M1919 Browning vs M2 Browning

1919–1945

1933–Present

Over 438,000

~1,000,000+ units (cumulative across all variants and manufacturers)

1,219mm (48 in) A4, 1,346mm (53 in) A6

1,651 mm (65 in) with stock, 1,219 mm (48 in) for tripod mount only

610mm (24 in)

45.7 cm (18 in) standard, 57.2 cm (22.5 in) for aircraft variants

14 kg (31 lb) gun with tripod

38.5 kg (84.9 lb) empty, 30.5 kg (67.3 lb) with tripod

250-round fabric belt

100‑round fabric belt standard, 50‑round drum (M2HB), 200‑round linked belt optional

Recoil-operated, closed bolt

Short‑recoil, toggle‑locked, belt‑fed, open‑bolt operation

Full auto only (pistol grip trigger on A6)

Single‑stage, mechanically simple trigger with manual safety lever

Adjustable iron sights, graduated to 2,400m

Adjustable leaf rear sight (0–2,000 m) and front post; optional optical or night vision mounts