 | Subject: Machine guns in Korean WarPosted by Tom England Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 10:26:50 Message: I was with the 2nd Batt., 1st Marine Reg in 1951-53 and I had a Browning heavy machine gun. I remember changing the barrel of it under fire, but when I said that to someone at a reunion, they sid you can't change the barrel of those things. Am I remembering wrong or are they wrong? Anyone who has had experience with this, please contact me. | |
 | RE: Machine guns in Korean War Posted by John Schneider Sunday, August 05, 2007 at 07:34:07 Message: Yes you could change the barrel of the Heavy Machinegun, cal. .30 M1917-A1. The rear of the barrel had a groove in which one wrapped asbestos string soaked in oil. After the new barrel had been put in place,the same oil soaked string was wrapped around the front end. Then the water gland, a nut that screwed inside the water jacket, was slipped over the barrel. Tighten the nut, and you have a waterproof seal.They did make a watercooled .50 that worked on the same principle. | |
| RE: Machine guns in Korean War Posted by Tom England Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 11:13:37 Message: To Bert, Thanks for the info on changing barrels on the 30 caliber machine gun. I hadn't thought of going to the 1951 Guidebllok for Marines. Semper fi. Tom | |
| RE: Machine guns in Korean War Posted by Bert Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 02:17:59 Message: I got this from my old 1951 Guidebook for Marines: The A4 LMG and HMG were identical except for the water jacket on the HMG, which had to be removed before changing the barrel. The A4 broke down into four main groups: Back plate; bolt; lock frame; barrel extension and barrel. They could all be broken down using the rim and point of a cartridge. The barrel screwed into the barrel extension and each LMG was issued a spare barrel. In the USMC during the Korean war (after the battalions got the third rifle company), each rifle company MG platoon was equipped with 6 HMGs and 6 LMGs. | |
| RE: Machine guns in Korean War Posted by Terry Hoover Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 11:04:58 Message: Are you sure it was a Browning Heavy MG? The heavy MG (.30 cal.)was a water cooled gun. The light MG had a barrel that could be changed (I think it could be changed, could be wrong). The jacket on the light MG barrel had cooling holes in it. Maybe the heavy had a barrel that could be changed also? Is it possible that it was a .50 cal. M2 heavy MG? That had a barrel that could be changed. Since I'm 57 years old and served with USMC in Vietnam, of course I have never handled a Browning MG, so this is just hearsay on my part. Semper Fi, Terry | |