against German invasion during World War II, especially after the huge losses of equipment at Dunkirk, while British production fought to rearm the British Army. After World War II, the U.S. did not want the guns returned and the British destroyed the remaining inventory.

U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

John Browning continued to experiment with different machine gun designs after the introduction of his first machine gun, the Model of 1895 Automatic Gun. He developed a short-recoil, water-cooled gun in 1900 and patented it in 1901. There was no government interest in this prototype and he ceased work on it until 1910 when he made further modifications and improvements to it. Again, there was no governmental interest in the gun.

As the U.S. was being drawn into World War I, the Ordnance Board urgently requested designs for new machine guns. Browning took his heavy water-cooled machine gun along with his new Browning Automatic Rifle to be tested in February, 1917. Both guns tested exceptionally well and the BAR was ordered immediately. As war broke out, another official test occurred in May, 1917. The genius of John Browning shone through with the simplicity of design, reliability and ease of maintenance. Browning’s heavy machine gun was adopted as the Model of 1917 chambered for the .30-06 service cartridge and ordered into production with contracts being awarded to New England Westinghouse, Remington and Colt.

30,089 M1917 Brownings were sent to France before the war ended with 1,168 guns actually being used in the front lines. The first instance of combat usage was in September, 1918 in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne, where, in wet and muddy conditions, the new Browning guns performed exceptionally well with one company firing 10,000 rounds per gun.

The Browning M1917 was to replace the variety of machine guns in American use (British Mk I Vickers, U.S. Vickers Model of 1915 and French Hotchkiss Model of 1914) but the war ended two months later so the Browning actually saw limited use. Yet, Browning’s design was so brilliant that the M1917 and its subsequent variants soldiered on in the U.S. inventory for another fifty years.

U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

Colonel Isaac Lewis began development of the Lewis gun in 1910 based upon a previous design by Samuel McClean. Lewis presented his gun for formal testing in 1912 to the Ordnance Board, which included a “stunt” by firing the gun from an airplane – the first time a machine gun had ever been fired from an aircraft. The Ordnance Board took a dim view of the “stunt” and during the rest of the trials took particular efforts to find fault with the gun and rejected it claiming it was no better than the already approved Model of 1909 Benet-Mercie.

Lewis then went to Europe where his gun was warmly received and went into production in 1913 at Armes Automatiques Lewis in Liege, Belgium and at the Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) Company in Birmingham, England. Belgium was soon overrun by Germany in 1914 and production continued at BSA who eventually produced 145, 397 Lewis guns during World War I in the British .303 caliber. The gun was widely used to great effect throughout the war.

Savage Arms Company of Utica, New York began producing Lewis guns for a Canadian contract in .303 and the U.S. Army procured 350 guns (in .303) for use in 1916 along the Mexican border. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army still harbored a grudge against Lewis and his gun that dated back to 1912. The U.S. Navy, however, held no such animosity and purchased 6,000 Lewis guns from Savage for the U.S. Marines chambered in .30-06 and it was designated as the Model of 1917. Upon arriving in France, the 5th Regiment of the Marines attached to the 2nd Division, who had been issued and trained with the Model of 1917, had their Lewis guns taken away and were issued the French Hotchkiss M1914 and Chauchat M1915 machine guns. The American .30-06 Lewis guns were turned over to the Aviation Services. The Army in due course purchased 2,500 M1917 Lewis guns but they relegated them to U.S. training. U.S. Model of 1917 Lewis guns saw little or no infantry combat during the war. After the war, the Army discarded the Lewis gun though the Navy and Marine Corps kept it in their inventory until the 1930s.

Marlin Machine Gun Model of 1917/18

As World War I heated up, orders for the Colt M1914 increased as well. Colt entered into an agreement with Marlin Arms Company on manufacturing the M1914. Marlin’s designer, Carl Swebilius, worked out an improvement to the operating system that changed Browning’s original “Gas Hammer” style lever action to a straight piston arrangement. The Marlin guns, with the exception of a small run of M1917 trainers, were no longer “Diggers,” the piston in tube arrangement ran along the bottom of the barrel and applied the energy to the bolt system.

This change made Browning’s system easier to adapt into aircraft and vehicles; thus, the M1917 and M1918 Marlin Aircraft Machine Gun designations, and the M1917 Marlin Tank Machine Gun designation. Unfortunately, changing to a straight line piston changed the impulse time and energy, and the early guns had trouble in extraction tearing case rims. Adjustments were made to the design, but not before negative publicity occurred. Marlin had taken the position that the ammunition the Army had did not have strong enough cases and the Army said that the Marlin guns had to work with ammunition that was fielded. In the end, the Marlin M1917 type guns were relegated to aircraft use where there was more control on ammunition quality. Some of the Marlin guns had aluminum radiators on the barrels similar to the Lewis M1917, but most had a bare barrel.

The Marlin M1917 and M1918 machine guns did see combat in U.S. use. During World War II, may were shipped to England for their naval defense.

There were an additional 2,816 of the Marlin Model 1917 that are virtually identical to the Model of 1914 “Potato Digger” made by Colt. These were for training in the U.S. Army, and the main difference was in the location of the belt feed opening.

U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917

The U.S M1917 rifle was originally produced as the Pattern 14, .303 caliber “Enfield” for the British. Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I, the British negotiated several contracts with the U.S. firms of Remington, Winchester and Eddystone (a Remington subsidiary), to produce the P14. Collectively, 1.2 million of the Pattern 14 rifles were made from 1916 to 1917.

Upon the United States’ entry into World War I, the U.S. Army faced a service rifle shortage. With the British contracts completed, instead of having the companies retool for the M1903 rifle, the War Department decided to make a few design changes and rechamber the P14 to the U.S. M1906 rimless .30-06 round and the new rifle was ready for production. The U.S. M1917 rifle was officially adopted in April 1917. There were over 2.4 million manufactured from 1917 to 1919 at a cost of $26.00 per weapon.

When World War I ended, the M1917 rifles were prudently placed into storage, after having been rebuilt by various U.S. arsenals. When World War II broke out in Europe, the U.S. and her Allies again faced critical shortages of small arms. The M1917 rifles were pulled from storage and issued to rear echelon soldiers and for training. After the war in October, 1945, the U.S. Army declared the M1917 rifle obsolete. While the U.S. M1917 rifle was more utilitarian then glamorous, it did everything it was intended to do.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

As the U.S. was being drawn into the First World War, the Ordnance Board met in May, 1917 to consider for adoption designs for light machine guns and automatic rifles. John Browning had been previously working on a gas-operated, magazine fed, true automatic rifle design and submitted it to the board. It was unanimously accepted by the Ordnance Board and requested that production begin immediately at Colt who had secured the rights. However, Colt was already at peak production and requested approval from the Board for delay in production while they built a new facility in Meriden, Connecticut. Due to the immediate need, the request was denied and the lead manufacturer became the Winchester Company.

The initial contract with Winchester called for 25,000 BARs. They were in full production by June, 1918 delivering 4,000 guns and in July were turning out 9,000 BARs. Colt and Marlin-Rockwell also began production shortly after Winchester got into full production.

By July of 1918, the BAR began to arrive in France and the first unit to receive them was the U.S. Army’s 79th Division and they immediately exchanged their woefully inadequate French M1915 Chauchat machine rifles with the new BAR and began training. In the September 1918 battle of the Meuse-Argonne, the BAR was used extensively. World War I only lasted another two months before ending in November, 1918. Thus, while the BAR was the state-of the-art weapon, it saw limited combat service. Nevertheless, the M1918 BAR was such a fine weapon that it remained as the standard U.S. service automatic rifle after the war and production continued after the war. Of the total 102,125 M1918 BARs produced, Winchester made 47,123, Marlin-Rockwell 39,002 and Colt 16,000.

U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

The U.S. was ill-equipped when it entered World War I in 1917 and was particularly lacking in automatic weapons. With less than 1,100 automatic weapons in inventory, consisting of four types in two different calibers, these guns were needed in the U.S. for training the new army. When U.S. divisions arrived in France, they had no automatic weapons.

The French, at war since 1914, had an arms industry in full force. Thus, U.S. troops in eighteen divisions were issued the French Model 1914 Hotchkiss heavy machine gun and the Model 1915 Chauchat automatic rifle: both chambered in 8mm Lebel. The French quickly developed the Chauchat to fill the immediate wartime need of France and consisted of fabricated steel tubing of standard sizes and stampings. The only parts requiring extensive machining were the barrel and bolt. The long-recoil operation, cheap materials, unorthodox enclosed design and hurried production produced a gun that had poor reliability and worse accuracy. But, it was all that was available.

To help alleviate a two-cartridge supply nightmare, the U.S. asked the French manufacturer, C.S.R.G., to produce the gun in .30-06. Good idea, bad execution. The gun was simple in its design and conversion was easy: change the barrel, replace the semicircular magazine with a detachable box magazine, change the angle of the bipod and change the graduations on the rear sight. However, the already poor reliability of the gun went from bad to worse.

The more powerful, straight cased, rimless .30-06 cartridge was very difficult to extract. With its violent action, the M1918 Chauchat tore the cartridges instead of extracting them and the more powerful .30-06 caused major stress on all the working parts causing failures. Additionally, the gun heated up very quickly causing the action to freeze until it had cooled. Due to the enclosed design, clearing stoppages and jams was almost impossible. The gun, in a single word, was awful.

The U.S. nevertheless quickly adopted it as the Chauchat Model of 1918 and bought and paid for 25,000; taking delivery of 19,241. There is no record of M1918s being used in combat and were relegated to training use. They were so bad, that immediately after the war, the U.S. ordered them to be destroyed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1

In the rush to supply American troops in World War I, deficiencies in design and manufacturing methods of the Model of 1917 manifested itself quickly in operational use. Many of the problems stemmed from the lack of, or improper heat treating of, key internal parts that included the bolt, barrel extension, accelerator, firing pin, trigger and extractor. Inaccurate manufacturing tolerances also contributed to leaking water jackets at the muzzle cap. The most severe problem was due to the pounding of the breech lock on the breech lock cam causing cracks in the receiver side and bottom plates.

As early as 1919, steps were taken to remedy these problems; the most obvious being welding or riveting a “U” stirrup under the bottom plate and extending up each side of the receiver to strengthen the receiver box. A program was initiated by Rock Island Arsenal in 1936 to covert all Model of 1917 guns with upgrades. Changes included a large, new-manufactured reinforced bottom plate that extended up the sides of the receiver and riveted in place, a new belt feed lever, an improved top cover latch that also incorporated a hold open feature and a new rear sight graduated in yards for the M1 ball cartridge (original Model of 1917 sights were in meters). This improved version of the Model of 1917 was designated as the M1917A1. (The “Model of” designation for U.S. arms was dropped in 1939 and replaced with the letter “M”.)

During World War II, more changes occurred to the M1917A1 that included an improved bolt, the bronze end cap and trunnion replaced by steel, the steam tube assembly was strengthened and the rear leaf sight graduated for the now standard M2 ball cartridge. While almost all Model of 1917s were ultimately converted to the A1 specifications, production resumed from 1936 to 1945 with 55,859 M1917A1s being produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The M1917A1 was used extensively in both theaters of operation during World War II and continued service throughout the Korean War and the beginning stages of Vietnam.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2

During the interwar period, many attempts were made to improve on the M1918 BAR. The M1918A1 and the M1922 were made in very small quantity, with the basic addition of a bipod being the most obvious change. In 1938-39, serious work was begun on what became the Browning Automatic Rifle, Model of 1918A2. The initial experiments with the bipod were expanded upon, and the bipod placement was moved to the front of the barrel utilizing a new flash hider to secure it. The bipod allowed full rotation of the barrel, which made up somewhat for the loss of traverse due to the forward location.

A second addition was that of a pistol grip which extends slightly below the trigger. The method of firing was changed from select fire, (semiautomatic and fully automatic) in the Model of 1918, to dual rate of fire in the Model of 1918A2. This rate reducing mechanism was initially based on the Belgian FN-D BAR trigger group but was later adapted to a US design. Magazine guides were also added to the front of the trigger guard. The fore end was shortened and a heat shield was added, all to help the cooling process. There was a hinged buttplate to add support from the operator’s shoulder, and the new buttstock design allowed for a monopod stock rest.

Production of the M1918A2 was initially performed by upgrading M1918 and M1918A1 BARs. M1918A2 new manufacturing was started in January of 1943. The M1918A2 BAR served in the US military forces throughout World War II, Korea, and well into the Vietnam War. M1918A2s are still seen in various inventories around the world, obsolete though they are.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4

The success of John Browning’s designs is evident in the proliferation of Browning machine guns used by U.S. and other forces around the world. The end of World War I and the advent of more mobile military forces led firearms designers to confront new problems of portability, and the use of tanks and aircraft compounded this. Browning’s basic design for the M1917 series had morphed from water-cooled to air-cooled as early as 1918, and the first models of 1919 Browning machine guns were basically for aircraft use.

The most prolific of the air-cooled Browning machine guns in rifle caliber was the M1919A4. This final variant was designed as either a flexible mount unit for tank use, or for mounting on the M2 tripod with traverse & elevation mechanism and pintle. Production began with the adoption of the M1919A4 in 1935. At that time, all M1919A2 and other earlier variants were started onto a rebuild program to have the longer 24 inch heavy barrel as well as other modifications. By 1939 the elongated slots in the barrel jacket were changed to the quickly recognizable pattern of 5/8 inch diameter holes.

The M1919A4 served well into the Vietnam War for U.S. forces and is still in use today in various armies around the world, primarily in South and Central America and Africa, although most have been replaced with more modern weapons. The M1919A4 was fielded in .30-06, but it has been issued to various armies in 8mm Mauser, 7.62×51 NATO, 7.65 Argentine, and others.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6

The Browning M1919A6 was conceived as a stop-gap measure to fill a void between the M1919A4 and the BAR. The BAR, while relatively light and portable, did not have the capability of sustained firepower. The M1919A4, while perfectly adequate, lacked the ability to be quickly set up and employed and still required the use of a tripod for stability.

The Infantry Board in 1942 investigated many light machine guns of the time, including the German MG42. While a number of designs were submitted, wartime shortages, production constraints and immediate need precluded the design and production of a superior weapon versus modifying a current production weapon to fill the need. (A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.) Reminiscent of Germany’s decision in World War I to develop a light machine gun from an already existing production gun (the MG08/15 from the MG08), the Infantry Board decided to make modifications to the Browning M1919A4 machine gun.

Beginning in 1943, the gun was standardized as the M1919A6 and featured a removable shoulder stock, a lighter barrel with a different barrel bushing to accommodate a bipod and was fitted with a carrying handle. The gun weighed 12.5 pounds lighter than the M1919A4 mounted on its M2 tripod, and was easily transportable and set up by one man. Other than these relatively minor modifications, the gun was mechanically identical to the M1919A4.

Production of the M1919A6 was by the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors, who produced 43,479 M1919A6s. A number of M1919A4s were also converted to the M1919A6 configuration. The gun saw wide service in the last two years of World War II and continued to see service through the Korean War and the early years of Vietnam.

U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1

Development of the M1 rifle began in 1919. Limited funds and the conflicting ideas of many of those involved caused the program to drag on until 1936, when a suitable prototype finally emerged. Original prototype rifles were chambered for a .276 caliber cartridge. However, the weapons were soon changed over to the existing, standard U.S. 30-06 round by order of General Douglas MacArthur. The decision was due in part to the large stockpiles of the ammunition that remained from the First World War. The basic M1 design was continually refined until 1940 when large-scale production finally began.

The gas operated, semiautomatic M1 rifle was the inspiration of John C. Garand, who designed the weapon while employed by the Springfield Armory. During World War II, the M1 rifle was manufactured by Springfield Armory and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Approximately 4,040,802 M1 rifles were manufactured from 1937 to 1945. The remarkable M1 design was to have a service life extending long past the conclusion of World War II.

In 1950, the outbreak of hostilities in Korea brought the World War II M1 out of pending retirement. A dwindling supply of rifles dictated that additional M1s would be needed and production resumed. During the Korean Conflict M1 rifles were manufactured by International Harvester, Harrington & Richardson and the Springfield Armory. During the1950s era, approximately 1,427,970 additional M1 rifles were produced, and many more WWII era rifles refurbished. The last M1 rifle was manufactured in 1957.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2

Immediately following World War I, experiments began on making a high speed air-cooled Browning machine gun variant for aircraft use. The original high speed guns were designed by Colt, and these included the M1918, M1918A1, M1919, and MG40. Each model had its problems, leading to the next variant. Part of the problem was that in going to the newer more powerful M2 .30-06 service cartridge, the cyclic rates went up by percentages in the 20% range. At 1,000 rpm, problem occurrences were magnified.

The final variant of the high speed Browning machine gun is commonly referred to as the “Aircraft Gun” or the “M2”. The prefix “AN” simply stands for “Army-Navy.” There were two basic models of the M2: Fixed or Flexible. The M2 Fixed gun was forward firing only, mounted in the wings or cowling, for remote firing by the pilot on an aircraft. The M2 Flexible gun had a spade grip assembly and was mounted so that an air gunner could engage targets within his traverse area.

The M2 guns were designed so that they could be switched out for feeding from either the right or left sides. This also allowed for the use of a twin mount. Twin M2 Browning machine guns firing at 1,200 rpm each made for a very impressive increase in hit probability in air battles.

The M1941 Johnson Rifle

Designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., the M1941 Johnson was unique for a rifle caliber semiautomatic weapon because it was recoil operated rather than the more commonly used gas operating system. This unique feature made the Johnson rifle easy to manufacture and less prone to gas fouling. The weapon also featured a 10 round rotary magazine that could be topped off with additional rounds. The nomenclature M1941 was a commercial designation as there were no Johnson rifles manufactured under U.S. contracts.

The Johnson Automatics Company subcontracted with the Universal Windings Company to manufacture the weapon at their factory complex located in Cranston, Rhode Island. The company would be known as the Cranston Arms Company. Approximately 30,000 Johnson Rifles were manufactured before production ceased in early 1943.

Although the Marine Corps had chosen the M1 Garand, few M1 rifles were available as wartime demand far exceeded the supply. One feature of the Johnson rifle that the Marines liked was it could be easily broken down. This was considered an asset for their newly formed “Paramarine” battalions where the rifles could be easily carried when disassembled. The Marines procured a limited number of the Johnson rifles for issue to the 1st Parachute Battalion in 1942.

Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun

Invented and designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., it was his intent that the M1941 Johnson LMG replace the BAR. Despite the light machine gun designation, it really was an automatic rifle like the BAR. Notwithstanding the name game, the M1941 LMG had many unique features. Chambered for the M2 .30-06 cartridge, it had a straight line stock which decreased muzzle rise during full automatic fire; necessitating a high front sight. It was light weight at only about 13 pounds and was very accurate in the semiautomatic mode as it fired from a closed bolt, yet in full automatic mode, fired from an open bolt to assist in cooling and preventing cook-offs from a hot barrel. The magazine well was also unique in that the 20-round box magazine could be topped-off by the addition of single rounds through the right side of the receiver or by five round stripper clips. Additionally, the feed lips were a machined part of the receiver rather than being part of the magazine and thus not subject to deformation. The M1941 LMG also employed a quick change barrel.

The M1941 Johnson light machine gun was never officially adopted by the U.S. but was used by selected units of the Marines and Army. Because BARs were in short supply, the U.S. Marines obtained a small quantity of M1941 LMGs primarily intended for use by airborne units and Marine Raiders which saw combat use in the South Pacific. The Army also acquired some M1941 LMGs for issue to the Army’s First Special Service Force, the OSS and there are unconfirmed reports that they were also used by some Army Rangers.

Though some 10,000 M1941 LMGs were produced by Cranston Arms Company, only a relative few (less than 3 percent) were used by the U.S. with the bulk originally ordered by the Dutch for use in the Dutch East Indies. At the fall of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese, the remaining guns of the contract were embargoed so as not to fall into Japanese hands and is the reason a number of guns were available to the U.S. as needed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37

The .30 caliber M37 machine gun was a post World War II machine gun variation designed as a secondary weapon for use on combat vehicles and tanks. The M37 differed from the M1919A4 in that it could be fed from either the right or left side by repositioning of a few parts. The top cover also had a new type latch that could be opened from either side. The M37 was generally used as a fixed tank weapon, but was also utilized in the flexible role, primarily by the U.S. Marine Corps. When used in the flexible role, rear sights were added and the weapon was used on the M2 tripod. Among other improvements, the M37 featured a chromed trunnion block, barrel and booster. Many of the parts of the M37 were redesigned and not readily interchangeable with the M1919A4 machine gun. Rock Island Arsenal and Saco-Lowell Shops manufactured the M37 machine gun from 1953 to 1969. The M37C variation was similar to the M37, but used an electric solenoid to fire the weapon, and rather than manually charged, it used a hydraulic system to perform the task. The M37C was used in early helicopter applications, as well as being fitted in the U.S. M48 and M60 tanks.

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt action
Overall length: 43.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist right hand 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 8.69 pounds
Magazine: Integral, 5 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade.
Rear: M1903 ladder type, M1903-A3 stamped, aperture type .
Production: Pre-WWII approximately 1,704,779. During WWII 1,415,593
Manufacturers:
    World War I: (M1903) Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal.
    World War II: (M1903-A4) Remington Arms, L.C. Smith & Corona

Model: U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: 30 lbs.
Overall length: 48.5 inches
Barrel length: 25.1 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 30-round metal feed strip
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,800 yards Warner & Swasey M1908 telescopic sight
Production: 670
Manufacturer: Colt, Springfield Armory

Model: U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs. Tripod: 50 lbs.
Overall length: 43 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 12,125
Manufacturer: Colt

Model: U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1904
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 57.5 lbs. Tripod: 80 lbs.
Overall length: 44 inches
Barrel length: 28.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 287
Manufacturer: Vickers, Sons & Maxim, Colt

Model: M1914 Colt Automatic Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas impingement system
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 35 lbs. Tripod: 56 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 25,000
Manufacturer: Colt, Marlin-Rockwell

Model: U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 25.5 lbs. Bipod: 3 lbs.
Overall length: 51 inches
Barrel length: 26.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 47-round rotating pan magazine
Sights: Front: Blade protected by ears.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,100 yards
Production: 8,500
Manufacturer: Savage Arms Co.

Model: U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 30 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,800 meters
Production: Approximately 72,000. Wartime 42,750
Manufacturer: New England Westinghouse, Remington, Colt.

Model: U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt-action
Overall length: 46.25 inches
Barrel length: 26 inches, twist: left hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.187 pounds
Magazine: 5 rounds integral box type
Sights: Front: protected blade
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable ladder sight
Production: Approximately 2.4 million
Manufacturers: Remington, Winchester, Eddystone

Model: U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, long-recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19 lbs.
Overall length: 45.5 inches
Barrel length: 17 inches
Cyclic rate: 300 rounds per minute
Feed: 16-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: V-notch tangent
Production: 19,241
Manufacturer: C.S.R.G. (Chauchat, Sutter, Ribeyrolle & Gladiator

Model: Marlin Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917/18
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated straight piston
Cooled: Air
Weight: 25.0 lbs.
Overall length: 40 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 600 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front and rear sights varied by model and application. Ground guns had similar sights to theColt M1914. Other mountings used a variety of aircraft and anti-aircraft sights.
Production: 1917 (Navy): 1,605; 1917/18
Aircraft: 38,000
Manufacturer: Marlin Arms Corporation, Marlin-RockwellCompany

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30,Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 15.5 lbs.
Overall length: 47 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 102,125
Manufacturer: Winchester, Marlin-Rockwell, Colt

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 33 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 55,859
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19.4 lbs.
Overall length: 47.8 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 300-450/ 500-650 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 249,380 total new production as A2
Manufacturer: New England Small Arms (NESA), 168,363; IBM Corporation, 20,017; Royal Typewriter Company, 61,000

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs.
Overall length: 53 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 43,479
Manufacturer: Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2 Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 23.0 lbs
Overall length: 39.9 inches
Barrel length: 23.9 inches
Cyclic rate: 1,200 rounds per minute
Feed: disintegrating links Sights: Varied according to mounting
Production: Brown-Lipe-Chapin 33,311; Buffalo
Arms Co. 96,822; Savage 14,800; Colt 49,681
Manufacturer: Brown-Lipe-Chapin Div. General Motors, Buffalo Arms Company, Savage Arms, Corporation. Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg.

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 31 lbs. Tripod: 14 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt or disintegrating links
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 31,596; Saginaw 367,853; Buffalo 38,300. Total production of all M1919A4 variants from 1939 to 1945: 441,494.
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors, Buffalo Arms Co

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, gas operated
Overall length: 43.6-inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist: right hand, 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Magazine: 8 round enbloc clip
Sights: Front: Blade with protective ears
Rear: Aperture
Production: Approximately 5,468,772
Manufacturers: World War II: Springfield Armory, Winchester Korean War era: Harrington & Richardson, International Harvester, Springfield Armory

Model: M1941 Johnson Rifle
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 45.87 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Feed: Internal rotary type, 10 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 30,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full Automatic, semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 42 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 13 pounds
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Magazine: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: Folding aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 10,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 31 lbs.
Overall length: 41.75 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-550 rounds per minute
Feed: Disintegrating links
Sights: Added for C Front: Folding blade
Added for C Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 7,340; Saco, unknown
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saco-Lowell Shops

So you ponied up the money for that original MG42 you always wanted, patiently waited for what seemed like years for the transfer to come through, and bought every accessory the German army ever had. You have a pallet of ammunition belted up and ready to go. So when the transfer finally comes through, you think you can just pack up the truck, head to the range, and blast away? Well, not so fast there, Hans. You might want to save yourself a few headaches by first reading the following saga about what my wife and I went through to get our MG42 to run…

In preparation for the arrival of our MG42, I wanted to make sure that I had everything I would need to immediately hit the range. I already had several cases of .308 on hand, but no 8mm, which is what our gun was chambered for. But luckily, one of the great things about the MG42 is the ease of caliber conversion from the obsolete 8mm to the popular .308. So initially, I opted to pick up the parts for the caliber conversion instead of buying some 8mm. I ordered a barrel, top cover, feed tray, and booster assembly from RTG Parts. I also had complete parts kits in both 8mm and .308, a post war ground mount, and an anti-aircraft (AA) tripod. If I needed a spare part, I had it. Lastly, I ordered two translated German MG42 manuals from John Baum. I was ready to rock.

The big day finally arrives and our new (to us) MG42 was delivered. What a glorious day it was as my wife watched me pull out of the box an excellent condition, World War II era MG42 covered in grease and oozing with history. As I began to field strip the gun, it was apparent that this gun had not been abused. The finish was blued and in great condition, with no major dings nor any rust. The trunnion (cam piece) was not chipped or damaged and all the rivets were tight. Because I had read tons of information, I knew what to look for – or so I thought. Yep, this was going to be great. I gave the gun a good cleaning and lube, and changed out the barrel, top cover, and feed tray, so we could shoot .308. I also installed a bolt catch to significantly reduce the chance of blowing up the gun. With several belts loaded up, everything was ready to go.

The next day, my wife and I headed out to the range. My wife is an avid shooter and those who know her know two things about her shooting habits. The first is she likes to lay on the trigger for long bursts until she is out of ammunition. The second is she has limited patience for tinkering with a gun. She uses shooting as her primary stress reliever, so it needs to work and work well. There will be no problems at this range session though. This MG42 is in great condition so it will run just fine, and all I brought were 50 round belts, so she was not going to be melting any barrels. I mounted the gun on the AA tripod, loaded up a 50 round belt, nestled the stock into my shoulder, and pulled the trigger. The sear released the bolt, which stripped a round from the belt, chambered it… and nothing. Hmm, I assumed it must be a bad round. I cocked the gun again, pulled the trigger, and the same thing occurred. Surely, I could not have had two bad rounds back to back. This was clean Portuguese surplus ammunition, which I have never had any problems with in the past. Third time’s a charm? Nope. With my wife hawking over the situation and anxiously waiting to get some trigger time, it was time to step back and take a look at exactly what was going on.

I picked up the rounds and inspected them. All three had light primer strikes and had failed to ignite. The gun was just cleaned so I knew that there was not any crud slowing the bolt down, nor was the firing pin being impeded by a clogged firing pin hole. I figured that although the firing pin had looked good, in reality, maybe it was a tad too worn. Luckily of all the parts I did not bother to bring, I did bring an extra complete bolt. I swapped out the bolt for one that looked like it was brand new. With the gun back together, and loaded up, I pulled the trigger. Bang… then silence. I cocked it again, pulled the trigger, and this time it did not fire at all. With my wife getting impatient, I tried it a few more times. Sometimes it fired, sometimes not, but when it did, it was only one round. Frustrated, I had had enough. The MG42 got put away and we blasted away with some other machine guns to reduce the tension. The wife was happy.

Once I got home, I disassembled the gun and began to go over the parts, comparing them to those in the parts kits to see if something looked amiss. Every part from the gun appeared to be in excellent shape and looked just like its counterpart in the kits; that is all except one: the recoil spring. The one in the gun was obviously shorter than the others I had. That had to be it! I put the gun back together with the newer recoil spring. After it was together, I gave the charging handle a pull. It was noticeably more difficult to retract compared to the original spring, but we would have to wait a week before we could try it out.

The week passed, and we got back out to the range to finally do some blasting with the historic piece. My wife had an especially stressful week, so she was ready to tear up a few targets – better them than me. With the MG42 on its tripod and a belt loaded, I settled in for a quick burst. Brrrraaap. I released the trigger and about three rounds had let go. With a proud grin, I informed my wife that it was now working and after I finished the belt she would finally get her turn. Hunkered down to ceremoniously finish the belt, I pulled the trigger, and nothing happened, not even the bolt releasing. In all my excitement, I did not realize that the gun had a stoppage a split second before I had released the trigger. I pulled the charging handle back and a live round came out with an empty case caught between the bolt and the extension on the charging handle that contacts the bolt. I figured it was a slight hiccup, no big deal, just blowing out some cobwebs so to speak. I cleared the gun and readied it for another firing. The same thing happened, a short burst followed by a stoppage with a live round partially chambered and an empty case stuck up in the receiver. This was no longer any fun. I had a gun that would not run and a wife who needed to shoot. I asked my wife to keep an eye on the charging handle when I tried the next burst to see if it might be vibrating loose and possibly giving some resistance to the bolt travel. Under her watchful stare, it remained forward, locked in place, just like it should be. Damn.

I gave my wife an MP5 to calm her down, while I went at it with the MG42. Maybe the problem was with the ejector or extractor. I had a total of three complete bolts with me, so I chose the bolt with the best looking extractor, and put in the newest ejector pin and ejector bar I had. No dice – it still would not run. Maybe there was a headspace problem and the bolt was locking up too tight. Since I did not have any headspace gauges with me, I resorted to trying each bolt with each of the two barrels I had with me. Every time I would get excited with anticipation that this would be the winning combination, and every time I was sorely disappointed with the same problem. By this time I was really getting irritated. Between changing out so many parts and the wind coming off the neighboring river, my hands were cold and stiff. While I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the heck could possibly be wrong, I noticed my wife smiling as she was emptying magazine after magazine into the berm. At least someone out here was happy.

Could it be that maybe the belts were too tight for the .308? I did recall some were easier to load than others, and I was still on my first belt. Since I had no way of knowing now which belts were the easier ones I loaded, I had to just start trying them. Belt after belt, I would try it at least twice, and then move on to the next one. I even tried a disintegrating belt of M13 links. I still could not get it to run. After the last belt, I opened the top cover and inspected the pressure plate thinking it might be the problem. Comparing it to one on a new cover I had, its spring pressure and shape were the same.

By this time my wife must have blazed through half of a case of 9mm, so she came over to presumably give me a hand. No such luck, she wanted the UZI. She did ask how things were progressing though. As I watched her pull out some UZI magazines, I noticed another booster assembly sitting there, but it only had two parts to it. Since an 8mm booster assembly has three parts, that one had to be for .308. All this time I had been running with the incorrect 8mm booster. Additionally, the .308 booster has a smaller exit hole, thereby allowing the escaping gases to impart a greater force to operate the gun. I quickly swapped out the boosters. And just as quickly, I found out that other than increasing the rate of fire a bit, it still malfunctioned. It was time to pack up and head home.

At this point, the only thing I could possibly think of was that maybe the recuperator springs needed to be changed. The recoil spring had needed to be replaced, so maybe these did too. I tried the German recommended field test, which essentially says that with the flash hider off, the recuperator springs should support the gun standing on its barrel bushing. It goes on to say with the gun pushed down on its muzzle, compressing the recuperator springs, they should be able to easily lift the gun back up. The assembly passed the test, but since I did not have anything to lose, I removed the recuperator assembly and shipped it off to Bob “Bubba” Naess at Black River Militaria for a rebuild. Before I packed it up though, I compared the spring pressure of it to the two spares I had. They all felt similar, but since my sense of feel is not calibrated to measure spring constants, I was not taking any chances.

Fast forward several weeks to when I get the recuperator assembly back from Black River Militaria. The assembly was cleaned, lubricated, and had all of its springs changed. During the time our prized MG42 had been sitting idle, I was further educating myself about MG42s with every piece of reference material I could lay my hands on. Learning about how important the recuperator assembly is to the firing sequence, I was convinced that this was my problem. So without further delay, the rebuilt assembly went back into the gun.

That following weekend it was back out to range to finally give our MG42 the workout she was yearning for. After convincing my wife that we did not need to bring any other guns because we were going to be far too busy shooting the MG42 and refilling the belts, we loaded the truck and headed out. We got out to the range and started unpacking. So familiar was the ritual of unloading and setting up the MG42 from past trips that I was starting to get the sinking feeling that things might turn out with the same disappointing results. Maybe I should have brought some other hardware, just in case.

Loaded up with a fresh belt that I purposely chose because it was easily loaded, we were ready. Pulling the trigger, she came to life… for about four rounds, and then choked. My wife’s smile faded as she reminded me of my choice to not bring any other firearms because we would be way too busy shooting the MG42. I was at a complete loss. I had checked, replaced, and/or repaired every part on the gun. Or had I…

The checklist

So what do you check for when you first get that MG42? I would highly advise to first purchase at least one of John Baum’s translated MG42 manuals. They are worth their weight in gold. Next, review the following list of the more common things to check which will minimize the chance of problems:

• Cleanliness. This may be obvious to some, but make sure the gun is clean, especially the chamber and bolt guide rails. A quick test for chamber cleanliness is to hold the barrel chamber end up and drop a cartridge into it. The cartridge should be able to completely chamber itself under its own weight. Then, when the barrel is turned upside down, the cartridge should fall out by itself. To test the guide rails, remove the stock, buffer, recoil spring, and bolt. Then, with the gun tilted forward, and the trigger pulled, insert the bolt into the receiver and let it slide forward. It should freely slide all the way into the barrel extension. It should not hang up anywhere or encounter any significant resistance along the way. If there is a hang-up, check to make sure the rails are clean and free of any obstructions.

• Recuperator springs. The German operator’s manual recommends testing the strength of the recuperator assembly by removing the flash hider and standing the gun up on its muzzle end, resting on the barrel bushing. The recuperator springs should support the weight of the gun and not allow the barrel to move. The testing should continue by pushing down on the gun while in the same muzzle down position, then allowing the recuperator springs to lift the gun back up, putting the barrel into its extended position. The springs should be able to do this easily, although it is subjective as to what easily is. If there is any inclination that the springs may be weak, have them replaced. On every recoil of the gun, the barrel extension slams into the trunnion, damaging them over time. There is no way to prevent this; it is inherent in the design of the gun. If the recuperator springs are weak, the barrel hits the trunnion with greater force, thereby accelerating the damage.

• Recoil spring. The length of the recoil spring should be at least as long as the distance from the rear edge of the receiver to the front edge of the feed tray. Its designed length is 16.9 inches.
• Ejector pin and ejector bar. Make sure the ejector pin is not bent, damaged, or “mushroomed” on the end. When in its extended position, it should extend out to about the front edge of the bolt head. The ejector bar should be straight, without any warps or bends, and should have no chipping.
• Extractor. The extractor should not have any chips in it and have a clean, sharp edge. With the bolt out of the gun, the extractor should securely hold a dummy cartridge in a horizontal position.
• Firing pin and firing pin hole. The firing pin hole needs to be free of dirt, grease, and crud. If it is obstructed, even partially, the firing pin may be prevented from extending out enough to fire the cartridge, or even worse, may remain extended and possibly fire a round out of battery. The firing pin itself should be unbent, smooth with no burrs, and not excessively worn.
• Pressure plate. The pressure plate, which is the finger-like piece in the top cover that directs the cartridge into the chamber, needs to have stiff spring pressure and give much resistance when pushed. The plate cannot be bent at an abnormal angle otherwise the cartridges may hang up going into the chamber. If it is bent too much the round will nose dive into the barrel extension. If bent too little, or has a weak spring, the round will be presented too high into the barrel extension.
• Buffer. Ensure that the buffer head is aligned straight with the buffer spring. This allows the recoil spring to freely slide on the buffer. If the head and buffer spring are misaligned, the recoil spring may get hung up and interfere with the cycling of the gun.
• Booster exit hole. According to the German manual H.Dv. 216/6, the booster exit hole diameter is 11mm for .308 and 11.5mm for 8mm. Although, the MG42 can typically run the larger diameter hole with .308. Doing so will reduce both the rate of fire and the stress imparted on the gun, but may also decrease its reliability.
• Belts. The belts should be free of rust and dirt to ensure that the cartridges are easily stripped free. This is especially critical when using .308 in belts originally designed for 8mm. Until the 8mm belts are fairly used, they can be quite snug for the .308 rounds. If running .308, search out the looser belts by trying to insert a few rounds by hand. A better solution is to use belts specifically designed for .308. An alternative is to employ the proper feed tray and top cover that allow use of the M13 disintegrating links, also commonly referred to as M60 links.
• Ejection port cover spring. The ejection port cover spring needs to be strong enough to keep the ejection port cover fully open. If it is weak, extremely dirty, or covered in grease, it may not hold the ejection port cover open, impeding the expulsion of the empty cases. In the case of a damaged or weak spring, there is the option of just removing the cover and spring completely from the gun as it is unnecessary in a non-combat environment.
• Cocking handle. Make sure the claw part of the cocking handle that latches on to the receiver is not damaged or severely worn. In conjunction, the edge on the receiver where the claw grabs onto needs to also be in good shape and not rounded off. If, during firing, the cocking handle vibrates loose, it may impart some resistance to the traveling bolt, possibly inducing a malfunction.
• .308 conversion parts. When converting from 8mm to .308, some people are willing and able to swap out just the barrels and the gun will run fine. Do yourself a favor and go the whole nine yards by using all of the proper parts. This includes the barrel, booster assembly, feed tray, top cover, and bolt. Granted, some guns can run with only changing out the barrel, but using all of the proper parts reduces the likelihood of malfunctions, especially as the gun gets dirty.

These last few things may not necessarily affect the operation of the gun, but are telltale signs of heavy use.

• Trunnion. Remove the barrel and take a look at the trunnion through the barrel change door. Observe the unlocking ramps, which are the extensions seen on each side of the inside area of the trunnion. There will be some wear on them, but they should not be chipped or damaged. If they are, the trunnion should be replaced by a competent gunsmith.
• Rivets. The rivets that hold the bolt rails, trunnion, buttstock/buffer mounts, grip mount, and recuperator anchor need to be tight. With a lot of shooting, over time they will loosen up.
• Cracking. Over time, cracks may appear in the receiver where the diameter is reduced for the muzzle bearing. Another place where cracks may form is in the web area between the cooling holes. Any cracks are typically a sign of heavy use.

Problem solved

I am sure by now readers are curious as to what happened to our cherished MG42. Was it sold? Banished to the depths of the vault? Thrown in the river? Well, it was none of the above.

After the last miserable outing, and a very long ride home, I was not sure what to do now. It was late in the Saturday evening and I sat down to read the German manuals again. I had a hunch that since I was so excited when they came, I might not have absorbed everything the first time I read them. That hunch turned out to be correct. There, nestled in the pages, was the solution to my problem that I had been overlooking the whole time: the weak dust cover spring. Yep, that was it. It is an unglamorous, boring part that is not even needed for our recreational use of the weapon, but was the cause of my frustration. It turned out that since the spring was weak and covered in grease, it was not holding the dust cover open all the way. As the gun was firing, the vibration would cause the dust cover to close just enough to bounce an ejected case back up into the gun, thereby producing a stoppage. Once I removed the dust cover completely, the gun has never missed a lick. Could all of my frustrations been avoided by just removing the dust cover or replacing its spring the day I got the gun? Possibly. I do believe that the weak recoil spring had something to do with the initial light primer strikes though. But for my sanity, I would like to think that it was a culmination of all of the things that I did. The thought of all of the time wasted on troubleshooting when we could have been shooting is a little disheartening. I just have to consider it as a self-taught, hands-on armorer’s course.

Sources:

MG42 parts and accessories:
RTG Parts
Robert Johnson / RTG Parts
20783 N. 83rd Ave. Suite 103-235
Peoria, Arizona 85382
(623) 362-3459
RobertRTG@earthlink.net
www.robertrtg.com
Translated German ordnance manuals:
John Baum
5678 State Rt. 45
Lisbon, Ohio 44432
John@GermanManuals.Com
www.germanmanuals.com
MG42 gunsmithing services:
Black River Militaria
Robert E. Naess
Rte 131, PO Box 471
Cavendish, VT 05142
(802) 226-7204
BMG17A1@hotmail.com
www.blackrivermilitaria.com

Well before daylight there were vehicles lined up at the gate. The writer has never understood the reasoning behind holding the shoot two weeks before Christmas, but perhaps this timing gives participants a break from the enforced cheerfulness and chores of the holiday season. At any rate, several hundred hardy souls temporarily escaped Christmas shopping to make noise, have fun, and think about something else. No rain yet, just heavy clouds.

Everything seemed to come together part way through the shoot as event director Mark Cook briefly interrupted shooting long enough to inform everyone that the U.S. Supreme Court had overridden its Florida counterpart and had stopped the most recent recount in the Endless Election, our period of electile dysfunction in which the highest court in the land, in George Will’s words, “signaled checkmate against Al Gore’s protracted search for a way to get a court to make him president.” The result was a loud cheer that put everyone in an even better mood. About that time the heavy clouds broke up, and the range was covered with bright sunlight that remained throughout the afternoon and produced a high of 50 degrees. A good omen for shooters? Let’s hope so. We’re overdue.

As shooters came to the firing line in the early morning gloom, they soon laid out an impressive display of weaponry and accessories of all kinds. The most popular piece was, understandably, the M16 in a number of variations and calibers, of which short barreled versions predominated. These, in turn, sported a wide range of muzzle attachments. Joining the M16’s in the assault rifle category were a mix of AK47 variants and what appeared to be either a German Kar 44 or MP44/StG44; both were among the first assault rifle prototypes. Among belt feds, light machine guns of Browning design, mainly 1919 A4’s, dominated the field, along with several BARs. In addition, there were a couple of M60’s, a couple of MG34’s, at least three MG42’s, and a delightful veteran Maxim MG ’08. Then there were many submachine guns of several calibers, including Thompson’s, Uzi’s, Mac’s, grease guns, Sten’s, Yugo 49’s, PPSh 41’s, and a few unique items such as an FN P90. The latter is a futuristic looking creation in 5.7mm caliber that was originally intended for support troops but that is also being used by law enforcement agencies. SAR has covered the P90 in military issue in past volumes.

There seemed to be a better than usual representation of .50 caliber arms both in Ma Deuce machine guns and in .50 caliber rifles. These were interspersed wherever the owners wanted to setup, but because even this spacious firing line was crowded, it seems likely that in the future the .50’s will be together in one section.

One inventive .50 caliber rifle shooter fashioned a rest almost four feet high of black plastic pipe, the top of it was made half-round, with caps, and the rifle’s bipod feet rested in this so that the shooter could sit more or less upright on a stool and be out of the gravel. Moreover, when shooting a .50 caliber with this rest, recoil was much less punishing than it would have been in the prone position.

Shooters enjoyed a wide choice of targets. In addition to water filled plastic jugs, there were suspended painted lids from 55 gallon steel drums. Non-reactive targets at 200 yards were a tank and a Jurassic creature, both cut from plywood and painted, and overhanging everything were long strings of gaily colored helium filled balloons that were replenished at every break in shooting.

During the afternoon, an enthusiast from another state brought the largest guns, a pair of real showpieces. The first was a beautiful Solothurn 20mm on an original wheeled carriage. Since the company that made this model was physically located in Switzerland, Americans have long wondered why the Swiss, who did not participate in World War II, made so many of these guns that they were widely offered for sale cheaply during the 1950’s. The answer is that following 1929 the plant was partially controlled by Rheinmetall-Borsig, the biggest munitions company in World War II Germany, and this company used the Swiss location to circumvent Allied restrictions on German automatic arms development and production during the inter war period.

Right beside the Solothurn, standing upright when it was at rest, was Don’s Lahti 20mm on a modified stand. The part of the stand attached to the gun was an original cylindrical cage “tree” mount with large take-up screws at the right angles to its axis. When the Finns used this, they cut off a small tree several feet off the ground, set the cage part down over the stump, and then tightened the take-up screws to hold the gun in place, much as some Christmas tree stands work. The present owner fitted a vertical adapter that entered the cage to a wide-foot .50 caliber tripod, so now the gun is held about 4 1/2 feet off the ground and can be fired standing up in treeless areas. Recoil was surprisingly mild, although if fired repeatedly without earplugs it would sell a lot of aspirin.

A break of sorts, at least in noise, was created about noon when there was a half hour period limited to suppressed guns. A surprising number of them immediately appeared, representing specimens from numerous manufacturers. Tom Denall, of Bend, Oregon was there to show the Ruger bolt action .44 Magnum rifle that he suppresses, and Gemtech, of Boise, Idaho had a table with suppressors and catalogs. There was a suppressed .50 M2 on the line, but its suppressor, about a foot long and 2 1/2” in diameter, was so short that the spectators could see powder burning well in front of the opening, and like the suppressed .50 at Knob Creek a couple of years ago, it proved that trying to suppress a .50 with a small can while using full velocity ammo can be a waste of time.

Once again, a very high percentage of attendees came to shoot. By no means all brought guns, but they know that vendors always being a wide variety to rent. Albany admits all those who have paid the “shooter” rate to the firing line, rather than restricting the number of “shooter” badges. This arrangement is especially appreciated by those living in non-Class 3 states such as Washington and California. Most of those who enter as spectators succumb to the appeal of shooting and they are able to become shooters by merely paying a small additional charge for the “shooter” identifying ribbon.

Albany hosts submachine gun matches on the second Sunday of most months, but the next open shoot of this magnitude will be the weekend of May 19-20, 2001. Then, in addition to this kind of informal open shooting, state championships for submachine gun, assault rifle, crew served, and belt fed competitions will be decided. These championships are fired mainly at steel plates of various sizes which require combat strength loads to knock them down, and are quite popular.

Updates and further information are available from: Albany Rifle and Pistol Club, Box 727, Albany, Oregon 97321. The website is www.proaxis.com/arpc For those bringing guns, the 5320.20 address is: Albany Rifle and Pistol Club, 2999 Saddle Butte Road, Shedd, Oregon 97377. Mark Cook, the Event Director may be reached at 541-745-5619.