M73 machine gun
| Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M219 | |
|---|---|
Belt Feed , left or right hand |
The M73 and M219 are
Design and development
Designed primarily as a coaxial machine gun by the Rock Island Arsenal and produced by General Electric, the M73 was developed as a replacement for the M1919A4E1, M1919A5, and M37 machine guns that continued to serve in the immediate post-World War II environment.
The Machine 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 flexible infantry gun saw the weapon fitted with sights and a pistol grip trigger as the Machine 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 the Machine Gun, 7.62-MM, M73A1. In 1972, it was decided that this weapon was sufficiently different from its predecessor and was redesignated Machine Gun, 7.62-MM, M219. These weapons were eventually replaced by the M60E2 and M240 machine gun, and vehicles still in service using the M73 series were refitted with these weapons.[1][2]
Variants
M73
- Adopted in 1959
M73C
- Flexible infantry variant with sights and pistol grip. Concept development. Never entered service.
- Used a special tripod, the XM132. It was a standard M2 mount for the .30 cal. Browning M1919A4 with an adapter to fit the M73C.[1]
M73A1/M219
- Developed in 1970 as an improved version with simplified ejection mechanism attempting to reduce chronic jamming
- Redesignated in 1972 as the M219
See also
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Ezell, Ed. Small Arms Today, 2nd Edition. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1988. ISBN 0-8117-2280-5.
- Gervasi, Tom. Arsenal of Democracy III: America's War Machine, the Pursuit of Global Dominance. New York, NY: Grove Press, Inc, 1984. ISBN 0-394-54102-2.
External links
- The short film MACHINEGUN, 7.62MM, TANK M73 - PART I OPERATION AND DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- M73 machine gun at Modern Friearms website
