.303 Browning measurements

[P.o Prune]

I'm looking for the "overall" measurements of the .303 Browning machinegun for the Spitfire (I assume that it was the same gun in other aircrafts too)

Length and diameter of barrel

Length / width & height og the "block" (the aft part of the machinegun where the firering mechanism is etc)

Also the measurements of the ammo box.

any help will be greatly appreciated... Thank you

[Mitch K]

I did some digging around a little while back, and the M1919 and MG40 are very nearly 4" high and 2" wide. In 1/72 scale it shakes out at about 1.4 by 0.7 mm. I got there by googling m1919 browning plans, and got some nice dimensioned diagrams.

[Giorgio N]

I have some vague memories of blueprints for the M1919 being around on the web, proper blueprints with measurements. Now the 1919 is not identical to the .303 as used in aircrafts, particularly in the barrel, but could be a place to start. If only I could find those blueprints again...

[P.o Prune]

I did some digging around a little while back, and the M1919 and MG40 are very nearly 4" high and 2" wide. In 1/72 scale it shakes out at about 1.4 by 0.7 mm. I got there by googling m1919 browning plans, and got some nice dimensioned diagrams.

Did some looking at that and it looks quite interesting. Thank you.

[P.o Prune]

I have some vague memories of blueprints for the M1919 being around on the web, proper blueprints with measurements. Now the 1919 is not identical to the .303 as used in aircrafts, particularly in the barrel, but could be a place to start. If only I could find those blueprints again...

If you do find them I'll be very interested.

[Ivor Ramsden]

I've measured the museum's .303 Browning. It's a turret gun with a flame guard so I can't tell you the exact length of a wing-mounted gun's jacket (the jacket is the bit with holes in) but here goes:

Jacket length 495mm from the front of the receiver (the boxy bit!) to the front end of the bit of the flame guard which has got cooling fins which run parallel with the barrel or 451mm to the rear end of the same bit. Looking at drawings of the gun I think the length of the jacket of a wing gun is about half way between these.

Jacket diameter at receiver end 51mm approx.

Jacket diameter at muzzle end 34mm approx. I measured these diameters with a tape whilst on tip-toe with the tape at arm's length so the measurements aren't dead accurate.

Receiver: 406mm long by 102mm high by 45mm wide.

I think the ammo boxes might vary in shape, depending on which gun they feed. We've got a squashed one from a Seafire which I could measure if you're desperate.

[Selwyn]

I've measured the museum's .303 Browning. It's a turret gun with a flame guard so I can't tell you the exact length of a wing-mounted gun's jacket (the jacket is the bit with holes in) but here goes:

Jacket length 495mm from the front of the receiver (the boxy bit!) to the front end of the bit of the flame guard which has got cooling fins which run parallel with the barrel or 451mm to the rear end of the same bit. Looking at drawings of the gun I think the length of the jacket of a wing gun is about half way between these.

Jacket diameter at receiver end 51mm approx.

Jacket diameter at muzzle end 34mm approx. I measured these diameters with a tape whilst on tip-toe with the tape at arm's length so the measurements aren't dead accurate.

Receiver: 406mm long by 102mm high by 45mm wide.

I think the ammo boxes might vary in shape, depending on which gun they feed. We've got a squashed one from a Seafire which I could measure if you're desperate.

I think you mean the term "To the receiver" is actually to the front of the Frame, The receiver is where the bullets go into the gun (it receives the bullets!)

Selwyn

[Ivor Ramsden]

I was going to call it the breech casing 'cos that's what the big boxy bit is called on a Bofors gun and I know more about them than these rifle-calibre things. My parts diagram for a Browning calls it the "receiver assembly" so that's why I referred to it as the receiver. It's an American diagram which might explain the difference in nomenclature.

There's a drawing here with dimensions, which might be what Giorgio is referring to in post 3:

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?129788-3D-CAD-RAF-Browning-303

[P.o Prune]

Wow.. Thank you millions. That was just what I needed.

[Giorgio N]

I think you mean the term "To the receiver" is actually to the front of the Frame, The receiver is where the bullets go into the gun (it receives the bullets!)

Selwyn

That's quite an unusual terminology to me, do the RAF use receiver to indicate this part ? The receiver in small arms is generally whatever structure contains the operating mechanism while the part that accepts the bullets going into a machine gun is generally known as feed tray or feeder or simply feed.

Wonder if it's another US Vs. UK English thing ?

I was going to call it the breech casing 'cos that's what the big boxy bit is called on a Bofors gun and I know more about them than these rifle-calibre things. My parts diagram for a Browning calls it the "receiver assembly" so that's why I referred to it as the receiver. It's an American diagram which might explain the difference in nomenclature.

There's a drawing here with dimensions, which might be what Giorgio is referring to in post 3:

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?129788-3D-CAD-RAF-Browning-303

These are not the same I had, but I believe they can actually be even more useful as they are for the British version. Thanks for sharing !

A number of US M1919 drawings can be found on this site, however they are for a different variant

http://m1919tech.com/index.html

Edited June 4, 2015 by Giorgio N