Browning 1919A4 "machine rifle"...

[heypete]

While not the full-auto version, I'm looking at buying a Browning 1919A4 semi-auto "machine rifle". Believe it or not, they're still legal in California, so long as one doesn't snap together more than ten links.

I've seen a few all-in-one packages of working .308 guns on GunBroker and so forth, but I can't afford the nearly $1,700 for the gun, links, tripod, etc. The tripod alone is nearly $600.

I'm looking at just buying a parts kit and the semi-auto sideplate at different times and putting them together, but I must admit that I'm not terribly familiar with how ones does that. Is it simply Slot A into Tab B, or does it require riveting or more serious work to affix the sideplate?

Does anyone here have any experience with them? How easy are they to disassemble and clean? They certainly appear to have more operating mechanisms than most "regular" rifles.

The trigger looks like one needs to pull it up, rather than back, to fire. This seems to be a rather unusual means of doing so. I'm curious what the proper method of gripping and firing the 1919 is...pictures I've found online haven't been terribly helpful.

Any information to help me make an informed decision and (hopefully) purchase would be much appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[Ian Sean]

I built one and a friend built one, We spliit up the tooling costs and worked together.

There is really so much for you to learn and so much info you need it is best you go right to the source.

http://www.1919a4.com

Every bit of info you will need, I hope you have a printer and lots of paper!

One major problem I have found with my semi 1919 is its appetite for .308...this is one hungry gun, and once you pop off a string of 100 rounds....it is so fun and feels.....well I can't get into to much detail this being a family forum and all.

 

[444]

A good friend of mine built one.
I don't know what was involved, but he is no machinest and doesn't own any precision tools or anything.
After he was done, he parkerized it and it looks beautiful. He also made a wooden crate for it that holds the gun and tripod. Painted it, put the rope handles on the end etc. Looks just like a GI wooden crate. He did very nice work on all of it.
That being said, I don't see the point of it. I have shot it with him. It is really big and really heavy. It takes a little bit of work to load and set up. When you are all done you have nothing more than a really big, heavy, non-manuverable, .308 semi-auto rifle with poor sights.
But, for him, it was a fun project to work on and he enjoyed it.

 

[TIMC]

I bought a complete gun from US Ordnance and have never regretted it, she runs like a bat out of he**.
1919A4.com is a good place to get a lot of information. I don't know about the 10 round thing, that is really a waste for this gun almost sacreligious. I use a Vickers tripod with mine and I have a crankfire device on it, 10 rounds will last less than 2 seconds. She will run a 200 round belt in about 25 seconds. I don't think they allow the crankfire in the peoples republic of cali.
Good luck on your project.
Here are pics of my baby:

 

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Pete, try over on www.calguns.net, we had a recent shoot down at Los Altos Rod & Gun and Sned45 brought his 1919... and it was outstanding; check page 3 of this thread for pictures.

Sned built his up part by part, and I'm seriously trying to stash some cash to build one as well. PM him and he'll fill you in on all the details.

 

[heypete]

QuarterBoreGunner: Excellent information. I'll do that later today.

Turns out I did, in fact, win the particular gun I was bidding on. I'm debating if I should bother with the tripod -- it looks like Sned45 didn't have one. Was that a problem? I'll message him.

It should be at the FFL by Friday, I hope, and 10 days after that it'll be in my eager hands.