| Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M219 | |
|---|---|
 M219 Machine Gun | |
| Type | Machine gun |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service |
|
| Used by | U.S./NATO-aligned countries |
| Wars | Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1950s |
| Produced | 1950s–1970s |
| Variants | SeeVariants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | |
| Length | 48 in (1,219.2 mm) |
| Barrel length | 24 in (609.6 mm) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×51mm NATO |
| Action | Recoil-operated/short-recoil operation with gas assist |
| Rate of fire | 500–625round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,800 ft/s (853.44 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 984 yd (899.8 m) |
| Maximum firing range | 4,000 yd (3,657.6 m) |
| Feed system | Belt feed, left or right hand |
TheM73 andM219 are7.62 mm NATO calibermachine guns designed for tank use. It is no longer in use by NATO countries. They were used on theM48 Patton andM60 Patton MBT series (including theM728 Combat Engineer Vehicle), as well as theMBT-70 prototype vehicles, and on theM551 Sheridan Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle (AR/AAV). They were also used in a twin mount in the turret of theV-100 Commando (M706) light armored car during the Vietnam War.
Designed primarily as a coaxial machine gun by theRock Island Arsenal and produced byGeneral Electric, the M73 was developed as a replacement for theM1919A4E1,M1919A5, andM37 machine guns that continued to serve in the immediate post-World War II environment.
TheMachine Gun, 7.62-MM, M73 was officially adopted in 1959. It is an air-cooled, recoil-operated machine gun, but also using cartridge gases to boost recoil. Though designed as a simplified alternative to the M1919 series, it is of almost identical weight. The weapon is fitted with a quick-change barrel, pull-chain charging assembly, and can be made to feed from the left or the right hand side (though the left-hand feed is more common).[1]
An attempt to make the M73 useful as a flexibleinfantry gun saw the weapon fitted with sights and apistol grip trigger as theMachine Gun, 7.62-MM, M73C. Equally unpopular, very few of these weapons were produced. Sources claim that it saw limited use in Vietnam.[2]
The M73 suffered from numerous malfunctions and was prone to jamming. An improved M73E1 was eventually developed in 1970 with a simplified ejection system, being type classified as theMachine Gun, 7.62-MM, M73A1. In 1972, it was decided that this weapon was sufficiently different from its predecessor and was redesignatedMachine Gun, 7.62-MM, M219. These weapons were eventually replaced by theM60E2 andM240 machine gun, and vehicles still in service using the M73 series were refitted with these weapons.[1][2]
