M1919A4 or A6? "Yes."

So, which is it? M1919A4 or A6?

From Irregular Michael I. we have this image of his Dad:



He writes:

When I saw the picture of the M1919, I recognized it right away. Here's a picture of my dad, Jerry Inman, in Okinawa, I believe around 1959-1960 or so, with one. My only experience with the USMC as a navy corpsman was several years with a tank battalion so I'm not sure about the MOS. I do remember him saying at one time he was a machine gunner, if that's even an MOS.

Keep up the good work.

Now, I have been taken to task for identifying the M1919 pulled from the north Alabama creek as an M1919A6 rather than an M1919A4.

This is a side view of the M1919A6, with bipod and shoulder stock.

This is the M1919A4 from which it was derived.

Another version of the M1919A4, the M1919A6, was an attempt to make the weapon into a light machine gun by attaching a buttstock and lighter barrel — 4 lb instead of 7 lb. The A6 version was in fact heavier than the A4 without its tripod, at 32 lb, though its bipod made for faster deployment and enabled the machine gun team to dispense with one man (the tripod bearer). The A6 version saw increasing service in the latter days of World War II and was used extensively in Korea. The A6 variant had a folding bipod mounted on the front of the gun, a sheet-metal buttstock, carrying handle, and a tapered barrel. While the modifications were intended to make the weapon more useful as a squad light machine gun, it was a stopgap solution, as the M1919A6 was heavier than the old Lewis gun of World War I, let alone the contemporary light machine guns of other nations.

The information below comes principally from BrowningMGs.com.

"This drawing is from SNL A-6 (Standard Nomenclature List) dated September, 1943 and shows the barrel group parts for the A4 and the early A6. The development of the 1919A6 starting in late 1942 required a completely different barrel and a slightly modified jacket design because of the addition of the bipod head. The bipod head mounting required a longer booster/bearing. Early A6's used a shorter barrel jacket, C93962 (16.594 inches long) to accommodate the length of the B261109 one piece bearing/booster which supported the bipod head which was secured in place using the A238235 (snap) ring. The A4 barrel group parts, other than the development of a one piece bearing/booster and Stellite barrels remained virtually unchanged until production ended. July 22, 1943 seems to be the date of the A6's official adoption as that is the original drawing date on most of the A6 drawings."

This photo shows a late A6 Stellite barrel complete with original packaging. The cardboard tube with sleeve end, original VCI wrapping paper and a VCI wick for the bore. VCI is the acronym for volatile corrosion inhibitor a chemical compound that gives off vapors that protect against rust.

Now, an M1919 that started life as an A4 can be converted to an A6 by replacing the barrel, barrel jacket, barrel bearing, booster, booster lock, bipod assembly, butt stock with clamp, carry handle, and top cover latch.

M7 flash hider for 1919A6.

However, I told you all that arcana to tell you this:

Whether it is an A4 or an A6 depends entirely on the barrel. An A6 can be stripped of its carry handle, buttstock and bipod, have a pintle and a traverse and elevation mechanism added on (just like in the photo of the one recovered and look like an A4 yet still be an A6. Curiously, the flash hider/cone seems to be neither an M6 (for the A4) nor a M7 (for the A6). I asked a machine gunner buddy of mine and he thinks the flash hider might be Israeli.

His answer to the question, "Is it an A4 or A6?" was "Yes." "You're right about the barrel being the distinguishing characteristic but there's not enough information in the photo to tell." He concluded, "Well, I CAN tell you it is an M1919."

So now you know. Or not.

Mike
III